Yellowstone explosion
Definition
A hydrothermal explosion in Yellowstone National Park, where superheated underground water rapidly flashes into steam, violently ejecting boiling water, mud, rocks, and debris—recent examples include the 2024 Biscuit Basin event and others captured on video.
Colloquial reference to the feared supervolcanic eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, a dormant supervolcano in Wyoming, USA; despite internet hype, scientists emphasize it's not imminent, with the last major eruption 640,000 years ago.
Examples
The Yellowstone explosion at Biscuit Basin sent tourists fleeing faster than a Black Friday sale stampede.
Doomsday TikTokers hyped the Yellowstone explosion as the apocalypse starter pack, while geologists just yawned.
After the viral video of the Yellowstone explosion, my feed filled with armchair experts predicting Ragnarok by Tuesday.
Grandpa mistook the Yellowstone explosion footage for Armageddon and started digging a bunker in the backyard.