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Yellowstone Super volcano:

A future eruption. Yellowstone Super volcano:. Basic Facts. Yellowstone Volcano is in Wyoming, U.S. Yellowstone sits on a hot spot, an area of volcanic activity on a continental plate. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009)

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Yellowstone Super volcano:

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  1. A future eruption Yellowstone Super volcano:

  2. Basic Facts • Yellowstone Volcano is in Wyoming, U.S. • Yellowstone sits on a hot spot, an area of volcanic activity on a continental plate. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009) • Yellowstone is a geologically active area, with geysers, hot springs, and mud pots.(United States Geological Survey 2008) • There are frequent earthquakes in the area, up to 20 a day. (United States Geological Survey 2008)

  3. Super Volcanoes • Yellowstone is a super volcano: • Super volcanoes are volcanoes that have previously erupted with a magnitude of eight on the Volcanic Explosivity Scale. (United States Geological Survey 2009) • Other super volcanoes are located in New Zealand, Indonesia, and another in California, U.S.A. (Bindeman, Ilya 2006)

  4. Size of Yellowstone • The magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is 40-80 kilometres wide. (United States Geological Survey 2008) • The caldera is 1,500 square miles and was created by the previous three major eruptions. (Bindeman, Ilya 2006)

  5. Previous Eruptions • The previous eruptions of Yellowstone have been very destructive • There has been 3 major eruptions (United States Geological Survey 2009) (Lowenstern, Jacob 2005) • 2.1 million years ago • 1.3 million years ago • 640,000 years ago • The biggest eruption, 2.1million years ago spewed debris over 2,500 cubic kilometres. (Lowenstern, Jacob 2005)

  6. Future eruptions? • It is likely that Yellowstone will erupt again • The estimated period between eruptions is 700,000 years (Lowenstern, Jacob 2008) • If the last eruption was 640,000 years ago, this means an eruption could be due in the next 90,000 years. (Bindeman, Ilya 2006)

  7. Effects of future eruption • If Yellowstone erupted again the damage could be cataclysmic. • They estimate this because of the size of the calderas and the previous eruptions. • It would devastate most of the surrounding areas.

  8. Effects of eruption: Locally • Yellowstone national park and surrounding communities obliterated. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009) • Ash blankets sweep from pacific coast to the United States Midwest. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009) • Death toll could be in the millions. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009)

  9. Effects: globally • Ash swept into upper atmosphere winds would spread world wide. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009) (Bindeman, Ilya 2006) • Gases released would mix with atmosphere to deplete ozone layer. (O’Hanlon, Larry 2009) • Volcanic winter (Lowenstern, Jacob 2006) • gases released interacting with atmosphere to produce sulphuric acid- blocking the sun. • Drop in global temperatures.

  10. Summary • Yellowstone is a super volcano that has been very destructive in the past. • It is located in a geologically active area. • Has the ability to erupt again, and cause widespread destruction. • Scientists can only guess when the eruption will occur. • Zenome sub-catagory- Sciences>social sciences>Geography>Cartography>Unifiled

  11. References Bindeman, I. (2006). The secrets of supervolcanoes. Scientific American, 294(6), 36-43. Retrieved from http://proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=20747958&site=ehost-live">The Secrets of SUPERVOLCANOES.</A> Lowenstern, J. (2005). Truth fiction and everything in between at yellowstone.Geotimes, 6, November/10. Retrieved from http://www.geotimes.org/june05/feature_supervolcano.html Lowenstern, J., Smith, R., & Hill, D. (2006). Monitoring super-volcanoes: Geophysical and geochemical signals at yellowstone and other large caldera systems.Philisophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, 364, 2055-2072. Lownstern, J., & Hurwitz, S. (2008). Monitoring a supervolcano in repose: Heat and volitile flux at the yellowstone caldera. Elements, 4, 35-40.

  12. References cont’d O'Hanlon, L. (2009). What's under yellowstone: Tracking the giant. Retrieved from http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/supervolcano/under/under_04.html United States Geological Survey. (2008). Questions about yellowstone research. Retrieved November/23, 2009, from http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/about/faq/faqscience.php United States Geological Survey. (2008). Yellowstone earthquake swarms. Retrieved November/23, 2009, from http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/publications/2004/apr04swarm.php United States Geological Survey. (2009). Questions about future volcanic activity at yellowstone. Retrieved November/23, 2009, from http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/about/faq/faqactivity.php United States Geological Survey. (2009). Questions about supervolcanoes. Retrieved November/23, 2009, from : http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/about/faq/index.php

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