Yellowstone volcano - is it a threat to all mankind? What happens when the Yellowstone Volcano erupts?

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Yellowstone volcano latest news – can a volcanic eruption cause the real end of the world? Can the scene from the movie 2012 repeat itself? Do we have any means of stopping the cataclysm or can prepare for it?

Yellowstone volcano – what is it?

Yellowstone super volcano is located in the US state of Wyoming, in the Rocky Mountains, in the territory of the oldest national park in the world of the same name. It is a remnant of huge volcanic explosions from over 2.1 million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago.

Each eruption has achieved the highest, eighth grade on the Volcanic Explosive Index (VEI) scale. The last of these caused the volcano’s crater to collapse significantly into the form of the great caldera we observe today. It is estimated that the next eruption should not take place earlier than in a thousand years. Current research shows that the magma source is five to ten kilometers below the crater’s surface and contains several times more hot substance than previously thought.

Yellowstone volcano is the most monitored volcano in the world. Its activity is constantly measured by highly accurate GPS receivers, as well as by radar measurements by satellites.

The data analysis is supervised by a team of scientists from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and the US Geological Survey. The current crater size and surface levels of the Earth in the area are monitored, but also small quakes that usually accompany seismic activity. This shows that the US administration is very concerned about this volcano.

Is Yellowstone volcano the largest volcano in the world?

It is neither the largest nor the highest volcano in the world. With an altitude of 2,805 meters above sea level, it ranks well beyond the top ten largest volcanoes on Earth. The largest active volcano in the world is Mauna Loa in Hawaii, 4170 meters above sea level (the underwater part is an additional 4975 meters). The highest volcano in the world is Ojos del Salado, Chile’s highest peak and the second highest point in the Americas. Its height is 6,880 meters above sea level.

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Yellowstone volcano - is it the largest volcano?

Could the Yellowstone Super Volcano lead to the end of the world as we know it?

Even though Yellowstone is not the world’s largest volcano, its activity may raise legitimate concerns. The mass of magma trapped beneath the Earth’s surface, as well as the location of the caldera in one of the most developed countries in the world, have a decisive influence on the tragic consequences of a possible volcanic eruption.

If there had been an eruption, most of the United States would have been destroyed. In addition, there would be a huge cloud of volcanic ash containing mostly sulfur oxides. A cloud of gas would obscure the sun. Volcanic winter would come. The lack of a sufficient amount of sunlight would result in a sudden cooling of the climate.

Above all, however, the current food production would fall, and as a result, world hunger would set in on the Earth. It could be the end of the world as we know it from movies. The hypothesis of the tragic consequences of a supervolcano eruption has its backbone in the past.

75,000 years ago, another supervolcano, Toba, erupted in Sumatra, Asia. The gas cloud triggered a volcanic winter that would last several years and reportedly almost led to the extinction of many species of organisms, including humans.

Currently, on the Internet, we can find a number of publications aimed at causing sensation and shock to the reader that the eruption of the Yellowstone volcano and the end of the world is near. We always encourage you to check the information at the source.

On the website of USGS you will find current information on the activity of monitored volcanoes, including Yellowstone (abbreviation: YVO). The volcano status as of July 1, 2021 is: Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL – volcano activity alert level – NORMAL, which means typical, predictable supervolcano activity.

The July report lists the works that were carried out around the caldera in June 2021. We can learn, for example, that 130 temporary seismic monitoring stations have been installed to study underground earthquakes, and two additional GPS stations (seventeen in total).

Current seismic activity is also described. There were 445 minor seismic quakes in June 2021, which is slightly above average, but scientists say there is no need to worry.

The current deformation of the terrain is also checked. In June, attention was paid to the slowing down of the caldera settlement process due to the greater periodic groundwater flow. As can be seen, the detail of the information provided is high. It is highly doubtful that any increased activity aimed at erupting Yellowstone volcano will escape the attention of the research team.

Yellowstone National Park – Watch Geyser Eruptions Live

Volcanic phenomena are often accompanied by geysers. A geyser is a hot spring from which hot water or steam heated by magma beneath the Earth’s surface is ejected. There are nine video cameras in Yellowstone National Park, one of which is available to watch around Yellowstone Volcano live online.

Yellowstone geysers are the most spectacular phenomena to be observed live. Their outbursts are regular and very spectacular. It is no coincidence that the only online camera is located near the Old Faithful geyser. It erupts most often and most regularly among all other large geysers – even several times a day.

Access to the online camera and recording of the most interesting films with Yellowstone geysers can be found on the National Park Service website. How do you think Yellowstone will manage to “escape” scientists out of control and in our lifetime we are threatened with its eruption? Or maybe it is a search for sensation by force, as indicated by the data provided by the USGS? Let me know in the comments.