Tuff Cliff, located north of Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park, is one of the best-known exposures of the Lava Creek Tuff and has long been cited as a classic example of member A of that deposit. USGS photo by Mike Poland, September 24, 2026.
Multimedia
Images
Tuff Cliff, located north of Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park, is one of the best-known exposures of the Lava Creek Tuff and has long been cited as a classic example of member A of that deposit. USGS photo by Mike Poland, September 24, 2026.
Black Pearl Geyser, Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Black Pearl Geyser, Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBlack Pearl Geyser in Biscuit Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. USGS photo by Mike Poland, September 22, 2026.
Black Pearl Geyser, Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Black Pearl Geyser, Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National ParkBlack Pearl Geyser in Biscuit Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. USGS photo by Mike Poland, September 22, 2026.
YGH monitoring station in Yellowstone National Park
YGH monitoring station in Yellowstone National ParkYGH monitoring station near Geyser Hill, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Infrasound sensors sit under the brown "hats" that serve as wind screens, and a seismometer is buried nearby.
YGH monitoring station in Yellowstone National Park
YGH monitoring station in Yellowstone National ParkYGH monitoring station near Geyser Hill, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Infrasound sensors sit under the brown "hats" that serve as wind screens, and a seismometer is buried nearby.
View of Yellowstone Lake from the 2026 edition of the Lake camera
View of Yellowstone Lake from the 2026 edition of the Lake cameraView from September 11, 2026, at 3:02:16 p.m.
View of Yellowstone Lake from the 2026 edition of the Lake camera
View of Yellowstone Lake from the 2026 edition of the Lake cameraView from September 11, 2026, at 3:02:16 p.m.
Frequent finds collected in summer 2026 by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Team
Frequent finds collected in summer 2026 by the Yellowstone National Park Geology TeamFrequent finds collected by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Team from hydrothermal areas during the summer season in 2026: camera lens covers and binocular parts, pens and pencils, sunglasses, hair accessories, hotel keys, and more! National Park Service photo by Margery Price, September 2026.
Frequent finds collected in summer 2026 by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Team
Frequent finds collected in summer 2026 by the Yellowstone National Park Geology TeamFrequent finds collected by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Team from hydrothermal areas during the summer season in 2026: camera lens covers and binocular parts, pens and pencils, sunglasses, hair accessories, hotel keys, and more! National Park Service photo by Margery Price, September 2026.
EarthScope field engineers hike to a GPS station in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park
EarthScope field engineers hike to a GPS station in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National ParkEarthScope intern Lexi Kenis (left) and field engineer Lia Lajoie (right) hike through Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park on their way to GPS Station HVWY. Photo by Brendan Hodge, EarthScope Consortium, September 2026.
EarthScope field engineers hike to a GPS station in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park
EarthScope field engineers hike to a GPS station in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National ParkEarthScope intern Lexi Kenis (left) and field engineer Lia Lajoie (right) hike through Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park on their way to GPS Station HVWY. Photo by Brendan Hodge, EarthScope Consortium, September 2026.
Videos
Before the supereruptions: Yellowstone’s ancient volcanoes (Yellowstone monthly update – August 2026)
Before the supereruptions: Yellowstone’s ancient volcanoes (Yellowstone monthly update – August 2026)Long before explosive eruptions formed the Yellowstone Caldera and heat from the magmatic system began feeding a dynamic hydrothermal system, there was the Absaroka volcanic range. Remnants of the rugged terrain are still visible on the east and north sides of Yellowstone National Park.
Before the supereruptions: Yellowstone’s ancient volcanoes (Yellowstone monthly update – August 2026)
Before the supereruptions: Yellowstone’s ancient volcanoes (Yellowstone monthly update – August 2026)Long before explosive eruptions formed the Yellowstone Caldera and heat from the magmatic system began feeding a dynamic hydrothermal system, there was the Absaroka volcanic range. Remnants of the rugged terrain are still visible on the east and north sides of Yellowstone National Park.
Man in blue shirt waves his hand in front of his face and stands in front of a boiling hot spring
What stinks in Yellowstone? (Yellowstone monthly update – September 2026)
What stinks in Yellowstone? (Yellowstone monthly update – September 2026)When you get out of your car at Mud Volcano, your nose immediately detects something that smells like rotten eggs. That smell is hydrogen sulfide, H2S. It’s very common in geothermal systems like the ones in Yellowstone.
What stinks in Yellowstone? (Yellowstone monthly update – September 2026)
What stinks in Yellowstone? (Yellowstone monthly update – September 2026)When you get out of your car at Mud Volcano, your nose immediately detects something that smells like rotten eggs. That smell is hydrogen sulfide, H2S. It’s very common in geothermal systems like the ones in Yellowstone.
Another hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)
Another hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)On June 13, 2026, Yellowstone National Park’s newest geophysical monitoring sites captured a small hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin! That story is the subject of this month’s video update.
Another hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)
Another hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)On June 13, 2026, Yellowstone National Park’s newest geophysical monitoring sites captured a small hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin! That story is the subject of this month’s video update.
