There is already so much information about the likely explosion of Yellowstone that sometimes the topic of a super-volcano that will "destroy half of America" is perceived skeptically, as sweet dreams and last hope those who are outraged by the leading role of the United States in the global political and economic crisis.
Below is a selection of materials that will help you assess how justified such expectations are...
To begin with, some headlines in the English-language press for recent times, which show that the topic is not sucked out of thin air:
- Daily Mail: "Yellowstone timed bomb: Experts warn of 90,000 immediate deaths and US 'nuclear winter' if Supervolcano erupts":
- Daily Mail: "The timebomb under Yellowstone: Experts warn of 90,000 immediate deaths and a "nuclear winter" across the US if supervolcano erupts"
- CNN: "The magma layer under the Yellowstone supervolcano is more extensive than thought":
- CNN: "Magma expanse under Yellowstone supervolcano more vast than thought" (May 14, 2015)
- WNCT News: "Could a super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park be erupting anytime soon?":
- WNCT News: "Could a super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park erupt soon?" (Apr 14, 2016)
- Daily Express: Will Yellowstone erupt in 2016? Shocking video shows dramatic change in seismic activity:
- Daily Express: Will Yellowstone break in 2016? Shock video shows dramatic shift in seismic activity” (Apr 22, 2016)
- Business Insider: "Supervolcano under Yellowstone - this is what happens if there is an eruption":
Employees of the US National Geological Survey from Oregon predict the complete destruction of the North American continent due to a large-scale earthquake
The next activation of tectonic activity in Cascadia will launch a chain of events that could lead to complete destruction North America. And it's only a matter of time: preliminary estimates, catastrophe may occur within the next 50 years.
On August 22, 17 earthquakes with magnitudes from 0.9 to 3.5 were recorded in the area of the Californian Long Valley caldera. This is reported by the portal "Volcanoes".
At the same time, we note that as of August 20, 32 volcanoes are at the stage of high activity in the world.
However, the greatest concern this moment still causes the famous monster - the Yellowstone volcano. The increased frequency of earthquakes can provoke an increase in its activity.
The news agency "Foreign Political Relations" reports that the cause of the mass death of fish in the river of the same name, which originates near the deadly dangerous supervolcano yellowstone .
Therefore, the US authorities urgently closed to the public not only one section of the river with a length of about 295 km, but also hundreds of kilometers of adjacent territories for fishing, walking, boating and other activities.
As of August 19, four thousand dead fish were found, but, according to environmentalists, there are much more of them - the account goes to tens of thousands of lifeless individuals, the reason is still unclear .
At first official version The US Department of Fisheries said that the reason was a drop in oxygen levels in the water due to rising temperatures.
Among the dead species are trout and whitefish, such mass extinction endangers the entire fishing industry in the region.
The death of whitefish, which specialists from the Department of Fisheries and wildlife Montana fixed last week, continued at a rapid pace. If a few days ago scientists were talking about 400 dead fish, by August 17, 2016 their number had increased to a thousand. Some experts say that the figure is greatly underestimated and should be talking about 10,000, author Polina Perova notes on the pages of Foreign Economic Relations.
Andrea Johnson, Department spokesperson, believes that a large number of whitefish sank or were eaten by scavengers. The ecologist is sure that only a tenth of all dead fish is found on the banks of the rivers. Dead fish are found throughout the Yellowstone River.
Water intakes in the river and samples of dead fish are still in the laboratory. The scientists promised to announce the results in a couple of weeks.
Experts note that never in the history of Yellowstone has such a ecological disaster why it happened, one can only guess.
Enhanced level carbon dioxide near Yellowstone in the US has raised fears that a deadly volcano is on the verge of a catastrophic explosion.
Emission of carbon dioxide (the higher the concentration, the darker the color)
A large concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is usually observed just before the start of the eruption, due to the increasing pressure below the surface, writes the British Express.
Satellite images show that the level of carbon dioxide in the Yellowstone area is now one of the most concentrated in the world.
Moreover, in the state of Wyoming, 40 small tremors occurred in the past week alone.
