Deep In America’s Northwest, There Lies A Supervolcano!

The odds that the Yellowstone supervolcano will erupt are roughly the same as the chances you’ll be struck by lightning...or NOT?
Did you know that Yellowstone National Park is actually an active supervolcano? As you walk around the park you may think: “I don’t see any volcanoes?!” That’s because much of the entire park is a volcano – and the bubbling geysers and hot springs are an indication of the churning activity below the surface.

In fact if the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park finally erupts, then we're in for the ultimate doomsday scenario. The immediate area surrounding Yellowstone would be devastated, and the millions of tons of ash would blanket the U.S. from coast to coast. Officially, the chances of this eruption happening are one in 700,000. That number, however, might need to be changed sooner than we thought...

Flickr/Don Graham
Earlier this week, officials at Yellowstone closed a road near the Mammoth Hot Springs after a new hot spring suddenly became "visibly active."

The previously unknown reservoir of molten rock was discovered by researchers at the University of Utah using seismic imaging technology. It's located around 12 to 28 miles below the surface, and is four times bigger than the other known magma chamber in Yellowstone.

Does this mean things are literally heating up in Yellowstone?

Flickr/Frank Kovalchek

From what scientists were able to gather from geological records, this eruption utterly devastated the North American continent.

However current geologic activity at Yellowstone has remained relatively constant since scientists first started monitoring more than 30 years ago. Another caldera-forming eruption is theoretically possible, but it is very unlikely in the next thousand or even 10,000 years. Scientists have also found no indication of an imminent smaller eruption of lava.

The last eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano was over 600,000 years ago.
Considering the fact that nothing can be done to prevent an eruption, the temperatures, pressures, physical characteristics of partially molten rock, and immensity of the magma chamber are beyond human ability to impact...we should be aware that physical phenomena are part of our planet and at least we should respect the planet and mother nature!

Regardless of when this eruption might happen, this is not something to be taken lightly. What's happening with the new hot springs is hopefully just a part of the natural cycle of things and not a sign of impending doom.

For those who haven't visited this landscape already...it's worth it! There are so many places around the world of unique beauty and activity...Obviously we won't be able to see them all however is good to know that exist!

Source: Creepy Basement

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