According to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, it’s probable that this new hydrothermal feature is connected to activity that began nearby in March 2003. Geologists discovered hydrothermal features on the other side of the lava flow, close to Nymph Lake, more than 20 years ago.

If you are planning on driving in Yellowstone National Park when most of its roads open in April, you could drive by one of the latest thermal steam vents in the famed hotspot. The new hydrothermal feature is about one mile north of the Norris Geyser Basin within a region called the Roadside Springs thermal area .

A newly openedvolcanic vent has been discovered in Yellowstone National Park, emitting thick plumes of steam and prompting scientists to investigate a potential link to the supervolcano’s complex hydrothermal system.