Last time The Yellowstone supervolcano erupted over 700,000 years ago. If the volcano erupts, it could lead to global catastrophe, especially in the US, where two-thirds of the country would become uninhabitable immediately. In addition, the US agricultural industry will be in ruins, and most of countries will be covered with a 10cm layer of ash, Express writes.
O increased activity scientists started talking about a supervolcano a couple of years ago, which can be read in detail on the Volcanoes website. Let's stop only on some moments.
Given the cyclical nature of Yellowstone eruptions, initially Geological Society America assumed that the volcano would explode no earlier than in 20 thousand years. However latest events forced scientists to change their minds. At first they said that the eruption would happen within 75 years, but now many agree that the event could happen in the coming years. Where are such conclusions from? The fact is that since the beginning of 2014, many interesting events that influenced the predictions of volcanologists:
1. In the rivers and lakes of the national park, the water temperature has risen significantly, reaching the boiling point in some places. Geysers were activated, including large ones that had been dormant for more than 100 years.
2. From January to July 2014 alone, more than 60 tremors occurred in Yellowstone. The strongest of them with a power of 4.8 points on the Richter scale happened on March 30.
If at the beginning of 2014 earthquakes occurred at a depth of 10–30 km, now they are from 5 to 10 km. Based on the nature of earthquakes, it can be concluded that so-called “seismic nails” occur in the caldera – vertical shocks that contribute to the appearance of tears and cracks.
3. In April 2014, residents of the surrounding settlements began to notice that bison and deer were running from the park, and, as you know, animals are acutely aware of the approaching catastrophes.
4. As of mid-2014, the soil in the caldera area has risen by 178 centimeters. Further information about its rise is carefully concealed.
5. In different parts of the park, the appearance of Helium-4 gas was recorded, which usually occurs on other volcanoes shortly before the eruption.
6. In May 2015, an aggressive movement of magma was noticed in the caldera of the volcano, the indicators of seismic sensors go off scale from time to time.
7. In the first half of 2015, seismic activity increased markedly around the world, volcanoes began to erupt in Asia, South America, on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
There are many indirect facts indicating that there will be an eruption. It is known that the US government has long been preparing for the coming catastrophe. In particular, a few years ago they turned to South Africa with a request to take refugees in case the volcano explodes. Moreover, every year for 10 years they pledged to pay the South Africans 10 billion dollars. After South Africa refused to conclude such an agreement, the Americans turned their attention to Liberia, where road infrastructure and entire cities are now being built, the Volcanoes portal writes.
In May 2014, ballistic missiles were removed from military bases located near the volcano. From time to time, for unknown reasons, Yellowstone Park is closed to tourists, and the webcam aimed at the Old Faithful geyser is sometimes simply turned off. If we talk about the latest news, then along with Yellowstone, there is an activation of the Long Valley supervolcano located in California, in the caldera of which 398 tremors were recorded in February 2015 alone. If he starts to act, then Yellowstone will not stand aside.
When will Yellowstone explode?
Seismologists are concerned about the situation that is developing around the Yellowstone supervolcano, located in the very center of the United States. In the event of its eruption, North America will actually cease to exist, turning into a lifeless desert, reminiscent of the surface of Mars. And the worst thing is that this misfortune can happen ... at any moment.
TIME TO PANIC?
What if it's not all that scary? Maybe an eruption, if it ever happens, and does not turn out to be so destructive? Alas, Yellowstone has already demonstrated its violent temper.
About 640 thousand years ago, during last eruption supervolcano, top part fell into a hot abyss, forming a hole in the ground with red-hot magma splashing in it, measuring 55 by 72 kilometers! An incredible amount of lava, ash, stones splashed out. If such an incident occurs today, it is difficult to imagine how it will turn out for the whole of North America.
Since the 1980s, the number of tremors in the Yellowstone area has only increased year by year. And the activity of the volcano in 2007 was so high that it required the convening of a special Scientific Council United States, which was attended by leading seismologists, geophysicists, as well as the United States Secretary of Defense and the heads of the CIA, NSA, FBI.
