There is a powerful and terrifying threat lurking beneath Northwest Wyoming and Southeast Montana that has been changing the landscape over the past few million years, known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. Numerous geysers, bubbling mud pots, hot springs and evidence of long-ago eruptions make Yellowstone national park a fascinating geological wonderland.
The official name for this region is the "Yellowstone Caldera" and it covers an area of about 72 by 55 kilometers (35 by 44 mi) in Rocky Mountains. The caldera has been geologically active for 2.1 million years, periodically ejecting lava, clouds of gas and dust into the area, reshaping the landscape for hundreds of kilometers around.
Yellowstone on a map of the USA/Wkipedia
The Yellowstone Caldera is one of the largest in the world. The caldera, supervolcano, and underlying magma chamber help geologists understand volcanism and serve as an important site for studying the influence of hot spot geology on the Earth's surface.
History and migration of Yellowstone Caldera
The Yellowstone caldera actually serves as an "outlet" for a plume (hot mantle flow) extending hundreds of kilometers down through earth's crust. A mantle plume persists for at least 18 million years and is a region where molten rock from the Earth's mantle rises to the surface. It remains relatively stable while the North American continent passes over it. Geologists trace a series of calderas created by the mantle plume. These calderas move from east to northeast. Yellowstone Park is located right in the middle of the modern caldera.
The caldera experienced "super-eruptions" 2.1 and 1.3 million years ago, and then again around 630,000 years ago. Super-eruptions are massive, spreading clouds of ash and rock over thousands of square kilometers around. Compared to "super eruptions", smaller eruptions and Yellowstone hotspot activity today are relatively minor.
Yellowstone magma chamber
The mantle plume feeding the Yellowstone Caldera passes through a magma chamber about 80 kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide. It is filled with molten rock, which this moment relatively calm beneath the Earth's surface, although from time to time the movement of lava within the chamber causes earthquakes.
The heat from the mantle plume creates geysers (shooting hot water into the air from under the earth's surface), hot springs and mud pots scattered everywhere. Heat and pressure from the magma chamber slowly increase the height of the Yellowstone Plateau, which Lately growing at a faster rate. However, there are no signs yet that a major volcanic eruption will occur.
Of even greater concern to scientists studying the region is the danger of hydrothermal explosions between major super-eruptions. These outbreaks occur when underground systems hot water is disrupted by earthquakes. Even earthquakes at great distances can affect the magma chamber.
Will Yellowstone Volcano Erupt in 2018?
Sensational stories suggesting a devastating eruption of the Yellowstone volcano will soon occur every few years. Based on detailed observations of earthquakes that occur locally, geologists are confident that the volcano will erupt again, but probably not in soon. The area has been relatively inactive for the last 70,000 years and is expected to remain quiet for thousands of years to come.
According to the USGS, the odds of the Yellowstone supervolcano erupting during this year are 1 in 730,000. Here's a quick comparison: That odds are higher than your odds of winning big in the lottery and only slightly lower than your odds of getting hit lightning.
But almost no one has any doubt that sooner or later it will be strong again, and this will be a catastrophe of planetary proportions.
Consequences of the Yellowstone volcano super eruption
Within the park itself, lava flows from one or more volcanic sites are likely to cover much of the local landscape, but great danger represents the cloud volcanic ash, which will spread over hundreds of kilometers. Winds will carry ash up to 500 miles (800 kilometers), eventually covering the middle of the United States in layers of ash and destroying the Central region of the country. Other states will be able to see the volcanic cloud, depending on their proximity to the eruption.
Although it is unlikely that all life on Earth will be completely destroyed, it will certainly be affected by clouds of ash and massive release. On a planet where climate is already changing rapidly, additional emissions will likely alter the growth rates and growing seasons of plants, reducing food sources for all life.
The USGS keeps a close eye on the Yellowstone Caldera. Earthquakes, small hydrothermal events, even small changes in the eruptions of old geysers provide clues to changes deep below the Earth's surface. If magma begins to move in ways that indicate an eruption, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory will be the first to alert nearby areas.
Photos and videos of Yellowstone National Park
The most pessimistic scenario for the awakening of a supervolcano is this: it will be an explosion comparable to the explosion of 1000 atomic bombs. The ground part of the supervolcano will collapse into a crater with a diameter of fifty kilometers. On Earth will happen ecological catastrophy. For the United States, the eruption of Yellowstone would mean the end of existence.
