Beneath yellowstone national park lies a supervolcano, a behemoth far more powerful than your average volcano. Most of yellowstone national park sits inside three overlapping calderas. An eruption on this scale would be the largest natural disaster in recorded history. In fact, in 2011 scientists found that the ground above the magma chamber had swelled by 10 inches. Wish he had spent a little more time on yellowstones unique situation lots of interesting stuff about other areas. Well, based on the past three eruptions of the yellowstone hotspot, the party starts with an eruption of more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma. The technical term for yellowstones supervolcano is caldera, a spanish word meaning.
Oct 12, 2017 even if yellowstones supervolcano gets a sudden injection of new magma the way it did 630,000 years ago, we would, according to this study, have several decades to prepare. The term supervolcano refers to any volcano capable. Oct 12, 2017 in fact, in 2011 scientists found that the ground above the magma chamber had swelled by 10 inches. Scientists dont think yellowstones supervolcano will be erupting any time soon at least, not in the next thousand years. This is thousands of times bigger than most volcanic eruptions which happened a long time. For over a century, tens of millions of visitors have marveled at the natural beauty of yellowstone national park, home to the largest. Apr 17, 20 yellowstone s volcanic source is bigger and better connected than scientists thought, researchers reported at the seismological society s annual meeting. The last major eruption occurred 640,000 years ago. Yellowstone supervolcano may erupt sooner than thought, potentially wiping out life. A massive magma chamber, 30 by 45 miles in size, lies 310 miles beneath the surface of yellowstone national park. A supervolcano is a volcano that can make a volcanic eruption where the things being thrown out of the volcano have a volume bigger than 1,000 km 3 240 cu mi. Docudrama movie supervolcano by bbc and discovery channel. Dec 11, 20 image caption it is unclear when the yellowstone supervolcano will erupt again. Scientists hatch bold plan to save planet from supervolcano.
Aug 24, 2017 nasa believes the yellowstone super volcano is a greater threat to life on earth than any asteroid. Scientists say yellowstones worldending supervolcano. It has the ability to expel more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of rock and ash at once 2,500 times more material than erupted from mount st. Yellowstone supervolcano revealed yellowstone forever.
Jul 12, 2016 scientists dont think yellowstones supervolcano will be erupting any time soon at least, not in the next thousand years. This magma system has produced some of the largest volcanic eruptions in earth s history eruptions so large that they have been. For over a century, tens of millions of visitors have marveled at the natural beauty of yellowstone national park. Yellowstone sits directly above one of the largest volcanic systems on earth. Apr 20, 2020 yellowstone national park supervolcano. Yellowstone supervolcano even more colossal bbc news. Yellowstone supervolcano may erupt sooner than thought. For over a century, tens of millions of visitors have marveled at the natural beauty of yellowstone national park, home to the largest concentration of geysers in the world, including the iconic old faithful. Nasas plan to defuse yellowstones continentkilling. The problem is in the vast subterranean reserve of magma that feeds the volcano, according to the magazine a 20 study, for instance, showed that the. Reaching depths of between 2km and 15km 1 to 9 miles, the. Yellowstone supervolcano may rumble to life faster than thought. New model of the yellowstone supervolcano sheds light on.
Yellowstones fury full movie in hd visit for over a century, tens of millions of visitors h. Here s a deeper look at whether yellowstone s volcano would fire up a global catastrophe. What are the chances yellowstones supervolcano will erupt. The major features of the caldera measure about 34 by 45 miles 55 by 72 km. So it has come up with a plan to defuse its explosive potential. Yellowstone doesnt just have a volcano, yellowstone is a volcano. Natural processes unseen to the common visitor occur, transforming this dynamic ecosystem from.
The caldera and most of the park are located in the northwest corner of wyoming. A study of yellowstone caldera in 20 assuaged some fears when it found that the magma chamber beneath the park was about two and a. What would an eruption of the yellowstone supervolcano look. Theres a dangerous giant sitting dormant in the united. The yellowstone caldera is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in yellowstone national park. Image caption it is unclear when the yellowstone supervolcano will erupt again. Beneath the beautiful yellowstone national park lies a supervolcano, a hidden a force of nature that has the potential to blanket the united states in ash and send the world into a volcanic winter. Yellowstone s fury examines the effect a cataclysmic eruption would have on the world and what could possibly be done to prepare for such a disaster.
Helens, pinatubo, and krakatoa look like firecrackers. A plume of molten rock that rises beneath the park creates one of the worlds largest active volcanoes, and we can see evidence all around us in the form of geysers and hot springs. 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. But of course the devastation would not just be limited to the northwest part of the country. It blankets thousands of miles around it in lava and ash, casting a pall over the earth that lowers temperatures and hinders plant life for decades. What would an eruption of the yellowstone supervolcano. A surprise from the supervolcano under yellowstone the new. Yellowstones fury examines the cataclysmic effect an eruption would have on the world. The plates still moving, which means that yellowstone national park will one day be supervolcanofree. Record earthquake levels at supervolcano sparking fears it will blow the area surrounding the deadly yellowstone supervolcano has experienced one. As cbs news reported in 2015, there have only been three giant eruptions in the past 2. Nyu earth scientist michael rampino warns, an eruption like yellowstone could trigger the end of civilization as we know it. Oct 14, 2017 yellowstone supervolcano could erupt sooner than expected.
For the real facts, we went straight to an expert, jake lowenstern of the u. This magma system has produced some of the largest volcanic eruptions in earths history. The very term supervolcano implies an eruption of magnitude 8 on the volcano explosivity index, indicating an eruption of more than 1,000 cubic kilometers 250 cubic miles of magma. Jacob lowenstern, scientistincharge at the yellowstone volcano observatory, notes that an eruption of that size will cover most of north america with an ash blanket of varying thickness. Yellowstone has had at least three such eruptions one about 2. Those thermal features are easytoobserve evidence of an active magma system beneath the park. According to analysis of earthquake data in 20, the magma chamber is 80 km. Yellowstones supervolcano could erupt much faster than. Yellowstones supervolcano gets a lid the giant volcano lurking under the state of wyoming might not have originated from a rising plume of.