Together, they developed an agreed position, a clear plan that once and for all determined what to do when the Yellowstone powder keg did explode. Then, fortunately, everything worked out. But whether it will cost in the future is unknown.
Since then, the U.S. Geological Survey has been regularly publishing sighting reports of the caldera. Yellowstone supervolcano. The last of them - dated July 1, 2016 - showed no signs of imminent eruption. But many researchers are skeptical about official reports.
After all, only in June 2016 in Yellowstone national park there were 70 earthquakes, which is only two earthquakes less than in May of the same year. What does it say? Only about one thing: the supervolcano is constantly shaking. And each of the aftershocks is fraught with a catastrophic eruption capable of destroying the United States.
A few years ago, a significant part of the national park, on the territory of which the supervolcano is located, was closed to tourists. There was no talk of an explosion then. at least officially, but experts did not hide: the situation is alarming. Scientists have been alarmed by both the sharp increase in earthquakes in the Yellowstone area and the fact that the underground voids of the volcano are quickly filled with magma.
HELL COULTER
The most paradoxical thing is that mankind has learned about Yellowstone relatively recently. In 1807, during an expedition exploring the northwest of the United States, John Colter first saw the Yellowstone area and described in detail the numerous geysers and springs spouting from the ground. hot water. But the public did not believe the words of the scientist, sarcastically calling his report "Coulter's Hell."
The name turned out to be symbolic. The second person to discover Yellowstone anomalies was hunter Jim Bridger in 1850. However, his description of unusual hot fountains was also considered fiction. Only after the official report made by the naturalist Ferdinand Hayden, who backed up his words with photographs, did the US Congress in 1872 believe in the reality of the volcano.
Yellowstone became the first national park in the United States, one of the favorite vacation spots for residents of the country and foreign tourists. True, visitors to the park are not informed that at any moment the volcano located under their feet can fly into the air.
However, if you are not burdened by thoughts about the future, then visiting Yellowstone, of course, is worth it: it is amazingly beautiful. On its territory there is a magnificent mountain lake, almost three hundred waterfalls, one of which is larger than Niagara. Well, there is no need to talk about hot springs and exotic geysers: the whole of America comes to look at them.
SCENARIO OF THE APOCALYPSE
The average period of time between explosions of supervolcanoes, calculated theoretically, also does not add optimism. It averages 600 thousand years. Yellowstone last erupted about 640,000 years ago. Therefore, a new explosion can be expected at any moment.
The force of the explosion of this volcano will be equal to the simultaneous explosion of several dozen modern nuclear bombs. In the event of a disaster, volcanologists say, Earth's crust will rise several meters, the soil will warm up to 60 degrees Celsius, and the content of helium and hydrogen sulfide will increase significantly in the atmosphere over America.
Almost instantly, all life on the territory of 1,000 square kilometers will be destroyed.
Lava flows rushing at a speed of several hundred kilometers per hour will burn out gigantic territories, and volcanic ash will rise to a height of up to 50 kilometers, causing an effect nuclear winter. In the "death zone" will be the entire territory of the United States to the Mississippi.
The rest of the country will not be greeted either: it will be covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash. Nuclear, or rather, volcanic winter over the territory of North America will last from one to four years. Of course, the climate will change catastrophically throughout the planet. At the same time, the most safe place the center of Eurasia and Siberia, that is, the territory of Russia, will become on Earth.
VOLCANO WITH THE PREfix "SUPER"
Quite often you can hear that Yellowstone is a supervolcano. A person far from volcanology would probably think that the prefix "super" in this case simply describes a volcano larger than its brethren. This is not true. "Supervolcano" - the concept is quite scientific.
It denotes a volcano with a cone-shaped top and a vent from which lava erupts, located underground. Moreover, within the limits of one supervolcano, as a rule, there are several similar "titans" invisible on the surface. And the worst thing about them is that they do not erupt, but explode.
WHY LEFT THE BISONS?
When will the Yellowstone explosion happen? No one can give an exact answer to this question. Some scientists are waiting for the eruption from day to day, others attribute it in time to centuries and even millennia.
