page_title: Steamboat Geyser
section_title: Active phase since 2018
hierarchical_section_title: Steamboat Geyser / Recent eruptions and active phase of 2018-2020 / Active phase since 2018
caption_attribution_description: English: Steamboat Geyser, Major Eruption, August 4, 2018
context_page_description: Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest currently-active geyser. Steamboat Geyser has two vents, a northern and a southern, approximately 20 feet apart. The north vent is responsible for the tallest water columns; the south vent's water columns are shorter.
  Prior to 1904, Waimangu Geyser, in New Zealand, had some taller eruptions capable of reaching 1,600 feet, but in 1904, a landslide changed the local water table, and since then, Waimangu has not erupted. Excelsior Geyser in Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin, and Semi-Centennial Geyser just north of Roaring Mountain on the Grand Loop Road were reported to be as tall as Steamboat, both with eruptions reaching 300 ft. However, Excelsior has not erupted since 1985, and now functions as a hot spring, and Semi-Centennial's one eruption of this height was reported in 1922 and has been dormant since.
  Steamboat's major eruptions generally last from 3 to 40 minutes, and are followed by powerful jets of steam. During these eruptions, water may be thrown more than 300 feet into the air.
context_section_description: In 2018, Steamboat Geyser entered a much more active period with 114 eruptions recorded between March 15, 2018 and August 26, 2020.   Thirty-two eruptions occurred in 2018 and 48 occurred 2019. This broke 1964's record of 29 eruptions within a calendar year. The 2018 record was broken on August 27, 2019 with the 33rd major eruption of the year.
caption: Steamboat Geyser, major eruption, August 4, 2018
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