Scientists believe the Yellowstone supervolcano is larger than previously thought. The 2.1-million-year-old volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park is the subject of a new study published in the journal Science. A group of researchers claims in the paper that magma levels beneath the Yellowstone Caldera are higher than previously thought.
But there’s no need to worry because the Yellowstone supervolcano isn’t expected to erupt for at least another few thousand years. When it is ready to erupt, we should have decades of warning.
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. It is attracting millions of visitors every year. Many people were aware that the Yellowstone supervolcano beneath their feet was active. They probably had no idea how active it was.
If there was an eruption risk, it would be understandably terrifying. Especially given that Yellowstone supervolcano eruptions have been Earth-shattering at least three times in the past. The researchers investigated the volcano. And they discovered that it has an average reservoir of melted rock of 16 to 20%. This is nearly double the previous estimate of 9%.
The Yellowstone supervolcano’s magma reservoirs are expected to reach much lower depths. Super volcanoes like the one in the national park are iconic for a variety of reasons. The most notable of which is that they can frequently create islands in the ocean or simply spew thousands of pounds of ash, soot, and chemicals into the air.
An eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would undoubtedly be a tragedy. It is endangering the lives of people and wildlife in the area. All we can hope is that the paper is correct, which we won’t have to worry about anytime soon.