In 2006, volcanologists Ilya Bindeman and John Valei predicted a supervolcano eruption for 2016 in the journal Earth and Planetary Science. However, the tragedy, as you know, did not happen. Nevertheless, it is too early to calm down.
Since the spring of 2014, when scientists noted a significant increase seismic activity and geyser emissions, national park the animals began to leave. The bison left first, followed by the deer. This is a sure sign of an approaching catastrophe: animals, unlike people, unerringly anticipate natural disasters.
OPERATION EVACUATION
Conspiracy theorists claim that the United States allegedly offered a number of countries to pay 10 billion dollars over 10 years for the opportunity to temporarily relocate to their territory in the event of a Yellowstone explosion.
Allegedly, a solid jackpot was promised to Brazil, Argentina and Australia. Did they take the money or not? big question. In any case, if the deal had taken place, then in the United States full swing there was an evacuation.
Volcanologists are sure that in the event of an explosion yellowstone volcano disappear from the surface of the planet whole continent.
The University of Utah, which operates seismic stations in Yellowstone National Park, notes the ongoing deformation of the soil: every year it rises by 5 centimeters.
What volcanoes will erupt in 2017?
Of course, make a prediction when there will be an eruption volcanoes is an absolutely thankless task, as volcanoes wake up without warning, without adhering to any schedule. Despite the fact that we live in the 21st century, modern science does not have any exact devices that show 100% the exact date awakening of this or that volcano. Thanks to modern devices, volcanologists can only roughly estimate the likelihood of an eruption.
Therefore, everything written below can be regarded as a forecast, the probability of which depends on many factors.
In general, a volcanic eruption can have various consequences, from the simplest, affecting people living a maximum of a few kilometers from the volcano, and ending with people who live thousands of kilometers away and have never even heard of this volcano in their lives.
Judge for yourself - the eruption in 1883 of the Krakatoa volcano caused the death of more than 30 thousand people, more than two hundred thousand people as a result of this were left homeless. And what are the forecasts about the possible eruption of the Yellowstone volcano. According to scientists, if this happens, then within a radius of a thousand kilometers from this supervolcano, all living things will die.
What volcano and when it wakes up - no one can say this with full confidence, but it is possible to make predictions about the most probable eruptions. Therefore, below is a list of “candidates” among volcanoes that have a great chance to show their temper in 2017.
Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Volcano Cotopaxi
Even at the border of 2015 and 2016, the Cotopaxi volcano showed a certain impatience and anxiety; fortunately, there was no eruption living near it. So far, it’s hard for scientists to say - the excitement on the eve was a warning about an upcoming eruption, or is it some kind of gentle sniffing during the hibernation of the volcano.
The last time a serious volcanic eruption took place quite a long time ago - back in 1877, and a very serious explosion and no less large ejection of ash and lava from its crater Ktopaksi did in 1768. It is for this reason that volcanologists believe that the slightest sign of the appearance of activity can be considered an indicator of the likelihood of an imminent eruption. After all, in the mouth of the volcano there are huge reserves of lava that just want to break out into the street.
Kilauea, Hawaii
Volcano Kilauea
In 2017, you can safely celebrate 34 years since such a famous woke up Hawaiian volcano like Kilauea. To date, there is no reason to believe that this smoky giant will stop spewing lava, smoke and roar from its crater and that it will fall into a heroic sleep.
Back in 2015, the US Geological Survey reported the awakening of this volcano, moreover, it noted an increase in seismicity in the region, which is not a good indicator for a volcano. Most likely in 2016 it will become more active, perhaps it will emit more ash, lava and will rumble more strongly. Not happy about this locals, especially those who live at the foot of or next to Kilauea.
Etna, Italy
Mount Etna
The Italian volcano Etna showed the first signs of awakening at the end of 2015, many volcanologists considered this a bad sign and the first harbinger of an upcoming eruption. But throughout 2016, Etna did not file special features activity, or rather, it did not go beyond the boundaries of what the volcano shows every year. According to experts, 2017 may become a year of awakening for Etna, at least the forecasts for this are quite high.
