Would Yellowstone be an extinction level event?
Would Yellowstone be an extinction level event? So, we'll answer that question right off the bat—no, a large explosive eruption at Yellowstone will not lead to the end of the human race (most Yellowstone eruptions do not fit this worst-case scenario anyhow, but rather are lava flows).
How much destruction would happen if Yellowstone erupted?
The total energy released would be equivalent to an 875,000 megaton explosion. The shockwave would kill 90,000 people. Most of the lava would fall back into the crater. Any flows would be slow and only spread 40-50km or so.
What volcano could end the world?
Yellowstone Supervolcano (Wyoming, United States) Effects of a major eruption: When the Yellowstone Caldera, or supervolcano, in Yellowstone National Park erupts again, its effects would be worldwide, the U.S. Geographical Survey said.
Would anywhere be safe 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.
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.
What would happen if Yellowstone was nuked?
For an eruption to occur, a volcano needs a large amount of liquid magma and enough pressure to make it ascend to the surface. While nuking Yellowstone may not cause it to erupt, a nuclear blast on U.S. soil will inevitably be very damaging to both animal and human life.
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.
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.
Can 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.