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World's Tallest Geyser


Steamboat Geyser has produced several eruptions of between 300 and 400 feet in height.



Steamboat Geyser

Steamboat Geyser: Photograph of Steamboat Geyser of Yellowstone National Park erupting in 1961. Photo by E. Mackin, National Park Service.

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Which Geyser is the World's Tallest?

Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park has produced several eruptions between 300 and 400 feet in height. These eruptions have been taller than those produced by any other active geyser. It can be called the "world's tallest geyser."

Unusual Eruption Frequency Since 2018


Steamboat Geyser usually erupts infrequently, with events occurring many months to many years apart. However, the geyser has been extremely active since March of 2018. In the year 2018, Steamboat Geyser erupted 32 times. In 2019, it erupted 48 times, and there were another 48 eruptions in 2020. Activity began to slow in 2021, with only 20 eruptions recorded. The last time Steamboat erupted more than once in an entire calendar year was in 2003, when there were 3 recorded eruptions. Historically, many years usually pass between eruptions. For more information about the 2018 eruptions, see the Yellowstone Observatory articles: Recent Water Eruptions at Steamboat Geyser and The Steamboat Geyser Eruption of June 4, 2018: A personal perspective.


Recent Eruptions of Steamboat Geyser
DateEruption Interval
December 30, 202348 days
November 13, 202336 days
October 8, 202344 days
August 25, 202377 days
June 9, 202333 days
May 7, 202357 days
March 11, 202342 days
January 28, 202323 days
January 5, 202330 days
December 6, 202231 days
November 5, 202248 days
September 18, 202290 days
June 20, 202210 days
June 10, 202218 days
May 23, 202219 days
May 4, 202234 days
March 30, 202227 days
March 4, 202217 days
February 14, 202222 days
January 23, 202239 days
December 16, 202121 days
November 24, 202113 days
November 12, 202118 days
October 25, 202112 days
October 13, 202115 days
September 28, 202117 days
September 11, 202165 days
July 8, 202138 days
May 31, 202126 days
May 5, 202112 days
April 23, 20217 days
April 16, 202112 days
April 4, 20218 days
March 27, 20219 days
March 18, 202114 days
March 3, 202110 days
February 21, 202119 days
February 3, 202122 days
January 12, 202110 days
January 2, 202113 days
December 20, 20209 days
December 11, 202012 days
November 29, 20209 days
November 20, 20209 days
November 11, 20208 days
November 3, 20207 days
October 27, 20207 days
October 19, 20206 days
October 14, 20208 days
October 5, 20209 days
September 26, 202010 days
September 16, 20207 days
September 9, 20208 days
September 1, 20206 days
August 26, 20207 days
August 20, 20205 days
August 14, 20205 days
August 9, 20207 days
August 3, 20204 days
July 30, 20206 days
July 24, 20205 days
July 19, 20206 days
July 13, 20204 days
July 9, 20206 days
July 3, 20204 days
June 29, 20206 days
June 23, 20205 days
June 18, 20206 days
June 12, 20204 days
June 8, 20205 days
June 3, 20203 days
May 31, 20207 days
May 23, 20203 days
May 19, 20205 days
May 14, 20206 days
May 8, 202010 days
April 27, 202016 days
April 10, 20208 days
April 2, 20208 days
March 24, 20209 days
March 15, 20209 days
March 6, 20206 days
February 28, 20207 days
February 21, 20208 days
February 12, 202010 days
February 1, 20209 days
January 23, 202013 days
January 9, 202013 days
December 26, 20198 days
December 18, 20199 days
December 8, 201911 days
November 27, 20199 days
November 17, 20199 days
November 8, 20198 days
October 30, 20198 days
October 22, 20196 days
October 16, 20198 days
October 7, 20196 days
October 1, 20196 days
September 25, 20197 days
September 17, 20196 days
September 11, 20198 days
September 3, 20196 days
August 27, 20196 days
August 20, 20197 days
August 12, 201913 days
July 30, 20196 days
July 24, 20195 days
July 18, 20197 days
July 10, 20196 days
July 4, 20195 days
June 28, 20195 days
June 23, 20194 days
June 19, 20194 days
June 15, 20193 days
June 12, 20195 days
June 7, 20195 days
June 1, 20195 days
May 27, 20197 days
May 20, 20197 days
May 13, 20195 days
May 8, 20195 days
May 3, 20197 days
April 25, 201917 days
April 8, 201914 days
March 25, 20198 days
March 17, 20196 days
March 11, 20196 days
March 4, 20197 days
February 25, 20199 days
February 16, 20198 days
February 8, 20197 days
February 1, 20197 days
January 25, 20199 days
January 16, 201912 days
January 4, 201910 days
December 25, 20188 days
December 17, 20189 days
December 8, 201810 days
November 28, 20187 days
November 21, 20186 days
November 15, 20188 days
November 7, 20187 days
October 31, 20188 days
October 23, 20188 days
October 15, 20187 days
October 8, 20188 days
September 30, 20186 days
September 24, 20187 days
September 17, 20185 days
September 12, 20185 days
September 7, 20186 days
September 1, 20185 days
August 27, 20185 days
August 22, 201818 days
August 4, 201815 days
July 20, 201814 days
July 6, 201821 days
June 15, 20184 days
June 11, 20187 days
June 4, 20188 days
May 27, 20188 days
May 19, 20186 days
May 13, 20189 days
May 4, 20187 days
April 27, 20188 days
April 19, 201835 days
March 15, 20181,289 days
September 3, 2014399 days
July 31, 20132,352 days
February 21, 2007639 days
May 23, 2005579 days
October 22, 2003178 days
April 27, 200332 days
March 26, 2003194 days
September 13, 2002140 days
April 26, 2002724 days
May 2, 20003,125 days
October 2, 1991485 days
June 4, 1990237 days
October 9, 1989157 days
May 5, 1989109 days
January 15, 19891,572 days
September 26, 198482 days
July 6, 198423 days
June 12, 198419 days
May 24, 198469 days
March 15, 198493 days
December 13, 1983106 days
August 28, 198365 days
June 23, 198347 days
May 7, 198320 days
April 16, 198314 days
April 2, 19839 days
March 23, 198310 days
March 13, 198312 days
March 1, 198324 days
February 4, 198315 days
January 19, 198318 days
January 1, 198324 days
This table has been compiled using data from the National Park Service [1] and GeyserTimes.org [3].

