Have you ever visited the Yellowstone national park and thought – why you don’t see a volcano? That’s because the park is itself a supervolcano – and hence the name – Yellowstone volcano! The hot springs and the bubbling geysers indicate the stirring movement below the surface. Being located in the northwestern part of Wyoming, this volcano also extends to the Eastern side of Idaho. Though it is an active volcano, the experts believe that it will not erupt any time soon. But what will happen when Yellowstone erupts again? The atmosphere would become toxic due to the presence of a large amount of volcanic material (debris, magma, and gas), and this ash would bring huge destruction to the wildlife, plants, and infrastructures. Moreover, it would also affect the country’s farmland for many decades.
Unknown facts about Yellowstone volcano
There are plenty of things about the Yellowstone supervolcano that you aren’t aware of! In this article, let’s give you a walkthrough of the unknown facts.
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Researchers believe there’s no possibility of a volcanic eruption anytime soon
Let’s talk about the three monstrous eruptions that have been experienced over the past 2.1 million years. The first one – known as the Huckleberry Ridge ejection took place in the last 2 million years and has generated a huge quantity of stone that is 2400 times more than the St. Helen’s eruption that occurred in 1980.
The second eruption took place 1.3 million years back, close to the western part of the first eruption. This eruption was the smallest of the three eruptions that took place and it left behind a caldera which is popularly known as the Island Park caldera.
The last eruption occurred 640,000 years ago and it is bigger than the second eruption. The caldera formed out of this Yellowstone eruption is known as the Lava Creek Caldera.
Scientists have done rigorous research to find out the cause and the ways to alert people ahead of the eruption. Some researchers believe that the next eruption is likely to occur in the next 1 or 2 million years – and hence they rule out the possibility of this volcano anytime soon. They believe that before such an eruption, the grounds might swell up or may indicate other warning signs.
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It is not the only supervolcano
You’ll be surprised to know that besides Yellowstone national park volcano, there are a total of 19 other supervolcanos. Examples include – the Atana Ignimbrite, Long Valley, Caldera, Toba, Campi Flegrei, etc. And if any of these eruptions take place, they will have a drastic impact on the Earth’s surface. Moreover, it will bring destruction to living beings due to the release of toxic materials into the air.
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Yellowstone has a beautiful landscape due to the eruptions
Yellowstone is a gorgeous place – all thanks to the volcano under Yellowstone. Though it may sound weird, Yellowstone has got its look from the three eruptions that took place. The magma domes, lava flows, and tectonic shifts have given rise to a gorgeous landscape that is both pretty and appealing!
Conclusion
According to research, supervolcanos like the Yellowstone Park volcano, are a great threat to humanity and it is believed it is more serious than comet strikes or asteroids. NASA scientists have a plan to diffuse the volcano to calm down the supervolcano just before the eruption takes place. However, some scientists believe that this idea is far from reality because they don’t have the ability to drill deep down to eradicate the required amount of water and magma. However, it’s still good to know that researchers are looking for a viable solution to diffuse the volcano!
