How a Supervolcano Can Threaten Earth

Robby Westerfield                                                                                         February 13, 2013

Ms. Davies; Block EF                                                                                    Earth Science Core

Sealy, Amanda. "How a Supervolcano Can Threaten Earth." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

           

            The Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming possesses one of the most dangerous volcanoes known to mankind.  The Yellowstone National Park is famously known to be the first National Park in the world. It is notorious for its enchanting wildlife and geothermal features, such as the geyser, Old Faithful. The saturated blues and greens of the geothermal pools are stunning. The precipitous mountains coat themselves around the Yellowstone National Park. However, under this large crater-like area lies a supervolcano. A super volcano has the potential to change the entire world if it were to erupt. Hank Hessler, a geologist at Yellowstone in the U.S. state of Wyoming says, “Yellowstone and other volcanoes around the world are called super volcanoes and the reason is they're like a super sized drink.” The difference between a super volcanic eruption and a volcanic eruption is that it is “off the charts” bigger. For example, the volcano that erupted in 1980 called Mount St. Helens located in the United States killed 57 people and spread ash over one cubic kilometer of distance. On the other hand, the super volcano of the Yellowstone National Park that erupted 2.1 million years ago was 25,000 times larger than Mount St. Helens eruption. The super volcano of the Yellowstone has erupted three times. The first eruption, previously stated, erupted 2.1 million years ago, the second erupted 1.3 million years ago and the third erupted 640,000 years ago. If the calculations are correct we would be due for one shortly. A standard volcano contains the cone-shaped mountainous peak that we are so familiar to, but the super volcanoes have what are called calderas. They are deep sunken areas that are formed after previous super eruptions as the ground was blown out and fell back to rest. Geophysicist Bob Smith calls Yellowstone," a living breathing caldera.”  His team has set up different sensors to detect the crucial signs of the Yellowstone. The sensors help Smith’s team to understand that below the reservoir of the Yellowstone is a colossal 57,000-cubic-kilometer display of extremely hot rock, which is the energy behind the geysers and pools of the Yellowstone.

            If the Yellowstone were to erupt it would cause catastrophic problems for the United States, life on earth, and the future this planet would face. Scientists have proposed different scenarios that could possibly occur. Before the super eruption, Smith says, “large earthquakes would likely swarm the surrounding areas until the huge blast that would erase Yellowstone completely off the map.” In addition, massive clouds of rock and gas would eliminate anything in its path. Temperatures of hundred degrees Celsius would be present and ash would cover the entire western United States, disabling air transportation and cutting off food supply for the entire world. There are some scenarios that 87,000 people would be killed summarily. This article came to my attention because we need to develop technology that can help minimize the damages if this super volcano were ever to blow. Also, having more people educated about this topic can encourage them to come to the realization that if something catastrophic can happen, there needs to be sufficient preparation ahead time. Scientists do suggest that there should be an eruption due soon. From the previous three eruptions, scientists propose that every 800,000 years an eruption would occur and we are coming up on that mark very soon.

            I thought Amanda Sealy, the author of this article, overall did a good job. I like the way she provided views from different scientists who were very familiar with the super volcano of the Yellowstone National Park. She had ample detail for each of her examples. After not knowing much about the Yellowstone National Park I am now an avid contributor. However, I did not like the fact that she did not include any ways scientists are researching or discovering to help lessen the damages if ever the volcano was to erupt. In that sense, it made me feel apprehended because we should be finding a way to prevent the deaths of thousands of innocent people.