When I say the word "supervolcano" what do you immediately think of?
Yellowstone, Mount Vesuvius?
Just a terrifying image of a gigantic magma-spewing monstrosity?
So what exactly is it?
By definition, a supervolcano is capable of creating a volcanic eruption with an ejecta
volume higher than 240 cubic miles, which is actually a thousand times greater than
an average volcanic eruption.
Supervolcanoes have a larger scale than other typical volcanoes.
They have natural depressions that are seen on the ground unlike those composite volcanoes
which have steep sides.
Even the calderas are so huge that they could be seen from space.
The formation of supervolcanoes occurs when magma from the core is stagnant in the Earth's
mantle but unable to break through to the crust.
As the pressure builds up, it forms a pool of hot glowing magma until the crust can no
longer contain it.
these eruptions would destroy cities, cover enormous regions with volcanic ash, lead to
major food shortages, and drastically change our climate, just to name a few.
Sure, there are only a handful of these super volcanoes, and eruptions are typically hundreds
of thousands of years apart, but what if I told you that the biggest one of them all
is actually overdue for an explosion?
The Yellowstone supervolcano is located inside Yellowstone National Park in the Western United
States.
Its caldera measures about 45 by 34 miles, covering a majority of the northwest corner
of Wyoming.
The deadly heat contained inside this giant currently powers all the famous attractions
inside the park such as the geysers, hot springs and mud pots that over 4 million visitors
go to see every year.
According to the scientists from the University of Utah, the magma reserve underneath the
Yellowstone supervolcano is much larger than previously estimated.
We knew that the magma chamber inside Yellowstone is about three to nine miles below the Earth's
surface but according to a new report, the magma chamber is two and a half times greater
in volume, which measures 90 km in length and up to 17 km in depth.
This could fill the Grand Canyon as many as fourteen times!
This supervolcano is estimated to erupt every 600-700 thousand years.
The last eruption was 640,000 years ago.
So, the volcano could technically erupt tomorrow, or in 60,000 years.
That's reassuring…(not really) That eruption created a giant crater 1,500 square miles
in area.
It was 2,500X the size of the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.
If an eruption was indeed imminent, the movement of the magma through the crust would first
of all trigger hundreds or THOUSANDS of earthquakes in the days, weeks and months leading up.
If the Yellowstone caldera erupted, the magma would spread across a 30-40 mile radius, destroying
everything in its path.
And that's just the beginning.
Based on a study in 2014, 3 feet of volcanic ash would cover the surrounding states of
Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado (which holds a population of more than 8.85 million)
leaving much of the midwest under a deadly dark blanket that would kill plants and animals,
crush roofs and destroy electrical circuits.
But immediate destruction aside, farms would be polluted, waterways would be clogged and
this would cause a major food shortage.
The cold ash could affect as far as 500 miles- even dusting NYC with a thin layer of ash.
The ash would also block sunlight and cause a major drop in global temperatures that would
last a few years.
Seems like the end of humanity is near, doesn't it….well, not exactly - that's just half
of the story.
The rest is much brighter.
Based on a report by the US Geological Survey, there should be no eruption from Yellowstone
anytime soon.
With the help of NASA scientists and experienced engineers, a plan is being devised that would
divert the volcano's heat to prevent a possible eruption.
NASA's plan to delay the super-eruption is to make a hole into the side and pump water
through it; this will slowly cool the volcano as the water is heated and comes back out.
If given enough time to complete the process, the NASA team could take enough heat from
the volcano to prevent it from ever erupting again.
They would also propose to make use of the heated water coming from the Yellowstone Caldera
by using it as a source of geothermal energy that could possibly fuel the entire Yellowstone
region.
The idea of a geothermal generator could yield energy at about $0.10 per kWh, which is inexpensive
compared to some other energy sources.
This clever plan proposed by NASA removes an deadly threat, while at the same time provides
a long term energy source for the region.
But it may take hundreds and thousands of years to neutralize this volcano, (talk about
long-term planning).
This idea is still a proposal that NASA is hoping to solidify and implement as soon as
possible, in order to lower the risks of having a supervolcano eruption.
So, don't worry, the supervolcano doesn't seem like it's going to erupt anytime soon,
contrary to some recent media reports.
But if you're still a little scared, experts are closely watching the Yellowstone supervolcano
and providing the public with monthly updates - if anything strange starts happening, you
can directly view it on the USGS website: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/
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