Steamboat Geyser

Steamboat Geyser: Photograph of the steam phase of an eruption on March 16, 2018. Photo by Behnaz Hosseini, National Park Service.

Most Eruptions are Small

Historically, eruptions at Steamboat Geyser are rare and usually small in size. The typical eruption reaches a height of 40 feet or less. It also erupts infrequently and on an unpredictable schedule. There have been fewer than 400 recorded eruptions since 1878, with an eruption interval that ranges between four days and fifty years.

Because of the infrequent and irregular eruption schedule, careful measurements have not been made of most eruptions. Some eruptions have been seen by only a few people, and some have occured at night. Their heights have been estimated from the descriptions of witnesses and from rare photographs and videos.

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Steamboat Geyser - Steam Phase

Steamboat Geyser - Steam Phase: Photograph of the steam phase of an eruption at Steamboat Geyser of Yellowstone National Park. National Park Service photo.

Major Eruptions

Major eruptions at Steamboat Geyser begin with water jets from two vents followed by a major blast from the main vent that reaches heights of between 300 and 400 feet. In addition to mineral-rich steam and water, eruptions produce large volumes of mud, sand, and rocks. Up to 700 cubic feet of debris can be produced from a single major eruption. Trees near the geyser have been broken by falling debris, and their trunks have been undermined by torrents of runoff water.

The water phase of a major eruption can last for up to 40 minutes. Then the geyser continues with a roaring steam phase that can last between several hours and a few days.

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Waimangu Geyser, New Zealand

Waimangu Geyser, New Zealand: Eruption photo of Waimangu Geyser, near Rotorua, New Zealand. Waimangu was active between 1900 and 1904. It was named "Waimangu," a word in the Maori language that means "black water." This name was used because eruptions usually contained large amounts of rock and soil, giving the eruption plume a black color. Public domain image from Wikimedia.

Larger, Extinct Geysers

The largest geyser in recorded history is Waimangu Geyser, located near Rotorua, New Zealand. It was observed erupting to heights of about 1,500 feet between 1900 and 1904. A landslide caused the geyser to become extinct in 1904. The name "Waimangu" is a word from the native Maori language which means "black waters." This name was given because eruptions included large amounts of mud and rock - enough to make the eruption plume a black color.

Two Yellowstone geysers, Excelsior Geyser in Midway Basin and Sapphire Pool Geyser in Biscuit Basin, have also produced eruptions that exceeded 300 feet. Excelsior was active between 1878 and 1888. Sapphire Pool erupted after the Hebgen Lake earthquake in 1959 and erupted periodically for a few years. Both of these geysers are thought to be extinct.

Tall Geysers in the Solar System

Earth is not the only location in the solar system where geysers can be found. Icy jets of water have been detected erupting from Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, and Io, a moon of Jupiter. These eruptions produce very tall plumes because the force of gravity on these moons is very low. Because these eruptions produce icy water they are known as cryovolcanoes.

In 2011, NASA's Cassini spacecraft completed a flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The spacecraft was deliberately flown over a geyser during an active eruption. At an elevation of approximately 62 miles above the moon's surface, Cassini flew through a spray of water particles. These tiny, icy moons produce the tallest known geysers in the solar system.

geyser-like eruptions on Saturn's moon Enceladus

Geyser-like eruptions on Saturn's moon Enceladus: Image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft showing eruption plumes from numerous geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus. These geysers spray jets of water tens of miles above the moon's surface.

Author: , Ph.D.


Geyser Information
[1] Steamboat Geyser: Article by Yellowstone National Park. Last accessed January 2024.

[2] Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser Roars to Life for First Time in 8 Years: Becky Oskin, article on the NBC News website, November 2015. Last accessed January 2024.

[3] Steamboat Geyser: Recent Activity, table on the GeyserTimes.org website. Last accessed January 2024.

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