That super-volcano under Yellowstone? Well, it’s waaay bigger than they thought. And that’s not the bad news. By Kelly
According to WNCT“Underneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, there is a reservoir of magma that is more than twice the size that researchers previously thought. It’s not getting bigger. It’s just that new technology has made the ability to see it better. This will also have implications on the extent of the volcano’s impact when it erupts. Researchers with the U.S.G.S. say that the last time the volcano erupted was some 640,000 years ago. They also say that this supervolcano has the potential to spew more than 240 cubic miles of magma across Montana, Idaho and Wyoming with global effects. Scientists do believe that it will erupt again one day, but do not know when.”
The Yellowstone Caldera, to give the supervolcano its proper name, could blow anytime. But that doesn’t mean it’s due – or even overdue according to geologists.
The last full-scale eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano, the Lava Creek eruption which happened approximately 630,000 years ago, ejected approximately 240 cubic miles (1,000 km3) of rock, dust and volcanic ash into the sky. Geologists are closely monitoring the rise and fall of the Yellowstone Plateau, which measures on average 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) yearly, as an indication of changes in magma chamber pressure.
The Yellowstone Caldera, to give the supervolcano its proper name, could blow anytime. But that doesn’t mean it’s due – or even overdue according to geologists.
The last full-scale eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano, the Lava Creek eruption which happened approximately 630,000 years ago, ejected approximately 240 cubic miles (1,000 km3) of rock, dust and volcanic ash into the sky. Geologists are closely monitoring the rise and fall of the Yellowstone Plateau, which measures on average 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) yearly, as an indication of changes in magma chamber pressure.
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