Nevados de Chillan, Chile
Volcano Nevados de Chillán
At the end of the year before last, scientists expected a volcanic eruption and raised the danger level to "yellow" as a result. Moreover, the volcano not only showed signs of awakening, but also made tremors, which were felt for many tens of kilometers in the area. It is worth noting that Nevados de Chillan is one of the most big volcanoes on the territory of Chile, in addition, the status of an active volcano has long been assigned to it. True, before that, this giant slept peacefully for 15 years, showing no signs of life, but it seems that the period of calm has ended and it may wake up soon, perhaps this will happen in 2017.
Cascade Mountains, USA
cascade mountains
AT total throughout the entire Cascade Mountains, there are 13 rather serious and dangerous volcano, of which only one has erupted over the past hundred years - St. Helens. Therefore, many will have a completely logical question - why is silence kept on the territory of the Cascade Mountains?
volcano st helens
Volcanologists are already speaking out on this issue, in their opinion, this state of affairs in this region is anomalous. They are simply convinced that this is nothing more than a "terrifying" calm before the storm. Moreover, the formation of a rupture in the San Anders Fault contributes to the increase in stress. If you take into account all these factors, then in the near future in the territory of the Cascades we should expect a big "boom". So why shouldn't this happen in 2017?
Joker
Over the past ten years, volcanologists have made predictions about the awakening of a number of rather large and serious volcanoes. Judge for yourself, the eruption of such volcanoes as Sarychev Peak, Eyyafjallajokull, Chaiten, Pinatubo, are absolute and vivid examples how things can change dramatically. After all, it was these volcanoes that at first did not show signs of activity and looked like sleeping ones, but in a short period of time they showed everything they were capable of.
Therefore, volcanologists also believe that if a volcano wakes up in 2017, then it may turn out to be one that scientists could not even think of.
So quite recently, the European Science Foundation made a report in which its scientists announced that in the next 80 years one of its supervolcanoes would erupt on the Earth's territory. Moreover, if this happens, the consequences will be quite serious, up to global climate change. Any volcano can become this kind of joker, starting from the Yellowstone supervolcano, the eruption of which scientists have been scaring for years, or Baektusan.
Source - http://vulkania.ru/.Seismologists are concerned about the situation that is developing around Supervolcano Yellowstone located in the heart of the USA. In the event of its eruption, North America will actually cease to exist, turning into a lifeless desert, reminiscent of the surface of Mars. And the worst thing is that this misfortune can happen ... at any moment.
Is it time to panic?
What if it's not all that scary? Maybe an eruption, if it ever happens, and does not turn out to be so destructive? Alas, Yellowstone has already demonstrated its violent temper.
About 640 thousand years ago, during the last eruption of a supervolcano, its upper part fell into a hot abyss, forming a hole in the ground with hot magma splashing in it, measuring 55 by 72 kilometers! An incredible amount of lava, ash, stones splashed out. If such an incident occurs today, it is difficult to imagine how it will turn out for the whole of North America.
Since the 1980s, the number of tremors in the Yellowstone area has only increased year by year. And the activity of the volcano in 2007 was so high that it required the convening of a special US Scientific Council, which was attended by leading seismologists, geophysicists, as well as the United States Secretary of Defense and the heads of the CIA, NSA, FBI.
Together, they developed an agreed position, a clear plan that once and for all determined what to do when the Yellowstone powder keg did explode. Then, fortunately, everything worked out. But whether it will cost in the future is unknown.
Since then, the USGS has been regularly publishing sighting reports of the Yellowstone Supervolcano caldera. The last of them - dated July 1, 2016 - showed no signs of an imminent eruption. But many researchers are skeptical about official reports.
After all, in June 2016 alone, 70 earthquakes occurred in Yellowstone National Park, which is only two earthquakes less than in May of the same year. What does it say? Only about one thing: the supervolcano is constantly shaking. And each of the aftershocks is fraught with a catastrophic eruption capable of destroying the United States.
