What would happen if a "supervolcano" eruption occurred again at Yellowstone?

[Man|-|unter]

Scientist have discovered that the ground in Yellowstone if 74cm higher than in was in 1923 - indicating a massive swelling underneath the park. The reservoir is filling with magma at an alarming rate. The volcano erupts with a near-clockwork cycle of every 600,000 years. The last eruption was more than 640,000 years ago - we are overdue for annihilation.

Immediately before the eruption, there would be large earthquakes in the Yellowstone region. The ground would swell further with most of Yellowstone being uplifted. One earthquake would finally break the layer of rock that holds the magma in - and all the pressure the Earth can build up in 640,000 years would be unleashed in a cataclysmic event. Magma would be flung 50 kilometres into the atmosphere. Within a thousand kilometres virtually all life would be killed by falling ash, lava flows and the sheer explosive force of the eruption. Volcanic ash would coat places as far away as Iowa and the Gulf of Mexico. One thousand cubic kilometres of lava would pour out of the volcano, enough to coat the whole of the USA with a layer 5 inches thick. The explosion would have a force 2,500 times that of Mount St. Helens. It would be the loudest noise heard by man for 75,000 years, the time of the last super volcano eruption. Within minutes of the eruption tens of thousands would be dead.

The long-term effects would be even more devastating. The thousands of cubic kilometres of ash that would shoot into the atmosphere could block out light from the sun, making global temperatures plummet. This is called a nuclear winter. As during the Sumatra eruption a large percentage of the world's plant life would be killed by the ash and drop in temperature. Also, virtually the entire of the grain harvest of the Great Plains would disappear in hours, as it would be coated in ash. Similar effects around the world would cause massive food shortages. If the temperatures plummet by the 21 degrees they did after the Sumatra eruption the Yellowstone super volcano eruption could truly be an extinction level event.

Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate. The surrounding states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming would be affected, as well as other places in the United States and the world. Such eruptions usually form calderas, broad volcanic depressions created as the ground surface collapses as a result of withdrawal of partially molten rock (magma) below. Fortunately, the chances of this sort of eruption at Yellowstone are exceedingly small in the next few thousands of years.

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO), a partnership between the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and the University of Utah, closely monitors volcanic activity at Yellowstone. The YVO website (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo) features real-time data for earthquakes, ground deformation, streamflow, and selected stream temperatures. In addition, YVO scientists collaborate with scientists from around the world to study the Yellowstone volcano.

All of the Questions which occured time to time in Citizens of America have been Answered over here

 

[Lucid]

o.o...

Well that's something to look forward to.

 

[Insano]

Are there any nuclear weapons stationed near Yellowstone?

 

[15357]

WE SHALL RULE THE WORLD! MWHAHAHAHahaaha....ha..ha...

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Are there any nuclear weapons stationed near Yellowstone?

It wouldn't matter if there were, nuclear weapons have to be armed to produce the reaction for the blast.

This is why things like bombers carrying nukes can crash horribly but they don't blow up in a nuclear mushroom cloud. There's just a bit of radiation at the immediate crash site.

 

[Shippi]

.

 

[Man|-|unter]

That's weird, I was talking about this to a friend yesterday.

me too.....

 

[The Brick]

Sounds spectacular. Someone get his camera ready!! quickly!!!!

 

[PvtRyan]

Ironic, turns out the dangerous WMD's are right in your backyard xD

But I wouldn't worry, these are huge timescales we're talking about here. If it exploded a 1000 years into the future, it would be incredibly soon on a geological timescale, but something that wouldn't affect your children, grandchildren or great grandchildren. What are the odds it will explode within your lifetime when you're talking about a 600.000 year cycle?

 

[Shippi]

.

 

[Man|-|unter]

right, chances are very small but there are what will be the quick step would be taken to evacuate people..........ummmm lot of questions are there which still to be answered.

