Yellowstone Caldera, enormous crater in the western-central portion of Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, that was formed by a cataclysmic volcanic eruption some 640,000 years ago. It measures approximately 30 by 45 miles (50 by 70 km) , covering a large area of the park.
Is Yellowstone the largest volcano in the world?
Yellowstone is one of the largest known volcanoes in the world and the largest volcanic system in North America. The volcano is found above an intra-plate hot spot that has been feeding the magma chamber underneath Yellowstone for at least 2 million years.
Is there a supervolcano bigger than Yellowstone?
Nestled in the San Juan Mountains, there is ample evidence of one of the largest known volcanic eruptions on the planet: a caldera 22 miles wide and 62 miles long . It's called the La Garita Caldera, and it rivals the Toba eruption in Indonesia and all Yellowstone eruptions.
What would happen if the Yellowstone caldera erupted?
The enormous amount of volcanic material in the atmosphere would subsequently rain down toxic ash ; across the entire US, but principally in the Northwest. The ash would also kill plants, animals, crush buildings with its weight, block freeways, and ruin the country's farmland for a generation.
What volcano could destroy the world?
Effects of a major eruption: When the Yellowstone Caldera , or “supervolcano,” in Yellowstone National erupts again, it will render a huge swath of North America, from Vancouver to Oklahoma City, uninhabitable. It would have incalculable human and economic consequences.
What is the largest caldera in the world?
| Apolaki Crater | Mountain type Volcanic caldera |
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What are the 3 super volcanoes in the US?
The United States is home to three active supervolcanoes, the USGS has determined: The famous Yellowstone, Long Valley and the Valles Caldera in New Mexico .
What are the 8 super volcanoes?
- 1 – La Garita Caldera.
- 2 – Lake Toba.
- 3 – Cerro Guacha.
- 4 – Yellowstone Caldera.
- 5 – Lake Taupo.
- 6 – Cerro Galán.
- 7 – Island Park Caldera.
- 8 – Vilama.
Is Yellowstone going to erupt 2021?
Although another catastrophic eruption at Yellowstone is possible, scientists are not convinced that one will ever happen . The rhyolite magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is only 5-15% molten (the rest is solidified but still hot), so it is unclear if there is even enough magma beneath the caldera to feed an eruption.
How big is the magma chamber under Yellowstone?
Yellowstone is underlain by two magma bodies. The shallower one is composed of rhyolite (a high-silica rock type) and stretches from 5 km to about 17 km (3 to 10 mi) beneath the surface and is about 90 km (55 mi) long and about 40 km (25 mi) wide . The chamber is mostly solid, with only about 5-15% melt.
What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?
The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes . The majority of Earth's volcanoes and earthquakes take place along the Ring of Fire.
How likely is it that Yellowstone will erupt?
ANSWER: Although it is possible, scientists are not convinced that there will ever be another catastrophic eruption at Yellowstone. Given Yellowstone's past history, the yearly probability of another caldera-forming eruption can be approximated as 1 in 730,000 or 0.00014% .
What would happen if you dropped a nuke into a volcano?
The explosion of the bomb mixed with the build-up of pressure inside a volcano could amplify the eruption . The force would release even more ash and lava, spreading it even further than it would've gone with the volcano's own power. And that's if we managed to hit the target.
Can Yellowstone end the world?
Ultimately, global temperatures would drop, plants would die, and agriculture would fail . In fact, the UN estimates that the entire world would run out of food in just over two months. Now, Yellowstone has a history of eruptions like this. It's erupted three times in the past 2.1 million years.
Can you swim in Yellowstone Caldera?
“ Yellowstone is not a safe place for swimming or soaking because of frigid lakes, swift rivers, and scalding or worse hydrothermal waters .” The water in some parts of the park can be so hot, people have died after falling in. In 2016, an Oregon man may have dissolved after trying to soak in a thermal area.
Where is the safest place to be if Yellowstone erupts?
Where is the safest place to be when a volcano erupts? Avoid low-lying areas, areas downwind of the volcano, and river valleys downstream of the volcano . Debris and ash will be carried by wind and gravity. Stay in areas where you will not be further exposed to volcanic eruption hazards.
Can Yellowstone destroy America?
Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, told AccuWeather last week that the volcano located under the park has erupted at least three times in the past and would “devastate much of the United States” when it erupts again.
Did Yellowstone ever erupt?
Yellowstone Supervolcano
Yellowstone has had at least three such eruptions : The three eruptions, 2.1 million years ago, 1.2 million years ago and 640,000 years ago, were about 6,000, 700 and 2,500 times larger than the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State.
Is there a supervolcano in California?
The Long Valley Caldera in East California is a massive depression sitting next door to the Mammoth Mountain. It is known as one of the largest calderas– an immense, cauldron-like hollowed mass that forms after volcanic eruptions on the planet.
Would Mt Rainier destroy Seattle?
Mt. Rainier would be able to produce the same if not more tephra. The largest threat tephra imposes is the potential to contaminate Seattle's drinking water, and maybe cave in a few roofs. Mt Rainier has the potential to inflict some serious damage but Seattle may be just far enough from its reach.
Is Mt St Helens a supervolcano?
Mt. Saint Helens is not even the most likely volcano in the Cascades to produce a “supervolcanic” eruption . It has been very active over the last 10,000 years, but most tend to be small, bleeding out material frequently over this period.
Is Mount Everest a volcano?
Mount Everest is a volcano located in the Himalayas. It is the highest mountain on Earth, and is also the world's highest mountain peak. Mount Everest is classified as a stratovolcano, meaning that it is composed of alternating layers of ash and lava.
How often do supervolcanoes erupt?
Geologists think these eruptions take place about every 50,000 years , which suggests one is overdue. About 40 supervolcanoes are dotted across the globe.
How long until the Yellowstone volcano erupts?
Even so, the math doesn't work out for the volcano to be “overdue” for an eruption . In terms of large explosions, Yellowstone has experienced three at 2.08, 1.3, and 0.631 million years ago. This comes out to an average of about 725,000 years between...