A few years ago, a significant part of the national park, on the territory of which the supervolcano is located, was closed to tourists. There was no talk of an explosion then, at least officially, but experts did not hide the fact that the situation was alarming. Scientists have been alarmed by both the sharp increase in earthquakes in the Yellowstone area and the fact that the underground voids of the volcano are quickly filled with magma.
Hell Kotler
The most paradoxical thing is that mankind has learned about Yellowstone relatively recently. In 1807, during an expedition exploring the northwest of the United States, John Colter first saw the Yellowstone area and described in detail the numerous geysers and springs of hot water spouting from the ground. But the public did not believe the words of the scientist, sarcastically calling his report "Coulter's Hell."
The name turned out to be symbolic. The second person to discover Yellowstone anomalies was hunter Jim Bridger in 1850. However, his description of unusual hot fountains was also considered fiction. Only after the official report made by the naturalist Ferdinand Hayden, who backed up his words with photographs, did the US Congress in 1872 believe in the reality of the volcano.
Yellowstone became the first national park in the United States, one of the favorite vacation spots for residents of the country and foreign tourists. True, visitors to the park are not informed that at any moment the volcano located under their feet can fly into the air.
However, if you are not burdened by thoughts about the future, then visiting Yellowstone, of course, is worth it: it is amazingly beautiful. On its territory there is a magnificent mountain lake, almost three hundred waterfalls, one of which is larger than Niagara. Well, there is no need to talk about hot springs and exotic geysers: the whole of America comes to look at them.
Apocalypse Scenarios
The average period of time between explosions of supervolcanoes, calculated theoretically, also does not add optimism. It averages 600 thousand years. Yellowstone last erupted about 640,000 years ago. Therefore, a new explosion can be expected at any moment.
The force of the explosion of this volcano will be equal to the simultaneous detonation of several dozen modern nuclear bombs. In the event of a catastrophe, volcanologists believe, the earth's crust will rise by several meters, the soil will warm up to 60 degrees Celsius, and the content of helium and hydrogen sulfide will increase significantly in the atmosphere over America.
Almost instantly, all life on the territory of 1,000 square kilometers will be destroyed.
Lava flows, rushing at a speed of several hundred kilometers per hour, will burn giant territories, and volcanic ash will rise to a height of up to 50 kilometers, causing the effect of a nuclear winter. In the "death zone" will be the entire territory of the United States to the Mississippi.
The rest of the country will not be greeted either: it will be covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash. Nuclear, or rather, volcanic winter over the territory of North America will last from one to four years. Of course, the climate will change catastrophically throughout the planet. At the same time, the center of Eurasia and Siberia, that is, the territory of Russia, will become the safest place on Earth.
VOLCANO WITH THE PREfix "SUPER"
Quite often you can hear that Yellowstone is a supervolcano. A person far from volcanology would probably think that the prefix "super" in this case simply describes a volcano larger than its brethren. This is not true. "Supervolcano" - the concept is quite scientific.
It denotes a volcano with a cone-shaped top and a vent from which lava erupts, located underground. Moreover, within the limits of one supervolcano, as a rule, there are several similar "titans" invisible on the surface. And the worst thing about them is that they do not erupt, but explode.
Why did the bison leave?
When will the Yellowstone explosion happen? No one can give an exact answer to this question. Some scientists are waiting for the eruption from day to day, others attribute it in time to centuries and even millennia.
In 2006, volcanologists Ilya Bindeman and John Valei predicted a supervolcano eruption for 2016 in the journal Earth and Planetary Science. However, the tragedy, as you know, did not happen. Nevertheless, it is too early to calm down.
Since the spring of 2014, when scientists noted a significant increase in seismic activity and geyser emissions, animals began to leave the national park. The bison left first, followed by the deer. This is a sure sign of an approaching catastrophe: animals, unlike people, unmistakably foresee natural disasters.
OPERATION EVACUATION
Conspiracy theorists claim that the United States allegedly offered a number of countries to pay 10 billion dollars over 10 years for the opportunity to temporarily relocate to their territory in the event of a Yellowstone explosion.
