With today's technological advances, it seems almost impossible to not know when a volcano will erupt...
But when it comes to the one in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, that's exactly the case.
The supervolcano located in Yellowstone National Park known as the Yellowstone Caldera has been waiting to erupt for the past few thousand years...and there's no telling when it will blow.
Scientists are constantly studying the volcano because if it erupts, it could be disastrous for millions of people. Here's what could happen if the caldera were to blow in the near future.
There would most likely be an earthquake, or multiple quakes, before an eruption.
In order for magma and lava to reach the surface, many rocks need to be broken. If the supervolcano were to erupt, we'd have warning signs in the weeks and months leading up to the explosion.
The caldera would crumble.
A sinkhole would then form once the caldera has been sufficiently dismantled. Once the superheated gasses and lava start flowing from the mouth, ash would start spewing. This would cause a major change in temperatures across the country, possibly even the world.
Ash would cover a good portion, if not all of the country.
Most of middle America would have the skies covered in a thick layer of ash, while coastal cities would experience thinner coverage. This would have a massive effect on climate, crop growth, and soils. It would devastate food supplies and pollute the Mississippi River, damaging our water supplies as well.
Thankfully though, scientists estimate that the odds of this happening in Yellowstone are only about 1 in 730,000.
While most scientists agree that a supervolcano eruption in Yellowstone National Park isn't going to happen any time soon, it's still unbelievable to consider the damage and destruction it could have on our country. It's important to prepare and be aware of the warning signs.
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