Coiling along the Grand Loop trail in Yellowstone National Park, a road known as Firehole Lake Drive is experiencing an unusual phenomenon. This road is melting due to the intense heat radiating from the geothermal features beneath its surface. As you drive through this area, you may notice swirls of steam rising into the sky and plants that are dead or burned by the hot, colorful waters. The road is often covered in a viscous, ash-colored ooze, according to SFGate.
During the summer months, when the sun beats down on the road and the volcanic magma beneath it becomes more active, the road begins to soften. Each time a vehicle’s tires pass over the mushy surface, they create ripples and potholes. The melting of Firehole Lake Drive can be traced back to a 2014 incident.
The incident occurred on July 9, 2014, as reported by CNN at the time. Thermal features in Yellowstone, fueled by the active volcano, caused oil to spill onto the road’s surface, melting holes into the asphalt and creating areas that released billowing white smoke. Park officials had to close the road for repairs, but upon starting the work, they realized the damage was too severe to fix.
Firehole Lake Drive passes through the Lower Geyser Basin, which is filled with thermal features. Mike Polland, a scientist at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, explained in a Facebook post shared by USGS Volcanoes that the asphalt on the road is not suitable for such conditions. “As it gets heated from below, it’ll start to flow like Silly Putty,” he said. “It’s especially bad on hot summer days when the sun is beating down on it above. That really causes the asphalt to fail and deform, and when cars drive over it, it gets ripply and potholed.”
Poland described the situation as an “incredible engineering challenge.” He noted that while the volcanoes beneath Yellowstone are the main cause of the road’s issues, the melting and boiling of the road is a direct result of the volcanic activity. Yellowstone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits atop one of the largest chains of volcanoes, which feed the seething waters of more than 10,000 thermal features.
When a reporter from SFGate spoke with Poland, he advised against driving on Firehole Lake Drive due to its rough condition and susceptibility to melting. “There were a lot of places where it was in bad shape. I was bouncing all over the place,” he recalled. However, this is not the only problematic road in Yellowstone. Many other roads, including dirt roads, river crossings, and parking lots near the Biscuit Basin and Sulphur Caldron, are also bumpy and inconvenient for drivers.
More on Green Matters:
- One Tourist’s Reckless Move in Yellowstone Caused a Massive Traffic Jam for Everyone Else
- Officials Shut Down a Trail in Yellowstone After Bear Attacks Hiker — the First Instance in 4 Years
- Yellowstone Visitor Ignores Warning Sign Near a Remote Geyser — and It Doesn’t End Well For Him
