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How far would the damage go if Yellowstone erupted?

If the Yellowstone supervolcano ever erupted, it would bring about a calamity for most of the United States. The supervolcano would spew deadly volcanic ash for thousands of miles across the entire country.



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Yellowstone Super Volcano FAQ If the Yellowstone supervolcano ever erupted, it would bring about a calamity for most of the United States. The supervolcano would spew deadly volcanic ash for thousands of miles across the entire country.

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The total energy released would be equivalent to an 875,000 megaton explosion. The shockwave would kill 90,000 people. Most of the lava would fall back into the crater. Any flows would be slow and only spread 40-50km or so.

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The total energy released would be equivalent to an 875,000 megaton explosion. The shockwave would kill 90,000 people. Most of the lava would fall back into the crater. Any flows would be slow and only spread 40-50km or so.

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Based on past research and the general location of the volcano itself, the blast radius of Yellowstone's calderas is quite large. When it comes to lava and magma flows spewing forth from this volcanic eruption, Yellowstone National Park would likely need to evacuate everyone within a 40 to 50 mile radius.

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If another large, caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate.

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Those parts of the surrounding states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming that are closest to Yellowstone would be affected by pyroclastic flows, while other places in the United States would be impacted by falling ash (the amount of ash would decrease with distance from the eruption site).

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Can we survive a Yellowstone eruption? A massive eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would spread deadly ash for thousands of miles, killing plant life and affecting humans in its path. Humans who were in its path would surely die, but it would not mean the extinction of the entire human race.

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A: For the most likely type of volcanic eruption in Yellowstone, everywhere would be safe except in the immediate vicinity of the advancing lava flow. In the highly improbable event of a large catastrophic eruption, the great the distance from the eruptive center, the safer it would be.

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If the big volcano, which last erupted 640,000 years ago, were to blow up again, it would spew enough ash to send particles as far away as New York City.

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No. A very large volcanic eruption would cause a severe cold period called a volcanic winter, but not an ice age. Volcanic eruptions cool the planet by creating a fine aerosol of sulfuric acid in the stratosphere. The highly reflective droplets prevent a portion of the sun's light from reaching and heating the surface.

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Major US cities like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Boise would also possibly destroyed upon eruption.

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Yellowstone Supervolcano (Wyoming, United States) Effects of a major eruption: When the Yellowstone Caldera, or supervolcano, in Yellowstone National Park erupts again, its effects would be worldwide, the U.S. Geographical Survey said.

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Yellowstone volcano eruption simulations show an unexpected blast would produce ash fallout from the Northwest US down to the southern tip of Florida. Volcanic ash fallout of more than 39.4 inches (one metre) would blanket Yellowstone's immediate vicinity in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Utah.

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The most wide reaching effect of a Yellowstone eruption would be much colder weather. Volcanoes can inject sulphur gas into the upper atmosphere, forming sulphuric acid aerosols that rapidly spread around the globe. Scientists believe sulphuric aerosols are the main cause of climatic cooling after an eruption.

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Definitely no, says Poland. “It is very unusual for an earthquake to trigger volcanic activity. We know this, for one, because in 1959 there was a M7. 2 on the northwest border of Yellowstone and it did not result in a major eruption,” Poland said, referring to the Hebgen Lake earthquake on Aug.

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Yellowstone's greatest geological threat isn't a supervolcano. It's a magnitude-7 earthquake. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – While concerns about a potential eruption of the supervolcano beneath this iconic park may garner the most alarming headlines, a more likely hazard in the coming decades is a large earthquake.

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Always stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other animals, including bison and elk. Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Keep your children close and don't let them run.

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