Yellowstone's Super Volcano - When Will it Blow?
1. Yellowstone National Park sits atop what geologists term a "super volcano," a massive volcano that lies dormant for great periods of time but ultimately erupts on a cataclysmic scale that radically alters the surrounding landscape and emits enough debris to cause death on a wide, perhaps global, scale.
2. After examining data on Yellowstone, the U.S. Geological Survey's Chuck Wicks has stated, "Super explosions happen about every 600,000 years at Yellowstone. And it's been about 620,000 years since the last super explosive eruption there."
3. But geologists also say that prior to a supervolcano eruption, we will see telltale signs that one is imminent. Scientists now use satellites and other sophisticated technologies to look for evidence of "hot spots" which could suggest upcoming super volcanic activity. These hot spots would reveal molten rock being pushed to the Earth's surface, suggesting that hot magma is welling up to dangerous levels underneath.
4. The U.S. Geological Survey employs satellite radar interferometry to monitor the Earth's topography rising and falling around volcanoes, and has used this data to determine that Yellowstone is, in fact, experiencing a high level of activity.
5. The 10,000 springs and geysers that have made Yellowstone famous are further evidence of the volatile magma activity lurking below.
6. The term "supervolcano" -- meaning a volcano capable of producing an eruption emitting at least 1000 km³ of ash, or pyroclastic material, into the atmosphere -- has no origin in science. Rather, super volcano was added to the lexicon after its first major use in 2000 in a BBC science program called Horizon. This program brought super volcanoes a great deal of public attention, and the term stuck.
7. Scientists believe the most recent super volcano eruption occurred in Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand approximately 26,500 years ago.
8. A super volcano eruption in Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia around 75,000 years ago is believed to have caused a volcanic winter that killed approximately 60% of the Earth's human population.
9. A documentary entitled Supervolcano aired on the BBC and Discovery Channel in 2005, depicting the possible destruction that an eruption at Yellowstone could bring. It suggested that virtually the entire US would be covered in a 1 cm layer of volcanic ash and virtually all plants and wildlife would be wiped out.
10. Other major super volcanoes include: the Awasa caldera in Ethiopia, and the Pastos Grandes caldera of Bolivia, and the largest potential site for supervolcanic eruption in the world: Lake Toba, Indonesia.
Sources: Space.com; Discovery Channel; Wikipedia.org
SUBMIT THIS ARTICLE TO...
|
Gadgets & Tech
Real Tron Lightcycle + Other Concepts
10 Ways Videogames are Good for You
Crazy Stun Guns & Safety Gadgets
10 Strange Weapons in History
10 Best Audio Podcasts
Science & Nature
10 Biggest Explosions
Nicotine
Birds and the Bees
Cigarettes
Black Holes
People
U.S. Senator Barack Obama
10 Dumbest George Bush Quotes
Stephen Colbert
Steve Jobs, Apple CEO
Entertainment
10 Real-Life Super Heroes
Will Ferrell in The Landlord
Best Simpsons Quotes on Religion
The Final Harry Potter Book
Men and Women
The Male Body vs Female Body
The Male Brain vs Female Brain
SEX
10About Archive
The Digital Beat
- LCD HDTVS
- PLASMA HDTVS
