Excelsior Geyser, Thermal pool in Midway Geyser Basin, Wyoming, US.
The Excelsior Geyser crater contains deep blue water and releases 4,000 gallons of water per minute at 199 degrees Fahrenheit into the Firehole River.
The Hayden Geological Survey named this formation in 1871, and it performed frequent eruptions reaching heights of 300 feet during the 1880s.
F. Jay Haynes captured the only photograph of an Excelsior Geyser eruption in 1888, documenting this natural phenomenon for future generations.
Visitors can observe the steaming crater from elevated boardwalks that circle the Midway Geyser Basin, following marked paths for safety.
After decades of dormancy, the geyser unexpectedly reactivated in 1985 for 46 hours, producing eruptions up to 80 feet high.
Location: Wyoming
Part of: Excelsior Geyser Crater
GPS coordinates: 44.52627,-110.83674
Latest update: May 11, 2025 07:41
Geysers represent some of the most visible expressions of hydrothermal activity, occurring where underground water reservoirs are heated by magmatic sources. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming holds more than half of the world's known geysers, including Old Faithful with its reliable eruptions every 90 minutes and Steamboat, the tallest active geyser on Earth. Iceland offers the Haukadalur Valley, home to the namesake Geysir and Strokkur, which erupts every few minutes. The high plateau of El Tatio in Chile sits at 14,100 feet (4,300 meters) and forms the highest elevation geyser field in the world. Other notable locations include the Whakarewarewa thermal area in Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island, where the Pohutu geyser performs regularly, and the Valley of Geysers in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. These sites demonstrate the ongoing volcanic activity beneath the Earth's surface and attract visitors interested in observing natural thermal phenomena. Eruption patterns vary in frequency and intensity, with some geysers following predictable schedules while others remain irregular.
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