The saddest thing is that not only alarmists, but also experts talk about such consequences. Jacob Löwenstern from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (USA) said that during all previous eruptions of the supervolcano (there were three), more than 1 thousand km³ of magma fell out. This is enough to cover most of the North America a layer of ash up to 30 cm (at the epicenter of the disaster). Löwenstern also noted that the air temperature throughout the Earth will drop by 21 degrees, visibility for several years will become no more than half a meter. An era similar to nuclear winter will come.
Hurricane Katrina showed that the US civil defense system is not prepared for such large-scale disasters - and no country’s defense system can prepare for them.
Domestic scientists never tire of predicting the eruption of a supervolcano. Nikolai Koronovsky, head of the Department of Dynamic Geology, Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, in an interview with Vesti, told what will happen after the eruption:
“Winds are predominantly westerly, so everything will go to the eastern United States. Will cover them. Will decrease solar radiation, which means the temperature will have to drop. Famous case The eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in the Sunda Strait in 1873 lowered the temperature by about 2 degrees in the equatorial region for a year and a half until the ash dissipated.”
It claimed more than 70,000 lives in 1815. However, geologists today are more concerned about another peak, the eruption of which could cause the death of tens of thousands of Americans. "Time bomb", " the most dangerous volcano USA" - that's what they call it, located in Washington state, just 87 km from Seattle. According to volcanologists, even its minor activity can lead to a serious disaster, let alone a full-scale eruption, not inferior in strength to the last explosion.
When St. Helens began to erupt in May 1980, the energy it released was comparable to the power of 500 Hiroshima bombs. At that time, scientists could not even imagine that the mountain was capable of such a strong eruption. However, St. Helens is not the most dangerous volcano in Washington state. If Rainier exploded with the same force, the material losses would be much higher, and the number of deaths would be difficult to imagine.
The thing is that Rainier is located in more densely populated area, and the glaciers lying on it are many times more massive than on St. Helens. Greatest danger for the population they represent streams of stones and ash mixed with melted ice (lahars). Most of The villages located near the volcano were built on such streams formed in past millennia. About 150,000 people live on the old lahars, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The largest of them is called Osceola. It descended from Rainier approximately 5,600 years ago and covered an area of more than 340 square kilometers with a layer of mud several tens of meters thick.
Just imagine a giant stream of hot mud moving at high speed. Scientists believe that Rainier is capable of producing lahars that flow down slopes at speeds of up to 70 km/h. According to geologist Jeff Clayton, a mudslide the size of Osceola could destroy the cities of Enumclaw, Orting, Kent, Auburn, Sumner and Renton, as well as reach the mouth of the Duwamish River, flood Seattle with mud, and cause a tsunami in Lake Washington and Puget Sound.
Cities in the Rainier region have early warning systems, but how realistic is it to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people in less than an hour? In the event of an eruption, numerous settlements nearby will be completely destroyed. Residents of Orting, Sumner, Buckley and Enumclaw will have only 30 minutes to escape. After that, a powerful torrent, accelerated by the flow of rivers descending from Rainier, will bury their homes under a 30-meter layer of mud and debris. Even big cities will not be able to avoid disaster. Auburn and Puyallup, with a total population of about 80,000 people, will be covered by a 6-meter lahar in less than an hour, and Tacoma, where there are almost 200,000 residents, will be washed away by a 3-meter mudflow in 1.5 hours.
It's hard to imagine how terrifying the spectacle will be. The "river of death" tens of meters thick will bury everything in its path. If the lahar is within sight, then it is no longer possible to escape from it. The only hope is to reach some higher ground in a timely manner. If Rainier exploded today, it would be the worst eruption yet. natural disaster in US history. And scientists say that such an event is inevitable...
Although the Puget Sound is not very deep, lahars entering it can lead to huge waves. It must be borne in mind that a tsunami is not just a flow of water. Remember the disaster in Japan in 2011. Then giant boulders mixed with houses, trees, cars, ships, cows. Instead of water flows tons of garbage will pass through the cities, containing many sharp fragments and heavy objects. Once caught in such a cycle, it is no longer possible to survive.
