Q&A

Is Yellowstone unstable enough to trigger a supervolcano?

Is Yellowstone unstable enough to trigger a supervolcano?

Although another catastrophic eruption at Yellowstone is possible, scientists are not convinced that one will ever happen. The rhyolite magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is only 5-15\% molten (the rest is solidified but still hot), so it is unclear if there is even enough magma beneath the caldera to feed an eruption.

What would happen to the United States if the Yellowstone volcano were to erupt?

If the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park ever had another massive eruption, it could spew ash for thousands of miles across the United States, damaging buildings, smothering crops, and shutting down power plants. It’d be a huge disaster.

Will the big one trigger Yellowstone?

Fears loom that a strong earthquake like the Big One could trigger the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. This event can bury large portions of land in harmful volcanic ash killing plants and animals, even endangering human lives. Scientists, however, say these fears are unfounded.

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What are the chances of Yellowstone erupting?

ANSWER: Although it is possible, scientists are not convinced that there will ever be another catastrophic eruption at Yellowstone. Given Yellowstone’s past history, the yearly probability of another caldera-forming eruption can be approximated as 1 in 730,000 or 0.00014\%.

Can San Andreas Fault cause Yellowstone to erupt?

The reality is that there’s next to no chance of a California quake triggering a Yellowstone eruption. Even the people at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory who watch the caldera closer than anyone have said that the earthquakes measured at Yellowstone itself are not even predictive of an imminent eruption.

What would happen if the Yellowstone Supervolcano actually erupted?

What Would Happen If the Yellowstone Supervolcano Actually Erupted? If the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park ever had another massive eruption, it could spew ash for thousands of miles across the United States, damaging buildings, smothering crops, and shutting down power plants. A super-eruption would be a huge disaster.

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What are the odds of a big Yellowstone eruption?

Let’s reiterate that the odds of any sort of Yellowstone eruption, big or small, are very low. The most likely eruption scenario in Yellowstone is a smaller event that produced lava flows (similar to what’s happening at Iceland’s Bárðarbunga right now) and possible a typical volcanic explosion.

What happens under Yellowstone National Park?

Lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park is a reservoir of hot magma five miles deep, fed by a gigantic plume of molten rock welling up from hundreds of miles below. That heat is responsible for many of the park’s famous geysers and hot springs. And as magma rises up into the chamber and cools, the ground above periodically rises and falls.

What was the largest volcanic event in the Snake-River–Yellowstone region?

The younger of the two, the Grey’s Landing super-eruption, is now the largest recorded event of the entire Snake-River–Yellowstone volcanic province. The team estimates the Grey’s Landing super-eruption was 30\% larger than the previous record-holder (the well-known Huckleberry Ridge Tuff) and had devastating local and global effects.