Modern Day Event Yellowstone Volcano Emergency Evacuation

[NightTerrors]

Yellowstone Volcano - What You Need to Know

 

[Wallaby]

The Yellowstone Super Volcano eruption really became popular when Bill Bryson wrote his book - 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' (Good book, and very popular).

In it, scientists explain that the 3 superuptions occurred 2.1M years ago, 1.3 Million years ago and 640,000 years ago. So the gaps are:
800,000 years
660,000 years
current gap - 640,000 years ago.

So, it Yellowstone Supereruptions are regularly episodic, one could happen tomorrow - or in 160,000 years (remember the entire history of recorded civilisation is less then 10,000 years). Bryson wrote this (very entertainingly), and everyone got excited. However, it is a bit of a stretch of only 3 data points.

There is no evidence that there will be any more supereruptions at Yellowstone. Yellowstone is, of course, volcanically active, and has had several smaller eruptions since the last supereruption (and has minor eruptions and earthquakes daily - geysers etc). But the only indicator of another supereruption is that 3 have happened in the past.

Read the US Volcano website for more detailed information: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/yellowstone_geo_hist_52.html

 

[tenderwarrior]

I think the Cascadia Fault is the one that North America should be focused on..

 

[Werewolf]

Although this is unlikely to happen in our lifetimes, it's still a scary prospect: Is Yellowstone ready to blow?

A full-blown eruption of Yellowstone could potentially dump a suffocating layer of volcanic ash that is at least 10 feet deep on almost the entire country, and it would instantly render about two-thirds of this nation completely uninhabitable.