Allegedly, a solid jackpot was promised to Brazil, Argentina and Australia. But whether they took the money or not is a big question. In any case, if the deal had taken place, then the evacuation would have been in full swing in the United States.
Volcanologists are sure that in the event of an explosion of the Yellowstone volcano, an entire continent will disappear from the surface of the planet.
The University of Utah, which operates seismic stations in Yellowstone National Park, notes the ongoing deformation of the soil: every year it rises by 5 centimeters.
I read that scientists said that the explosion will definitely happen before 2016. Since the end of March 2014, an increase in seismic activity has been noted there. In addition, local geysers also became noticeably more active. Large ungulates began to scatter from the territory of the national park. According to scientists, the force of the explosion of the Yellowstone volcano will be 2500 times stronger than the release of Etna 8 thousand years ago, when the tsunami formed distorted the coast of three continents in a few hours. When Yellowstone explodes, its consequences can be compare only with the explosion of a dozen atomic bombs at once. The earth's crust will rise by several meters, and the soil will warm up to a temperature of +60 degrees. Pieces of earth rock will be thrown on great height, and then they will cover a huge part of the earth. Then the atmosphere itself will change - the content of helium and hydrogen sulfide will increase. Within a few hours after the explosion of Yellowstone, an area of about 1000 km2 will completely burn out. It's about about the northwestern United States and a small part of Canada. More than 10 thousand sq. km. will be buried under the streams of hot mud, or as it is also called pyroclastic waves, it will burn everything in its path with a powerful avalanche. It is she who is the most deadly during the eruption.
AS IT WILL BE
A few days before the explosion, the earth's crust above the supervolcano will rise by several tens or even hundreds of meters. The soil will warm up to 60-70°С. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide and helium will increase sharply in the atmosphere.
The cloud of volcanic ash will be the first to escape, which will rise into the atmosphere to a height of 40-50 km. Then the ejection of lava will begin, pieces of which will be thrown to great heights. Falling, they will cover a gigantic territory. The explosion will be accompanied powerful earthquake and lava flows, developing speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour.
In the first hours of a new eruption in Yellowstone, an area within a radius of 1000 kilometers around the epicenter will be destroyed. Here, residents of almost the entire American Northwest (the city of Seattle) and part of Canada (the cities of Calgary, Vancouver) are in immediate danger.
On the territory of 10 thousand square meters. kilometers, streams of hot mud will rage, the so-called. "pyroclastic wave" This most deadly product of the eruption will occur when the pressure of the lava hitting high into the atmosphere weakens and part of the column collapses into the surroundings in a huge avalanche, burning everything in its path. It will be impossible to survive in pyroclastic flows. At temperatures above 400°C human bodies they'll just boil, the flesh will separate from the bones.
Hot slurry will kill about 200 thousand people in the first minutes after the start of the eruption. Besides, huge losses will bring a series of earthquakes and tsunamis that will provoke an explosion. They will already claim tens of millions of lives around the globe. This is provided that the North American continent does not go under water at all, like Atlantis. Then the ash cloud from the volcano will begin to spread in breadth. Within a day, the entire territory of the United States up to the Mississippi will be in the disaster zone. At the same time, volcanic ash represents at least dangerous phenomenon. Ash particles are so small that neither gauze bandages nor respirators protect them from them. Once in the lungs, the ash mixes with mucus, hardens and turns into cement ...
As a result of the shedding of ash, territories located thousands of kilometers from the volcano may be in mortal danger. When the layer of volcanic ash reaches a thickness of 15 cm, the load on the roofs will become too great and the buildings will begin to collapse. It is estimated that from 1 to 50 people in each house will die immediately or be seriously injured. This will be the main cause of death in the areas around Yellowstone bypassed by the pyroclastic wave, where the ash layer will be no less than 60 cm.
The Yellowstone giant will provoke the eruption of several hundred ordinary volcanoes around the world. Other deaths will follow from poisoning. The eruption will continue for several days, but people and animals will continue to die due to suffocation and hydrogen sulfide poisoning. During this time, the air in the western United States will be poisoned so that a person can breathe in it for no more than 5-7 minutes.
