Hydrothermal explosion craters are formed when
super-heated ground water flashes to steam blasting out the
rock above it. The hot rocks and magma that fuels the other
hydrothermal features in the area heated to very high
temperatures, as high as 450 deg F (232 deg C). The ground
water will not boil if it kept under pressure.
The pressure could have come from a lake forming behind an ice
dam or glacial lake. These types of lakes are known to drain very
rapidly releasing the pressure on the super-heated ground
water.
With the sudden decrease in water pressure, the ground water
flash boils, creating an explosion that blows out the rock and soil
above it creating a crater.
Logging requirements:
Send me a note with :
- The text "GC14G72 Indian Pond – Hydrothermal Explosion Crater"
on the first line
- The number of people in your group.
- How many other hydrothermal explosion craters are known to be
in the park.
- What is unusual about the crater
The above information was compiled from the
following sources:
- NPS informational Pannel
- Fritz, William J., Roadside Geology of the
Yellowstone Country, Mountain Press Publishing Company, May
1989.
Placement approved by the
Yellowstone National Park