Scientists studying Rainier say it has erupted at least 60 lahars in the past. Given its location on , there is a high probability that it will continue to emit ash and dirt. According to volcanologists, the eruption will intensify seismic activity, but it must be said that over the past few months about 20 earthquakes have been recorded on the mountain. It is quite possible that his activities will begin without warning. Full blown explosion anyway Mount Rainier will lead to death and destruction that is absolutely unprecedented in the modern period.
The Yellowstone Volcano is located in Yellowstone National Park, in American state Wyoming, the size of its caldera is 55 x 72 km, which is about a third of the entire park area. Under the crater of the volcano at a depth of 8 km there is a huge bubble of magma. Its internal temperature is more than 800 °C.
Yellowstone Caldera, often called a supervolcano, is one of the largest volcanic systems in North America. Every year Yellowstone is shaken by thousands of small earthquakes, and the soil in the park rises at a record rate of 4-6 cm per year! Large earthquakes with a magnitude exceeding 6 are not uncommon in these places.
Yellowstone Volcano today
What changes have occurred over the past few years, and what is happening in Yellowstone now?
2014 - in this one year, seismologists recorded more than 1,900 earthquakes. Over time, their duration and strength of tremors only increase, and the epicenters rise higher and higher, approaching the surface.
The soil within the caldera has largely risen. At the same time, it took more than a dozen years for it to swell just a few centimeters. And since 2004, the process has accelerated significantly. If you look at the Yellowstone volcano today, the rise has already reached almost 2 meters.
Water temperatures in rivers and lakes in Yellowstone Park have increased significantly, reaching boiling points in some places. Geysers became active, including large ones, which had previously been “dormant” for more than 100 years. This may be a consequence of molten magma rising to the surface.
In Yellowstone, old crevices became larger and new crevices began to open. Through them rises from the depths carbon dioxide(CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which are contained in magma. In addition, the release of Helium-4 (4He) was recorded - its concentration increased hundreds of times, which may indicate an imminent eruption.
2015, May - aggressive movement of magma was noticed in the volcano’s caldera, the readings of seismic sensors at times went off scale.
2018, August 26 - a series of earthquakes shook the park on the north side. There, researchers counted 14 tremors.
In Wyoming, 14 miles southeast of Mammoth Hot Springs, tremors were also felt, there were 12 of them.
USGS experts assured that for Yellowstone national park this number of tremors corresponds to average seismic activity. Everything remains at background levels.
2018, September - hydrothermal activity increased. Geysers (Steamboat, Ear Spring and others) erupted more often than usual. In addition, new thermal elements have been discovered. Due to the release of boiling water, they were even forced to block access to the Geyser Hill area. Scientists installed temperature sensors and temporary chambers there to monitor these processes.
Surface deformation showed little change. They consist in reducing the rate of ground movement. It should be recalled that since 2015, the soil has been swelling in some areas and subsiding in others.
Scientists now estimate the probability of an eruption at 0.00014% per year.
NASA wants to cool the Yellowstone volcano
Scientists have calculated that 60-70% of the heat, the energy of the magma bubble, comes out through geysers. Another 30% of the energy generated by the hearth is spent on gradual melting rocks, which will sooner or later lead to a super eruption. From NASA scientists a proposal was made to cool the bubble by 35% by drilling two 10-kilometer wells on the sides of the caldera and pumping water from there under high pressure. You should drill on the sides so as not to provoke an eruption.
When the wells are ready, it will be possible to launch an artificial water cycle. Groundwater from one well they will fall into the depths of the volcano, boil and come to the surface through another well. Having cooled, the water will sink back into the depths and repeat the procedure until the danger in the region subsides.
In addition, as NASA notes, it will be possible to build a geothermal power plant nearby, which will use the energy of boiling water to produce electricity. The implementation of such a project will require about 3 billion dollars.
Yellowstone Caldera (opening)
In the 60s last century, while studying the volcanic history of Yellowstone National Park, Bob Christiansen from the US Geological Survey puzzled over something that, oddly enough, had not bothered anyone before: he could not find a volcano in the park. It has long been known that Yellowstone is volcanic in origin—which may explain all of its geysers and other hot springs—and one thing about volcanoes is that they tend to be conspicuous. However, Christiansen could not find the Yellowstone volcano. Namely, he could not find a structure known as a caldera.
