How hot is the magma chamber beneath Yellowstone?

How hot is the magma chamber beneath Yellowstone? It is estimated that the temperature in the underlying magma chamber at Yellowstone may exceed 1,475 °F or 800°C. The average amount of heat that is transmitted from the interior of the Earth to its surface is 30-40 times greater in the Yellowstone area than in other places on Earth's continents.

When did Yellowstone last erupt?

The Yellowstone supervolcano last erupted about 640,000 years ago. A sleeping giant is nestled in the western part of the United States. Though it stirs occasionally, it has not risen from slumber in nearly 70,000 years.

Why is the crust below Yellowstone so hot?

Yellowstone is a hotspot—an area of anomalously high temperatures and some melting within Earth's upper mantle (the layer between the crust and the core that makes up the bulk of Earth's volume). The intense heat generated by the hotspot causes melting of the crust, forming basaltic and rhyolitic magma.

How much would the temperature drop if Yellowstone erupted?

Geologists believe the ash from the eruption would encircle the globe in as little as 48 hours, and make temperatures drop by a minimum of two degrees celsius for as long as 20 years. The cooling of the Earth could be catastrophic for the planet's fragile ecosystem, kicking off a chain reaction of extinctions.

What is the largest supervolcano in the United States?

Yellowstone is one of the world's largest active volcanic systems. Its history began 16.5 million years ago when present-day southeast Oregon sat over a hotspot—a massive plume of hot material upwelling from deep in the earth's mantle.

How deep is the crust at Yellowstone?

The Yellowstone Plateau region has crustal thickness of 47–52 km; this thick crust primarily manifests the Laramide age shortening associated with the Beartooth Mountains and the magmatic underplate that created the high-velocity lower crust beneath much of the Wyoming Province crust.

Is there a hot spot under Yellowstone?

Yellowstone sits above a melting anomaly within the Earth, called a “hotspot.” This hotspot is powered by a plume of hot (but not molten) material that may extend as deep as the boundary between the planet's mantle and core.

Can you go inside a magma chamber?

Thrihnukagigur Volcano is the only spot on earth where it's advisable to explore a magma chamber from the inside. The volcano has not erupted for 4.000 years and shows no signs of coming to life anytime soon, so it is safe to enter.

What are the 3 super volcanoes in the US?

How deep is the magma below Yellowstone?

This rhyolite is derived from a magma reservoir located in the shallow crust, only 5 to 17 km (about 3 to 10 mi) below the Earth's surface, and that provides the heat to fuel Yellowstone's vast hydrothermal system of hot springs, mudpots, and geysers.

Can you swim in any hot springs in Yellowstone?

A. No swimming is allowed in any of the park's thermal features because it is unsafe for visitors, as well as damaging to the resource. You are permitted to swim in waters that are fed by the runoff from the thermal features. One place you can swim is at the Boiling River at certain times of year.

What would happen if Yellowstone volcano erupted?

If another large, caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate.

Is there a 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.

How fast is the magma rising beneath Yellowstone?

The upward movement of the Yellowstone caldera floor--nearly 3 inches (7 centimeters) per year for the past three years--is more than three times greater than ever observed since such measurements began in 1923, say Smith, geophysics postdoctoral associate Wu-Lung Chang and colleagues.