The Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana also houses a super-volcano which last erupted 640,000 years ago, Daily Mail reports.
Discover our latest podcast
An eruption would cause a nuclear winter in the US
Scientists have recently discovered that the Yellowstone volcanoactually contains more magma than previously thought.
According to the Daily Mail, there is an annual chance of 1 in 700,000 that the volcano would explode. Additionally, theeruption would unleash a blanket of ash that would cause a nuclear winter in the US:
The haze of gas that could drape the country wouldn't just dim the sunlight — it also would cool temperatures.
According to a study conducted by the US Geological Services (USGS) last year, an eruption could kill as many as 90,000 people almost instantly.
The chances of an eruption remain slim
Although more magma has been discovered at Yellowstone, experts are not concerned about an impending eruption of the volcano.
According to Michael Poland, a geophysicist or scientist-in-charge at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash, there is nothing to be worried about in terms of an eruption.
Poland, speaking to ScienceNews, describes the recent findings as an advancement of geological diagnostics:
It’s like getting a better lens for your camera. Things are coming into more focus. We’re even less worried about an eruption now — and I wasn’t worried before.
Poland also says that does not mean that Yellowstone is marked by inactivity. According to him, it’s a hot and active volcanic system with hazards like deadly steam explosions and landslide-triggering earthquakes.
He also says these issues do not get the media attention as the fears of a catastrophic eruption do:
It’s an interesting place that has so much to offer, and people are focused on the thing that won’t happen in our lifetime.
Sources used:
-Daily Mail: ‘The timebomb under Yellowstone: Experts warn of 90,000 immediate deaths and a 'nuclear winter' across the US if supervolcano erupts’
-USGS: ‘What would happen if a "supervolcano" eruption occurred again at Yellowstone?’
-ScienceNews: ‘No, Yellowstone isn’t about to erupt, even after more magma was found’
