Posted by Angela Montana on July 15, 2025According to USGS, Santa might’ve left more than footprints in Yellowstone last Christmas. Geologists doing spring maintenance in Norris Geyser Basin stumbled upon a brand-new thermal feature—a bright blue pool discovered near Tree Island in Porcelain Basin. The warm pool, which measures about 13 feet across and 1 foot deep, was surrounded by rocks and silica-rich mud, likely the aftermath of several small hydrothermal explosions. And while no major seismic signals were picked up, subtle acoustic clues insinuated that something was indeed happening. Unlike Yellowstone’s more dramatic explosions, this feature formed into existence over weeks, not minutes.