 

[Raziaar]

Just another form of fear mongering. Especially since there'd be nothing to do, and no way to predict it accurately.

"The volcano is gonna blow! Move to europe! GO GO GO!"

 

[el Chi]

we are overdue for annihilation.

Could you possibly be more melodramatic?

 

[Man|-|unter]

eH..........?

 

[ríomhaire]

Oh noes, they've discovered our secret plan! Run Stern, RUN!!!

 

[Beerdude26]

Just another form of fear mongering. Especially since there'd be nothing to do, and no way to predict it accurately.

"The volcano is gonna blow! Move to europe! GO GO GO!"

You people will stay on your damn island. You moved to it yourself centuries ago, now don't come bitching back to the mainland.

 

[Cole]

Lets suck the magma out and have an accidental plane crash over like Syria or some place....

 

[dream431ca]

It's not IF it will happen, it's WHEN it will happen. Too bad so sad, THAR SHE BLOWS!!!

 

[Ennui]

worrying about shit like this is stupid. if it happens, we'll deal.

 

[Zeus]

we are overdue for annihilation.

Enough with the fear-mongering

 

[DeusExMachina]

Europe's gonna be pissed when this happens

 

[Dog--]

Reminds me of South Park..

Just duck and the lava will flow right over you!

 

[Death.Trap]

Ironic, turns out the dangerous WMD's are right in your backyard xD

But I wouldn't worry, these are huge timescales we're talking about here. If it exploded a 1000 years into the future, it would be incredibly soon on a geological timescale, but something that wouldn't affect your children, grandchildren or great grandchildren. What are the odds it will explode within your lifetime when you're talking about a 600.000 year cycle?

This valcanoe is apparently overdue.

In the article it says the last Supervalcanoe blew 75000 years ago, but they aren't talking about the one in yellowstone.

 

[tehsolace]

meh... ill add that to the already very large 'world-ending worry' list

 

[Zeus]

This valcanoe is apparently overdue.

In the article it says the last Supervalcanoe blew 75000 years ago, but they aren't talking about the one in yellowstone.

Read his post again. The timescales are huge

 

[ríomhaire]

This valcanoe is apparently overdue.

In the article it says the last Supervalcanoe blew 75000 years ago, but they aren't talking about the one in yellowstone.

It is not overdue. Volcanoes don't have an even cycle to their eruptions. It's just that the last one was happened more years ago than the average time between eruptions.

 

[Que-Ever]

Well, it was nice knowing you guys.

 

[Ennui]

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

 

[Llama]

hehe, living in Britain means i'll take longer to die! Yay!

 

[Cube]

Wasn't there a program on Sky One (a sort of fictional-documentary thing) about this happening not that long ago?

 

[Mr Brown]

worrying about shit like this is stupid.

Stfu, it's the american way!

 

[Darkwolf]

Lol living in Australia sucks. Not only does no one know where it is. But in the event of a volcanic catastrophe we wouldn't get touched.

The worlds economy would collapse and we would be left to starve to death!

 

[Parrot of doom]

haha. You lot thought you'd won the war of independance, but George III was a clever sod (although slightly mad) and knew you'd been sold a pup!

 

[Que-Ever]

Shit, I think the terrorists are making a volcano D:

 

[Jangle]

Oh noes!

 

[Canadian Gunner]

Wasn't there a program on Sky One (a sort of fictional-documentary thing) about this happening not that long ago?

Yeah, it was called "Supervolcano". They showed it on the Discovery channel over here too. For a made for TV movie about such a scenario, it was quite good. I liked their focus on fact, rather than drama. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419372/

It certainly wouldn't be too fun if it blew, but what are you going to do about eh? Nothing. Thats what. Just add it to your end of the world list and get on with life.

 

[Dekstar]

hehe, living in Britain means i'll take longer to die! Yay!

Tbh with the amount of overcast days we have, don't think we'd even notice a huge dust cloud blocking out the sun.