Acidic geyser erupts at Yellowstone - fears supervolcano could be next

"Echinus Geyser is the largest acidic geyser in the world, and it's been putting on a bit of a show in February. Small 'spikes' in the geyser's temperature at the beginning of last month were followed by the first proper eruption since December 2020, followed by a few more eruptions and then by the middle of the month, very frequent eruptions that lasted until about February 24."

"During the 1970s it would erupt for up to 90 minutes at a time, blasting hot acidic water up to 75ft into the air roughly every hour. But the eruptions became less consistent over time, with only one recorded in 2018, one in 2019 and two in 2020. Then, the activity suddenly stopped, with the geyser going quiet for years."

"In terms of Yellowstone's supervolcano, there is 'nothing really brewing right now...the magma chamber is nearly solid'. However a study published in July indicates something unusual is going on, as researchers discovered more than 86,000 'hidden earthquakes' between 2008 and 2022."

Echinus Geyser, located in Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park, spans approximately 660 feet across and is the world's largest acidic geyser. During the 1970s, it erupted regularly every hour, shooting hot acidic water up to 75 feet high for up to 90 minutes. Eruption frequency declined significantly over decades, with only sporadic activity recorded between 2018 and 2020 before ceasing entirely. Eruptions resumed on February 7, occurring sporadically with water heights reaching 30 feet and lasting up to three minutes. The reactivation follows recent concerns about increased seismic activity at Yellowstone's supervolcano, though scientists indicate the magma chamber remains nearly solid with no imminent eruption threat.

Read at Mail Online