Why is Yellowstone a ticking time bomb?
Why is Yellowstone a ticking time bomb? Yellowstone has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, the most recent eruption taking place over 600 thousand years ago. A modern-day eruption of Yellowstone would obliterate a unique ecosystem and catastrophically alter the world in which we live.
How far would the damage go if Yellowstone erupted?
If the Yellowstone supervolcano ever erupted, it would bring about a calamity for most of the United States. The supervolcano would spew deadly volcanic ash for thousands of miles across the entire country.
What would most likely be a super eruption of Yellowstone?
The most likely explosive event to occur at Yellowstone is actually a hydrothermal explosion (a rock hurling geyser eruption) or a lava flow.
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.
What volcano is 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.
How many nukes is Yellowstone?
Some stats on the Yellowstone supervolcano: A super-eruption would equal the force of 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs exploding every second. You could fit Tokyo, the world's biggest city, in Yellowstone's super-volcanic crater.
How long would the winter last after a Yellowstone eruption?
Location of past Yellowstone super-eruptions That triggered a dramatic 6- to 10-year global winter and (according to some) may have nearly wiped out the nascent human race. On average, the Earth has seen roughly one super-eruption every 100,000 years, although that's not an ironclad law.
Would Yellowstone cause an ice age?
No. A very large volcanic eruption would cause a severe cold period called a volcanic winter, but not an ice age. Volcanic eruptions cool the planet by creating a fine aerosol of sulfuric acid in the stratosphere. The highly reflective droplets prevent a portion of the sun's light from reaching and heating the surface.
Would humanity survive Yellowstone?
Can we survive a Yellowstone eruption? A massive eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would spread deadly ash for thousands of miles, killing plant life and affecting humans in its path. Humans who were in its path would surely die, but it would not mean the extinction of the entire human race.
Where is the safest place to be if Yellowstone erupts?
A: For the most likely type of volcanic eruption in Yellowstone, everywhere would be safe except in the immediate vicinity of the advancing lava flow. In the highly improbable event of a large catastrophic eruption, the great the distance from the eruptive center, the safer it would be.