So if youre planning a trip there, you shouldnt be too concerned. Scientists study supervolcanoes to better prepare for eruptions. A surprise from the supervolcano under yellowstone the. The ticking time bomb beneath yellowstone national park. It would be the largest natural disaster in recorded history. Yellowstones fury cbc by david brady on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. With ben andrews, lori dengler, hank heasler, jake lowenstern. Scientists suspect that a supereruption scars the planet every 100,000 years. In the spring of 2006, a bbc science and discovery channel docudrama called supervolcano was followed by the documentary, supervolcano. Its tagline is scientists know it as the deadliest volcano on earth. Yellowstones volcanic source is bigger and better connected than scientists thought, researchers reported at the seismological societys annual meeting. Nasas plan to defuse yellowstones continentkilling super.
The yellowstone supervolcano is a topic surrounded by much curiosity andsometimesspeculation. Yellowstone supervolcano could erupt sooner than expected. Record earthquake levels at supervolcano sparking fears it will blow the area surrounding the deadly yellowstone supervolcano has experienced one of the biggest recorded. Scientists say yellowstones worldending supervolcano could. Dec 15, 2014 an aerial flight over yellowstones midway geyser basin in 2004 shows grand prismatic spring and excelsior geyser crater, which drain into the nearby firehole river. Supervolcanoes can occur when magma in the earth rises into the crust from a hotspot, but can not break through the crust. It is centered on the speculated and potential eruption of the volcanic caldera of yellowstone national park. Yellowstones supervolcano could erupt much faster than anyone thought. The team found that the magma chamber was colossal. An aerial flight over yellowstones midway geyser basin in 2004 shows grand prismatic spring and excelsior geyser crater, which drain into the nearby firehole river. The enormous volcano underneath yellowstone national park is one of those lurking dangers that probably wont erupt soon and leave a giant crater in. Supervolcano simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Water from rain and snowmelt, much of it centuriesold, percolates. Oct 10, 2017 yellowstones last supereruption occurred 631,000 years ago.
Oct, 2017 yellowstone supervolcano may erupt sooner than thought, potentially wiping out life. What would happen if the yellowstone supervolcano actually. And a study in 20 showed that the volume of magma moving into the supervolcano is nearly three. Once every 600,000 years or so yellowstones supervolcano erupts, making mt.
Scientists make stunning discovery beneath yellowstone. Geologic evidence suggests that yellowstones supervolcano mounts a massive eruption once every 600,000 to 800,000 years. For the past two million years, this supervolcano has erupted roughly every 600,000 years. The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hhmi biointeractive video duration. This colossal cavity of molten rock forms yellowstones volcano, and it is in fact, one of the worlds largest super volcanoes. Supervolcano yellowstone movie full 2 hours youtube. The yellowstone supervolcano is a disaster waiting to happen a calderaforming volcano supplies the heat for the hydrothermal features in yellowstone. Overall, there have been at least 25 significant earthquakes at yellowstone national park since thursday, but it is the 4. Yellowstones volcano bigger than thought supervolcanoes. A newly discovered chamber goes more than 600 miles down, and has enough magma to fill the grand canyon.
Oct, 2017 the problem is in the vast subterranean reserve of magma that feeds the volcano, according to the magazine a 20 study, for instance, showed that the magma reservoir that feeds the supervolcano. Were now offering a free digital copy of the offgrid outbreak issue when you. By rebecca morelle science reporter, bbc world service. Volcano beneath yellowstone yellowstone supervolcano. This video helps you understand what causes volcanoes to form and eruptand shows where they are most likely to be found. A supervolcano lies under yellowstone heres what would. Yellowstones last supereruption occurred 631,000 years ago. Think of yellowstone as a gigantic pressure cooker, fueled by a massive supervolcano. The catastrophic event that changed the course of human history.
Yellowstones supervolcano is bigger than we thought. For over a century, tens of millions of visitors have marveled at the natural beauty of yellowstone national park, home to the largest concentration of geysers in. Jun 01, 2017 history of yellowstones supervolcano the yellowstone area has seen tremendous volcanic activity in its past. Yellowstone national park is worldfamous for its geysers and hot springs. Even if yellowstones supervolcano gets a sudden injection of new magma the way it did 630,000 years ago, we would, according to this study, have several decades to prepare. Does supervolcano under yellowstone have planetkilling. Supervolcano is a 2005 britishcanadian disaster television film that originally aired on march 2005 on bbc one, and released by the bbc on 10 april 2005 on the discovery channel. Lowenstern is scientistincharge of the yellowstone volcano observatory yvo, which monitors the yellowstone caldera.
On sunday, the worst earthquake in about 30 years rattled the yellowstone supervolcano. For all of its doomsday atmosphere, supervolcano may just be the best thing thats happened to yellowstone free publicity and lots of it. Yellowstones supervolcano gets a lid scientific american. A massive, magmafilled secret was recently discovered under yellowstone national park in wyoming, a discovery that could mean larger eruptions for the parks supervolcano. Yellowstones volcano bigger than thought live science. The yellowstone caldera is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in yellowstone national park in the western united states, sometimes referred to as the yellowstone supervolcano. Although the movements of the plate will change slightly over time, right now, its.
100 279 872 959 772 35 1430 1052 293 731 854 195 506 12 232 1039 215 743 1501 611 778 1063 1058 1470 652 544 687 59 781 1343 1492 400 97