Eruption At Yellowstone Leaves Scientists Watching Closely: New WebCam

Yellowstone National Park is a hotbed for tourists and a literal hotbed of volcanic activity. The park's stunning attractions like Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs lure in millions every year. But as beautiful as they are, they come with a warning label... and not everyone listens.

We've all heard the horror stories—people getting way too close, ignoring the signs, and tragically paying the price. You can read more below about Yellowstone's wild history of accidents and mortality rates.

READ MORE: Which Is More Dangerous In Yellowstone: Animals OR Hot Springs?

One of the freakiest moments happened just last year on July 23. Visitors at Biscuit Basin had to run for it when Black Diamond Pool decided to blow.

And this wasn't some bottle-cap pop. The hydrothermal explosion launched a steaming plume 400 to 600 feet into the air, hurling rocks like volcanic confetti. When those rocks came back down? They completely destroyed the nearby boardwalk.

It's honestly a miracle no one got hurt. But I'd bet every person standing there thought, "Welp… this is it. The Yellowstone supervolcano just clocked in."

Since the explosion, the park has been keeping an eye on the area, and it has been closed to the public because of the uncertainty. It's apparently had a bad attitude lately with a few other smaller explosions.

"We know from seismic data and eyewitnesses that there have been small bursts from Black Diamond Pool since the big explosion last July," said Mike Poland, scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

In an effort to keep better tabs on this temperamental hot tub, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory slapped up a new static webcam. It uploads a fresh photo every 15 minutes... and yes, it’s a little crooked—because it’s mounted to what’s left of the busted-up boardwalk.

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As of now, there’s no timeline on reopening Biscuit Basin. The only way to spy on the chaos is through that new cam, which you can check out HERE.