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Yellowstone Park Getting
Hotter - Closes Volcanic Basin

From The Yellowstone Newsletter
8-1-3


Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis announced that due to high ground temperatures and increased thermal activity that could affect visitor and employee safety, a portion of the Back Basin at Norris Geyser Basin on the west side of the park has been temporarily closed. Yellowstone's more popular features within the Norris Geyser Basin, including Steamboat and Echinus Geysers and all of Porcelain Basin, remain open to the public.
 
The temporary closure is clearly marked and covers most of the western portion of the Back Basin trail starting at the Norris Museum. There are approximately 12,500 feet of trails in the Norris Geyser Basin-with approximately 5,800 feet affected by the temporary closure.
 
Norris is the hottest and most seismically active geyser basin in Yellowstone. Recent activity in the Norris Geyser Basin has included formation of new mud pots, an eruption of Porkchop Geyser (dormant since 1989), the draining of several geysers, creating steam vents and significantly increased measured ground temperatures (up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Additional observations include vegetation dying due to thermal activity and the changing of several geysers' eruption intervals. Vixen Geyser has become more frequent and Echinus Geyser has become more regular.
 
Park staff continue to monitor temperatures and thermal features in the area. When conditions have returned to acceptable ground temperatures and stable surface conditions have improved, the trail will be reopened. Norris is another example of Yellowstone's thermal features that are constantly evolving and changing.

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