Decades of trash tourists tossed into Yellowstone geyser coughed up during eruption
A Yellowstone National Park geyser that has been mostly dormant for nearly the last 60 years coughed up some interesting finds last month.
A number of coins, aluminum cans, a plastic cup, cigarette butts were among the items blasted out of the Ear Spring geyser when it erupted Sept. 15.
Officials also found a cement block.
But most surprising of all? A baby's pacifier from the 1930s.
Officials posted a photo of the surprising finds to the park's Facebook page.
Some of the items are "clearly historic," according to the Facebook post. "They'll be inventoried by curators and may end up in Yellowstone's archives."
But officials warn that foreign objects can damage hot springs and geysers.
"The next time Ear Spring erupts we hope it's nothing but natural rocks and water," park officials wrote in a Facebook post. "You can help by never throwing anything into Yellowstone's thermal features."
The eruption was only the fourth in the last 60 years, according to the Associated Press. The geyser spewed steam and water up to 30 feet. The geyser last erupted in 2004.
Ear Spring is named for its resemblance to the shape of a human ear, according to the AP. It is one of a number of geysers, pools and hot springs in the national park.