How big is the Yellowstone supervolcano?
approximately 30 by 45 miles
Yellowstone Caldera, enormous crater in the western-central portion of Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, that was formed by a cataclysmic volcanic eruption some 640,000 years ago. It measures approximately 30 by 45 miles (50 by 70 km), covering a large area of the park.
How old is Yellowstone volcano?
| Yellowstone Caldera | |
|---|---|
| Age of rock | 2,100,000–70,000 years |
| Mountain type | Caldera and supervolcano |
| Volcanic field | Yellowstone Plateau |
| Last eruption | approximately 640,000 years ago (caldera-forming); 70,000 years ago (in the caldera) |
What happens if the supervolcano in Yellowstone erupts?
If the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park ever had another massive eruption, it could spew ash for thousands of miles across the United States, damaging buildings, smothering crops, and shutting down power plants. In fact, it’s even possible that Yellowstone might never have an eruption that large again.
Who discovered the Yellowstone supervolcano?
Bob Christiansen
The Yellowstone caldera was discovered by Bob Christiansen from the US Geological Survey via geological field work in the 1960s and 1970s.
How many Super volcanoes are in the world?
There are about 12 supervolcanoes on Earth — each one at least seven times larger than Mount Tambora, which had the biggest eruption in recorded history. If all of these supervolcanoes erupted at once, they’d likely pour thousands of tons of volcanic ash and toxic gases into the atmosphere.
Why is Yellowstone called a super volcano?
The Yellowstone Supervolcano is still very active, but is not shooting out lava. It’s considered a Supervolcano because there is a much larger amount of magma in the magma chamber. The magma chamber is 40 by 80 kilometers and it sits in the middle of a continental plate. This is called a Hot Spot.
How dangerous is Yellowstone?
The Yellowstone national park has many dangers that could harm visitors. These dangers include wildlife and geothermal activity. The dangerous of the wildlife in the park includes bison’s, bears, wolves , coyotes and many more. The visitors are not allowed to approach wildlife.
Is Yellowstone the only super volcano in the world?
No other huge, super volcano eruptions have happened in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem over the most recent 640,000 years. However, a tremendous magma chamber with molten rock stays active beneath Yellowstone’s surface. Other than the Yellowstone super volcano field, the world has nineteen other super volcanoes.
How is Yellowstone a super volcano?
Yellowstone Volcano is located in the center of Yellowstone National Park. It is so large they named it a super volcano. Although they have so many changes in decisions no one know the exact size of the Yellowstone Volcano. Caldera . A large depression typically caused by collapse or ejection of the summit area of a volcano.