A new hydrothermal feature has appeared at Yellowstone National Park, located in the Roadside Springs thermal area. The feature, which is about 171 degrees Fahrenheit, was spotted by a park scientist driving near Mammoth Hot Springs and confirmed by researchers through further investigation.
The new feature sits at the foot of a rhyolite lava flow, approximately 10 feet above a marshy area that spans over 200 feet in length. This location suggests a connection to an older hydrothermal feature that emerged in 2003, near Nymph Lake.
According to Yellowstone National Park geologists, the new feature and the 2003 one share similarities in their positions along faults that run from Norris Geyser Basin northward to Mammoth Hot Springs. The researchers believe that these two features may be connected through a hydrothermal divide.
In contrast, the 2003 feature remains active while the new one has nearly gone dormant since winter. However, further research indicates that the water in the vent is keeping steam at bay for now.
Scientists will continue to monitor the new feature closely to determine if it will begin billowing steam again this summer.
Source: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/new-hydrothermal-feature-emerges-at-yellowstone-national-park