Yellowstone’s Steamboat Geyser erupts unexpectedly on New Year’s Eve

Tourists traveling by plane over Yellowstone National Park on Thursday were treated to a rare and magnificent view of the world’s tallest active geyser shooting steam 400-plus feet skyward.

The accompanying footage, captured by Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris guide Jeramey Hutchison, shows steam rising from Steamboat Geyser at sunrise on New Year’s Day.

Steamboat Geyser erupted, unexpectedly, at 10:02 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, marking its first major eruption since April 14.

Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris stated via Instagram: “Steamboat is extremely unpredictable and often goes long stretches of time (sometimes even multiple years!) without erupting.

“A rising plume of steam was still billowing out into the morning hours, evidence of its intensity.”

The eruption was not witnessed from the ground, but the Yellowstone National Park website explains what occurs: “A major eruption of Steamboat Geyser is unforgettable. Water surges from two vents to varying heights, then suddenly water is expelled to more than 300 feet high.

“Curtains of water fall to the slope above the geyser and collect in torrents rushing back into the vents, carrying huge amounts of mud, sand, and rock that are shot skyward again and again. Water coats everything with a glistening layer of silica.”

The Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris group, after its Steamboat Geyser sighting, spent the day on a ground tour of Yellowstone’s Northern Range, searching for wolves and other wildlife.