Lots of Yellowstone Quakes and Steamboat Geyser Erupts in December

Scientists from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory have tallied up the seismic activity in the park for the final month of 2023. Dozens of quakes and a notable geyser eruption marked the highlights of the month

In December, Seismograph Stations in Yellowstone recorded 89 quakes, the largest of which was a minor earthquake with a magnitude of 2.1 located about 3 miles northeast of West Thumb on the evening of December 16^th.

Small quakes come in swarms and seismologists noted three swarms in December. The first was 16 quakes, located approximately 4 miles northeast of West Yellowstone, from December 8–14. A second swarm of 14 tremblors occurred approximately 3 miles northeast of West Thumb, on December 16^th and 17th. 

Another group of quakes, about 12 miles south of West Thumb, started on December 29. 11 earthquakes started on December 29^th.

The activity recorded in Yellowstone is considered normal.

Observers in the Park have also been keeping their eye on the famous Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin which has been slowing down in the past couple of years. The geyser erupted a final time in 2023 when it shot water and steam into the air on December 30^th. It was the 9^th water eruption of the year at Steamboat down from a high of 48 eruptions in 2019. The geyser had been dormant for 50 years when it sprang back to life in 1961 Steamboat is considered the world’s tallest geyser. It can shoot water as much as 300 feet into the air and eruptions have lasted as long as two hours.