| Updated: 1:48 p.m. The world’s tallest active geyser is also one of its most mysterious, going dormant for years between periods of unpredictable, frequent eruptions. Yellowstone National Park’s Steamboat Geyser sprang back to life in a big way three years ago, spewing boiling water up to 360 feet into the air with greater frequency than ever with no signs abating. University of Utah geologists have been using this resurgent activity to gain a better understanding of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features, particularly the enigmatic Steamboat, along with the nearby Cistern Spring, which cools and recedes every time Steamboat blows. Seismologist Jamie Farrell was retrieving portable instruments his team had placed around the geyser in June 2018, when it gurgled into action then exploded.