There are volcanoes that do not lead to the formation of mountains. Such volcanoes are formed as a result powerful explosions and burst out with one crushing blow, leaving behind a huge hole - a caldera (from the Latin word meaning "cauldron"). Yellowstone clearly belonged to this type of volcano, but Christiansen could not find a caldera anywhere.
At the same time, NASA, testing new cameras, took photographs of Yellowstone, copies of which one caring employee sent to the park management, believing that they could fit perfectly into one of the exhibitions in the pavilion for visitors. Having seen the pictures, Christiansen immediately understood why he had not found the caldera: the entire park - 9,000 km² - is, in fact, a caldera. After the eruption, there was a hole almost 65 km across - too large to be visible from the surface of the earth. Sometime in the past, the Yellowstone volcano must have exploded with a force that far exceeded anything known to the human race. Yellowstone turned out to be a supervolcano.
What is a supervolcano?
Supervolcano is the most destructive force on the ground. The power of supervolcano eruptions is many times greater than the eruptions of ordinary volcanoes. Supervolcanoes lie dormant for hundreds of thousands of years: magma, locked in huge reservoirs inside their vents, accumulates over time to pour out onto the earth's surface with apocalyptic force that can even destroy entire continents. Only a few such sleeping monsters have been discovered on Earth...
The structure of a supervolcano
Yellowstone sits above a huge hot spot on our planet - a chamber of molten rock that originates at least 200 km deep in the Earth and almost reaches the surface, forming the so-called superplume. It is the heat from this hot spot that feeds all of Yellowstone's gas vents, geysers, hot springs and bubbling mud pots. Under earth's surface there is a chamber filled with magma, which has an elliptical shape in cross-section with a horizontal axis of about 72 km. and the vertical axis is 13 km. You can imagine a mountain of TNT the size of an English county rising 13 km into the sky - up to the highest cirrus clouds - and you can get some idea of what park visitors are walking on.
Superplumes, like that, on which Yellowstone rests, are somewhat similar to a martini glass - narrow at the bottom, but expanding at the surface, they form vast cauldrons of unstable magma. Some of these boilers can be up to 1,900 km across.
Yellowstone volcano eruption
Since its first known eruption 16.5 million years ago, Yellowstone has erupted about a hundred times, but we'll focus on the three most recent ones. The last eruption was a thousand times larger than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980; the previous one was 280 times stronger, and the one before it was so powerful that no one knows exactly its extent. It was at least 2,500 times more powerful than the last eruption of St. Helens, and perhaps 8,000 times more powerful.
We have no information about any comparable eruption. The largest event of this kind in recent times was the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in August 1883; the echo of the terrible blow was heard repeatedly throughout the world for 9 days, and the water stirred even in the English Channel. But if we imagine the mass ejected from Krakatoa to be the size of a golf ball, then the ejection of material from the largest of the Yellowstone eruptions would be the size of a ball, behind which you would not be visible. On this scale, the volcanic mass of St. Helens was no larger than a pea.
The eruption that occurred in Yellowstone 2 million years ago released enough ash to cover New York State with 20 meters of ash or California with 6 meters of ash. The eruption occurred in what is now Idaho.
The ash that fell from the last Yellowstone eruption completely or partially covered 19 western states - almost all of the United States west of the Mississippi (plus parts of Canada and Mexico).
Yellowstone is an active volcano
1973 - one thing happened unusual phenomenon: the lake located in the middle of the park began to overflow its banks on the southern side, flooding the adjacent meadow, and from the opposite edge the lake mysteriously became shallow. Geologists hastily surveyed the area, as a result of which it was possible to find out that a large section of the park had ominously swelled. The swelling lifted one edge of the lake, and the water began to overflow the other, as happens when you lift one edge of a children's bath. By 1984 all central part park - more than 100 km² - has risen by a meter compared to the level of 1924, when the park last time The shooting was officially done. Then in 1985 the central part of the park sank by 20 cm. Now it seems to be rising again.
Geologists believe that there could only be one reason for this phenomenon - a restless magma chamber. Yellowstone turned out to be a place not ancient, but active volcano. Around the same time, scientists calculated that the Yellowstone eruption cycle averaged one powerful eruption every 600 thousand years. The last one was 630 thousand years ago. Looks like the time of the Yellowstone volcano is just around the corner.
Loading...
