What would happen if Yellowstone were to erupt in a supervolcano?

Question

I know it's highly improbable for there to even be an eruption this century, let alone ten centuries from now. I just want to know what would happen to the United States, based on modern weather projections what would happen if Yellow Stone were to erupt in a supervolcano. With the force and destruction that it had erupted in the previous supervolcano eruption. I want sources so I can look it up myself, so don't answer without one.

I'm not a snotty little brat, I'm just wanting to educated, is that too much to ask?

Answer 1

This is a valid question, and should be one that is on the list of many government disaster preparation plans. Fortunately, it would be unlikely to take anyone by surprise, as most volcanic eruptions are preceded by periods of earthquake activity. However, a large eruption would require huge evacuations and would disable travel and transport for much of North America for days or weeks, so it is not an insignificant risk. It would also probably shut down all air transport almost worldwide for some period. It might be a small probability, but so are most natural disasters.

The best analog example for a Yellowstone eruption would be the Long Valley Caldera, which might actually erupt again before Yellowstone ever does. The Long Valley Caldera last had a major eruption about 760,000 years ago. About 140 cubic miles of rock and ash were ejected. Ash covered most of the western United States, as far east as Missouri.

Here is a USGS map of the area affected:
http://lvo.wr.usgs.gov/GeologicMap.html

The USGS has a page discussing the possible eruption scenarios at:
http://lvo.wr.usgs.gov/eruptions.html

They estimate the probability of an eruption of some size in any given year to be one in a few hundred, which is about the same probability as a major earthquake on the San Andreas fault. The area has seen signs of activity since 1980, and has experienced tree kills from volcanic gases rising through the soil, and a large dome has been growing outside the town of Mammoth Lakes.

Here is the home page for the Long Valley Observatory:
http://lvo.wr.usgs.gov/index.html

The Yellowstone Observatory of the USGS has lots more material that you will be interested in. There have been satellite measurements of rising elevations in the area, and here is the map:
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/2006/uplift.html

There is a map showing the area affected by the last major eruption of Yellowstone about 2.1 mybp here, as well as many examples of recent volcanic activity in the area:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/

The home page for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is here:
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/index.html

As far as climate effects go, in North America the jet stream travels eastward, so much of the ash from any volcanic eruption, whether from Long Valley, Yellowstone, or the Cascade Range, will travel eastward. The largest ash falls are likely to range as far east as the Mississippi River, maybe further, and at some times of year may be pushed southward as well, leaving the Midwestern US and the Southern US as the most vulnerable areas outside of the immediate area. A large eruption could leave ash falls of several feet over much of that area. The polar jet stream that crosses North America averages between 50 and 100 mph so the spread of ash would take less than a day for most of the US.

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/elements/jetstream1.htm

The Mt Pinatubo eruption in 1991 spread a plume of sulfuric acid across one hemisphere in about 9 days. Here is a map of that plume.
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/possible_causes.html
The overall climate effects of such an eruption would likely be global cooling of a few degrees and would affect the northern hemisphere more severely, depending on the size of the eruption. The Pinatubo eruption is said to have had a greater effect on global climate during the two years after its eruption than either El Nino, or anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Here is the data:
http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/greenhouse_2000e.htm

I'm sure you can go a lot further with this research. There is lots of material out there on the effects of volcanic eruptions. USGS, the Hawaiian, Alaska, and Cascade Volcano Observatories, as the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program have a wealth of m

Answer 2

It last erupted 640 thousand years ago & scientists think it's on a 600 thousand year eruption cycle. According to them we are overdue. It would destroy the US, they say there would be 3 feet of ash all the way to the US coastline east. It would displace millions of tons of earth into the atmosphere, changing the temperature of the earth for years. With no light, the plants would die, then the animals that eat the plants would die, then the people that eat the animals would die. It will be a species ending event for many forms of life as we know now. I hope they are wrong.

Answer 3

No it is not improbable, and it will happen -- maybe not in your lifetime, but it will. What will happen? depends on the forces, and no one has those sources, sweetie. Yellowstone is constantly being monitored, and the results change day by day. When a critical mass of magna is below one of the old cinder cones, then predictions can be made. Until then, no one can tell you anything except that it is a sysemically active area.....

Answer 4

The United States would probably be uninhabitable for a while. Check out the website below for "Volcano World."

Answer 5

i read a book awhile ago by bill bryson, called "a short history of nearly everything". it basically said that the entire heartland of the US would be covered in ash. its been awhile since ive read it, but an explosion would be devastating across the country and across the world...and the scary part is, we're several years overdue for an explosion.

Answer 6

You're a snotty little brat, aren't you?

Here:

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/supervolcano/supervolcano.html

Answer 7

goodbye northern hemisphere

Answer 8

death,major distruction that sort of thin

Answer 9

It would really suck. I mean blow. Good question! There would be mass destruction. What do you expect?

Answer 10

Shut up puumk, we all know it would fry those eggs in your trowsurz.