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How long would Yellowstone ice age last?

If we use the super-volcanos, Tambora, (1815), and Krakatoa, (1883), as examples, then generally, we can say the global effects of an explosive pyroclastic eruption will last at least a year or more, with the lowering of global temps by 2 degrees for up to 20 years.



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Location of past Yellowstone super-eruptions That triggered a dramatic 6- to 10-year global winter and (according to some) may have nearly wiped out the nascent human race. On average, the Earth has seen roughly one super-eruption every 100,000 years, although that's not an ironclad law.

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Geologists believe the ash from the eruption would encircle the globe in as little as 48 hours, and make temperatures drop by a minimum of two degrees celsius for as long as 20 years. The cooling of the Earth could be catastrophic for the planet's fragile ecosystem, kicking off a chain reaction of extinctions.

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Temperatures in Europe could be at least 5 degrees cooler the summer after the eruption. The actual effects of a Yellowstone super-eruption could be different depending on the size of eruption, the time of year and any number of other factors.

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If heat could be bled off of the magma chambers, cooling and solidifying them, not only would that (theoretically) stop the volcano from erupting, but the heat could be used to generate electric power with a geothermal energy plant.

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Yellowstone encompasses 3,472 square miles (2,221,766 acres) which makes it larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Aerial view of the Upper Geyser Basin. Old Faithful can be seen in the top right corner of the photo.

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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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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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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. The severity of the blast decreases further out form Yellowstone National Park but extends into Canada, Mexico and the East Coast.

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