Water spouting on June 18, 2026, from a new thermal pool that formed shortly after a small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, on June 13, 2026
Water spouting on June 18, 2026, from a new thermal pool that formed shortly after a small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, on June 13, 2026This video is from the Biscuit Basin camera, which is located on the boardwalk adjacent to Black Diamond Pool (the blue-water feature in the foreground) and looking to the north. Black Diamond Pool was the site of a hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, and the pool has erupted numerous times since that event.
Water spouting on June 18, 2026, from a new thermal pool that formed shortly after a small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, on June 13, 2026
Water spouting on June 18, 2026, from a new thermal pool that formed shortly after a small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, on June 13, 2026Water spouting on June 18, 2026, from a new thermal pool that formed shortly after a small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, on June 13, 2026
Water spouting on June 18, 2026, from a new thermal pool that formed shortly after a small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, on June 13, 2026This video is from the Biscuit Basin camera, which is located on the boardwalk adjacent to Black Diamond Pool (the blue-water feature in the foreground) and looking to the north. Black Diamond Pool was the site of a hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, and the pool has erupted numerous times since that event.
steaming blue pool in low-light dawn conditions with an explosive steam plume in the background
Video of small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin on June 13, 2026
Video of small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin on June 13, 2026Video from a research and monitoring camera located at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, recorded between 05:09:45 and 05:10:15 a.m. MDT on June 13, 2026. Black Diamond Pool, site of a hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, is steaming in the foreground. At about 05:09:50 a.m.
Video of small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin on June 13, 2026
Video of small hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin on June 13, 2026Video from a research and monitoring camera located at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, recorded between 05:09:45 and 05:10:15 a.m. MDT on June 13, 2026. Black Diamond Pool, site of a hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, is steaming in the foreground. At about 05:09:50 a.m.
Top visitor questions about Yellowstone's thermal areas (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)
Top visitor questions about Yellowstone's thermal areas (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)Summer is here, and millions of people will be visiting Yellowstone National Park. People with questions. What is this scat I’m seeing? How does a geyser erupt? What makes Yellowstone so special?
Where’s the bathroom?
Top visitor questions about Yellowstone's thermal areas (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)
Top visitor questions about Yellowstone's thermal areas (Yellowstone Monthly Update - June 2026)Summer is here, and millions of people will be visiting Yellowstone National Park. People with questions. What is this scat I’m seeing? How does a geyser erupt? What makes Yellowstone so special?
Where’s the bathroom?
Audio
Steamboat Geyser — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Steamboat Geyser — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the gurgling and bubbly sounds of Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. "Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser. It showers watchers and drenches the walkway. Days, months, or years pass between the major eruptions of Steamboat Geyser.
Steamboat Geyser — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Steamboat Geyser — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the gurgling and bubbly sounds of Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. "Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser. It showers watchers and drenches the walkway. Days, months, or years pass between the major eruptions of Steamboat Geyser.
Blue Mud Steam Vent — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Blue Mud Steam Vent — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of Blue Mud Steam Vent in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Blue Mud Steam Vent is found within the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Blue Mud Steam Vent — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Blue Mud Steam Vent — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of Blue Mud Steam Vent in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Blue Mud Steam Vent is found within the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Bridge Near Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Bridge Near Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of a flowing river through Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This audio is from a river below the bridge near the Monument Geyser Trailhead in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Bridge Near Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Bridge Near Monument Geyser Basin Trailhead — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of a flowing river through Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This audio is from a river below the bridge near the Monument Geyser Trailhead in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Mudpot at Artists' Paintpots — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Mudpot at Artists' Paintpots — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of a mudpot in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This mudpot is located in the Artists' Paintpots area located in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Mudpot at Artists' Paintpots — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Mudpot at Artists' Paintpots — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of a mudpot in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This mudpot is located in the Artists' Paintpots area located in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Rustic Falls — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Rustic Falls — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of Rustic Falls in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Rustic Falls is a few miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
If you're looking for the video, check out Rustic Falls on the USGS YouTube channel.
Rustic Falls — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Rustic Falls — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of Rustic Falls in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Rustic Falls is a few miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
If you're looking for the video, check out Rustic Falls on the USGS YouTube channel.
Terrace Springs — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Terrace Springs — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of Terrace Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Terrace Springs is located near the Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Terrace Springs — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)
Terrace Springs — Sounds of Yellowstone (ASMR, Sleep, Concentration)Need time to concentrate or relax? Then listen to the natural sounds of Terrace Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Terrace Springs is located near the Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Webcams
The camera view is east-southeast from the seismic/infrasound monitoring station in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
The camera view is east-southeast from the seismic/infrasound monitoring station in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
The camera view is north-northwest from the Biscuit Basin boardwalk looking at Black Diamond Pool, which is in the foreground (the tilted viewing angle is due to the slope of the boardwalk).
The camera view is north-northwest from the Biscuit Basin boardwalk looking at Black Diamond Pool, which is in the foreground (the tilted viewing angle is due to the slope of the boardwalk).
The camera view is south-southeast over Yellowstone Lake from the cell phone tower near Fishing Bridge. Stevenson Island is visible within the lake on the right. The view extends down the Southeast Arm between the Promontory (low ridge rising from the lake) and the eastern shore.
The camera view is south-southeast over Yellowstone Lake from the cell phone tower near Fishing Bridge. Stevenson Island is visible within the lake on the right. The view extends down the Southeast Arm between the Promontory (low ridge rising from the lake) and the eastern shore.