Located in the beautiful state of Wyoming is Yellowstone National Park, which was founded in 1872. Inside this park are magnificent sights such as the geyser Old Faithful, majestic lakes and forests, and outstanding wildlife, such as grizzly bears, bison, elk and wolves. Also on this fantastic and protected 3,468 square mile landscape is a Caldera and supervolcano that would wipe out North America and cause a global disaster that could put humanity back into a Pre-Civilization era.
What is a Super Volcano?
By definition, a super volcano is a “volcano that erupts thousands of times greater than ordinary volcanic explosions…” Yellowstone volcano is one of the largest volcanoes in the world with an elevation of 10,308 feet. Recently, scientists have discovered a massive and deep magma filled chamber under the surface of this caldera. Researchers estimate that the amount of magma that chamber holds could fill up the Grand Canyon not 2.5 times (as previously thought before) but 11 times.
Last eruptions and Devastation
This giant threat to humanity has erupted at least three times in the past. Once, about 2.1 million years ago. A second time at 1.2 million years ago and a third time about 640,000 years ago. The volcano is estimated to erupt every 600,000 - 800,000 years and it is presently due for an eruption. The devastation and aftermath is what people should be worried about. Experts estimate that after an eruption, a 10 foot layer of ash would completely cover up to one thousand miles killing well over 85,000 people instantly. The ash that goes up into Earth’s stratosphere would be so devastating to the climate and planet that it would put Earth into something like an ice age. The ash mixing with air would cause problems with breathing and Earth's clean oxygen would be tainted. The world as we knew it would be history.
Future Eruptions
According to the Yellowstone National Park webpage:
“…Most scientists think that the buildup preceding a catastrophic eruption would be detectable for weeks and perhaps months to years. Precursors to volcanic eruptions include strong earthquake swarms and rapid ground deformation and typically take place days to weeks before an actual eruption…”
Scientists state that frequent earthquakes are an indicator that a volcano will erupt in the present to near future. Currently deep underground, the park experiences 1000-2000 earthquakes every single year. Something is obviously happening with this extremely active volcano.
Moving Forward.
The positive part of this very real future catastrophe is that there may be enough time to evacuate people away from the red zones of the volcano before it erupts. Researchers at Yellowstone affirm that any place not in the area of lava flow would be fine for the greater the distance from the eruptive center, the safer it would be. It is impossible to know the damage an eruption would cause throughout the world, but scientists and geophysicists will continue to monitor activity below the surface of this gargantuan precipice. One thing is for sure though, if this volcano erupts it will destroy the majority of North America and forever alter life, not only in the United States, but around the world. If this super volcanic eruption puts Earth into a volcanic winter, humanity may be put into the dark ages once more.
