Monstrous Yellowstone Volcano Could Erupt Any Moment with ‘Catastrophic’ Consequences, Expert Warns

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Monstrous Yellowstone Volcano Could Erupt Any Moment with 'Catastrophic' Consequences, Expert Warns

Millions of visitors flock to Yellowstone National Park annually to get a glimpse at one of the largest volcanoes in the world that is believed to have erupted at least three times in the past 2.1 million years, transforming the landscape around it.

A volcanologist at the University of Leicester has warned that the supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park could erupt at any time, unleashing a chain of potentially catastrophic consequences.

The monstrous volcano, located among the picturesque mountains and valleys of Yellowstone National Park in the United States, draws millions of visitors annually.

The consequences of such an eruption, according to Professor Branney, would depend on the size of the explosion.

Supereruption

The volcanologist’s warning comes amid speculations about yet another supereruption of the caldera at Yellowstone National Park that could inflict devastation spanning several states.

The Yellowstone area has seen tremendous volcanic activity in its distant past.

Scientists studying the volcano suggest that massive eruptions of Yellowstone caldera have shaken the world three times – 2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago respectively.

The last time the supervolcano erupted was around 640,000 years ago, with the eruption area collapsing upon itself, creating a giant sunken crater or caldera 1,500 square miles in area.

The magmatic heat behind that eruption still powers the park’s famous geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots.

Monstrous Yellowstone Volcano Could Erupt Any Moment with 'Catastrophic' Consequences, Expert Warns

Tourists view the Morning Glory hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (File)

Yellowstone volcano is monitored around the clock by the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) branch of the USGS. Any signs of imminent eruption will be preceded by earthquakes, ground uplift and unusual volcanic activity.

 

 

Sourse: sputniknews.com

Monstrous Yellowstone Volcano Could Erupt Any Moment with ‘Catastrophic’ Consequences, Expert Warns

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