People are scared of a number of different things, and one of those things is nature
itself.
The possibility of an apocalyptic event taking place on a scale that has never been witnessed
before makes the eruption of Yellowstone's supervolcano one of the most dreaded events
in the modern era.
Despite the fact that many people might not be aware of the dangers it poses, it appears
to present one of the greatest realistic chances of wiping out the majority of life on earth
and possibly leading to the extinction of the human race.
The Yellowstone Seismic Network is managed by the University of Utah Seismograph Stations.
This network monitors the Yellowstone region for earthquake activity and provides real-time
updates to the general public regarding any earthquakes that occur in the region.
The public is exposed to a double hazard in Yellowstone, one of which is the possibility
of a significant earthquake, while the other is the possibility of volcanic activity.
Now, the Yellowstone National Park officials have come forward and stated that the region
has been struck by more than one thousand earthquakes in less than one month.
Does this indicate that a major eruption is about to take place?
Join us as we investigate why Yellowstone officials recently closed the park and issued
such a dire warning about the rising number of earthquakes in the area.
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the United States, as well as one
of the largest and most well-known national parks in the country.
It encompasses the greatest concentration of hydrothermal features in the world and
is located primarily in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, as well as partially in the southern
part of Montana and the eastern part of Idaho.
The park became the first national park in the United States on March 1, 1872, when it
was designated as such by the United States Congress.
Yellowstone National Park is found in a part of the country that has, for tens of millions
of years, experienced both volcanic and seismic activity.
The movement of the North American Plate has resulted in a thinning of the crust of the
earth in this region, resulting in the formation of a hot spot (a place where a dome of magma,
or molten rock, comes close to the surface).
One of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in the history of the world occurred in the
Yellowstone region approximately 2.1 million years ago when a subsurface magma dome that
had been slowly building up in the region exploded.
The amount of rock and ash that was ejected was approximately 600 cubic miles (2,500 cubic
km), which is equivalent to approximately 6,000 times the volume of volcanic material
that was released during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980.
The observations made at the beginning of the 21st century indicated that this single
eruption was actually composed of two events that occurred approximately 6,000 years apart:
one that was very large and a second that was much smaller.
The subsequent massive eruptions occurred approximately 1,300,000 and 640,000 years
ago, with the most recent one (which consisted in large part of lava flows) producing approximately
two-fifths as much material as the initial eruption.
Following each of these eruptions, an enormous caldera was left behind, which was caused
by the collapse of a magma dome that had been building up.
The third eruption produced the modern-day Yellowstone Caldera, which is a roughly oval-shaped
basin approximately 30 by 45 miles (50 by 70 km) that occupies the west-central portion
of the national park and includes the northern two-thirds of Yellowstone Lake.
It measures about 30 miles (50 km) long and 45 miles (70 km) wide.
Within the caldera, two resurgent magma domes have been forming; one is located just to
the north of Yellowstone Lake, and the other is located just to the west of the lake.
The western dome is located beneath many of the park's most well-known hydrothermal features.
Seismic activity in the Yellowstone region is also at an extremely high level.
Underneath the surface of the park is a system of faults that are connected to the volcanic
history of the region, and the area is shaken by hundreds of smaller earthquakes every year.
The vast majority of those tremors have magnitudes of 2.0 or lower and are not felt by people
living in the area; however, every so often a more powerful earthquake will strike the
region and have an impact on the park.
One such occurrence, a deadly earthquake that struck in 1959 in southern Montana just outside
the northwestern corner of the park, had an effect on a number of hydrothermal features
in Yellowstone, one of which was the park's most famous geyser, known as Old Faithful.
Since 1923, the activity of this volcano has been carefully and continually studied.
However, in recent years, magma activity has caused the ground to swell and rise by as
much as 25 centimeters, which is approximately 10 inches.
The increase began to level off, which was a sign that the magma was gradually becoming
cooler and more solid.
The researchers who have been keeping an eye on the activity of this dormant monster saw
this as an early warning sign that the beast may soon begin to stir from its slumber.
