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HIGH TEMPERATURES

Over the years, Norris Geyser Basin consistently exhibits hot underground temperatures and the temperature of most of its hydrothermal features exceeds the boiling point. In 1926, researchers Allen and Day recorded a temperature of 284 °F (140°C) at Black Growler Steam Vent, earning it the reputation of being the hottest steam vent in Yellowstone.

In 1929, investigators from the Carnegie Institute of Washington D.C. drilled a test well in Norris Geyser Basin to learn about subsurface temperatures and gather geothermal system data. At 265 feet (81 m) depth, the temperature was 401 °F (205 °C) and the steam pressure was so intense that it threatened to destroy the drilling rig. The researchers considered it too dangerous to continue. The hole was sealed with 5,000 pounds of cement slurrgy, a cement cap, and a pile of rocks. The underlying forces continue to be so great that the cement and rocks visibly pulse up and down.

In 1967, the United States Geological Survey recorded a subsurface temperature of 460 °F (238 °C) at 1089 feet (332 m) in a Norris research drill hole.

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