What Recent Earthquakes Mean For Yellowstone's Supervolcano

If you’ve been wondering about Wyoming’s famous supervolcano, there’s no cause for alarm. December 2025 brought 79 small earthquakes in the park, the largest measuring just magnitude 2.7. Overall, seismic activity remains at background levels.

While the ground beneath Yellowstone is mostly quiet, the park’s geothermal features continue to dazzle. At Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin, where a hydrothermal explosion occurred in 2024, cameras and acoustic monitors captured at least three small eruptions in December. Steamboat Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin also erupted on December 31, marking its third eruption of the year.

Scientists are keeping a close eye on subtle changes in the caldera itself. GPS and satellite data show a slight uplift of about an inch along the north rim of the caldera, near Norris Geyser Basin. This movement began in July and could be part of a longer-term pattern, though it may also be an unusually long-lasting seasonal shift. Similar patterns have been observed in the past, and experts say it doesn’t signal any immediate danger.

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, a collaboration between the USGS, Yellowstone National Park, and several universities and state geological surveys, continues to monitor earthquakes and volcanic activity to keep the public informed and safe.

YVO wishes everyone a happy and healthy 2026 and encourages anyone curious about Yellowstone’s underground activity to check out their updates online.

In December, Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin let out a frosty, muddy “kablooey!”

The U.S. Geological Survey shared video of the eruption, which happened on a Saturday morning., showing mud shooting up into the crisp winter air. Biscuit Basin, nestled between park favorites Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, has been no stranger to explosive activity.

“This isn’t the first time Black Diamond Pool has made a dramatic entrance,” USGS scientists said. Last July, a hydrothermal explosion hurled rocks and mud hundreds of feet and damaged a boardwalk, leading to the area being closed to visitors due to safety concerns. Since then, “dirty eruptions” — geyser-like blasts of mud — have popped up sporadically, reaching up to 40 feet high.

Thanks to new cameras, seismic monitors, and temperature sensors installed this summer, scientists can now watch the pool’s antics more closely. While many eruptions over the past weeks were silent night-time events or hidden behind ice, Saturday’s blast was front and center, with snow-covered surroundings making the mud show even more dramatic.

So if you’re dreaming of a Yellowstone winter adventure, remember: some pools put on more than just a hot-spring steam show — they throw a muddy party, too.