According to a recent report published by the United States Geological Survey, Yellowstone
National Park experienced a level of seismic activity in July that had not been seen since
June of 2017.
This was reported by park officials who stated that the month was fairly active seismically.
The seismograph stations at the University of Utah picked up a total of 1,008 tremors,
but none of them registered as having any significant magnitude.
The most powerful earthquake had a magnitude of 3.6 and occurred 17.7 kilometers below
Yellowstone Lake.
According to the USGS, "This is a preliminary count, and it is likely that it will go up,
as there have been dozens more minor earthquakes that occurred on July 16, and they require
further investigation.
This is the highest number of earthquakes that have been recorded in a single month
since June of 2017, when [more than] 1,100 earthquakes were observed."
Does the high number of earthquakes indicate an impending Yellowstone eruption?
According to the National Park Service, the Yellowstone area experiences 700 to 3,000
earthquakes per year, but the recent surge in earthquakes is causing major concern among
experts.
Some of these quakes are minor tremors that go unnoticed.
Scientists can use some of the most advanced earthquake detection and monitoring equipment
to quantify the level of activity in the magma pool below.
A reservoir can be found barely beneath the surface and rather close to the ground in
Yellowstone National Park, which is home to a subsurface magma lake.
This reservoir is known as the magma chamber.
The tremors, whether felt or not, tell scientists how quickly the magma chamber is filling up.
The increasing strength and frequency of earthquakes across the park may indicate that a new batch
of magma is being injected into the magma chamber.
It's difficult to say what these earthquakes mean for Yellowstone National Park.
Nobody knows what Yellowstone will do next.
According to agency data, the Yellowstone caldera system bursts every 730,000 years,
with the most recent eruption occurring 640,000 years ago.
The most recent eruption formed a 56-kilometer-wide by 80-kilometer-long Yellowstone caldera.
The discharge's pyroclastic flows left behind thick volcanic deposits known as the Lava
Creek Tuff, which forms the caldera's north wall.
Massive amounts of volcanic ash were released into the atmosphere, and part of it may still
be seen in regions as far away as Iowa, Louisiana, and California.
According to the USGS, the consequences would be felt all around the world in the event
that Yellowstone saw another catastrophic eruption.
Thick ash layers would cover large regions of the United States, and massive amounts
of volcanic gases would be released into the sky.
It would most certainly have an impact on the global climate and enormous effects on
human activity, especially agricultural production, for many years.
Aside from the conclusions that can be drawn from researching the Yellowstone volcano's
distant destructive past, not much else can be said.
Data from previous volcanic eruptions of the Yellowstone supervolcano cannot be relied
on to accurately predict what the volcano will do next because those eruptions took
place such a long time ago.
According to the warning issued by the system that oversees Yellowstone National Park, the
enormous dome-shaped uplift is continuously growing in size.
The existence of this evidence demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that there is an
increase in volcanic activity beneath Yellowstone National Park.
Officials at Yellowstone National Park have been forced to close the park because of the
ongoing volcanic uplift.
As a result, the park is inaccessible to tourists and even some researchers.
This partial lockdown was implemented for the protection of the people in the event
of a volcanic eruption, which appears to be closer now than it has been in the previous
600,000 years.
If there is a full-fledged volcanic eruption at Yellowstone National Park, it is extremely
likely that the park's authorities and the federal government will need to do a great
deal more than simply close the park in order to protect the human population in an appropriate
manner.
It is absolutely vital that entire cities be evacuated in the event of another volcanic
eruption similar to the one that took place 600,000 years ago.
This will help to protect both human lives and property.
In spite of the fact that an evacuation of this magnitude has never taken place before,
in the event of a volcanic disaster, residents of neighboring towns and even states may be
required to relocate a significant distance away from the park.
Nevertheless, there is no assurance that this will be successful in any way.
If Yellowstone were to experience a major volcanic eruption, it would be so lethal that
very few, if any, of the states that make up the United States continent would be spared.
Let us know in the comments what you think about the recent increase in earthquakes in
the Yellowstone region.