Thousands of cubic kilometers of ash thrown into the atmosphere will cross the Atlantic by air in 2-3 weeks and Pacific Ocean, and a month later they will close the Sun all over the Earth.
NUCLEAR WINTER
Once upon a time, Soviet scientists predicted that the most terrible consequence global nuclear conflict will be the so-called. "nuclear winter". The same thing will happen as a result of the explosion of a supervolcano.
First incessant acid rain destroy all crops and crops, kill livestock, dooming the survivors to starvation. Two weeks after the sun disappears into dust clouds, the air temperature is earth's surface fall in different areas the globe from -15° to -50°С and below. The average temperature on the Earth's surface will be about -25°C.
The “billionaire” countries India and China will suffer the most from hunger. Here, in the coming months after the explosion, up to 1.5 billion people will die. In total, every third inhabitant of the Earth will die in the first months of the cataclysm.
Winter will last from 1.5 to 4 years. This is enough to change the natural balance on the planet forever. Vegetation will die due to long frosts and lack of light. Since plants are involved in the production of oxygen, it will become very difficult for the planet to breathe. Animal world The earth will die painfully from cold, hunger and epidemics. Humanity will have to move from the surface of the earth for at least 3-4 years ...
For the population of North America, the chances of survival are minimal. In general, residents western hemisphere will be almost completely destroyed. Greatest Chances at central part Eurasia. Most people, according to scientists, will survive in Siberia and the Eastern European part of Russia, located on earthquake-resistant platforms, remote from the epicenter of the explosion and protected from the tsunami.
Seismologists are concerned about the situation that is developing around the Yellowstone supervolcano, located in the very center of the United States. In the event of its eruption, North America will actually cease to exist, turning into a lifeless desert resembling the surface
Mars. And the worst thing is that this misfortune can happen ... at any moment.
TIME TO PANIC?
What if it's not all that scary? Maybe an eruption, if it ever happens, and does not turn out to be so destructive? Alas, Yellowstone has already demonstrated its violent temper. About 640 thousand years ago, during the last eruption of a supervolcano, its upper part fell into a hot abyss, forming a hole in the ground with hot magma splashing in it, measuring 55 by 72 kilometers! An incredible amount of lava, ash, stones splashed out. If such an incident occurs today, it is difficult to imagine how it will turn out for the whole of North America. Since the 1980s, the number of tremors in the Yellowstone area has only increased year by year. And the activity of the volcano in 2007 was so high that it required the convening of a special US Science Council. which was attended by leading seismologists, geophysicists, as well as the United States Secretary of Defense and the heads of the CIA, NSA, FBI.
Together, they developed an agreed position, a clear plan that once and for all determined what to do when the Yellowstone powder keg did explode. Then, fortunately, everything worked out. But whether it will cost in the future is unknown. Since then, the USGS has been regularly publishing sighting reports of the Yellowstone Supervolcano caldera. The last of them - dated July 1, 2016 - showed no signs of an imminent eruption. But many researchers are skeptical about official reports. After all, in June 2016 alone, 70 earthquakes occurred in Yellowstone National Park, which is only two earthquakes less than in May of the same year. What does it say? Only about one thing: the supervolcano is constantly shaking. And each of the aftershocks is fraught with a catastrophic eruption capable of destroying the United States.
HELL COULTER
The most paradoxical thing is that mankind has learned about Yellowstone relatively recently. In 1807, during an expedition exploring the northwest of the United States, John Colter first saw the Yellowstone area and described in detail the numerous geysers and springs of hot water spouting from the ground. But the public did not believe the words of the scientist, sarcastically calling his report "Coulter's Hell." The name turned out to be symbolic. The second person to discover the anomalies of Yellowstone was hunter Jim Bridger in 1850. However, his description of unusual hot fountains was also considered fiction. Only after the official report made by the naturalist Ferdinand Hayden, who backed up his words with photographs, did the US Congress in 1872 believe in the reality of the volcano.
Yellowstone became the first US national park - one of the favorite vacation spots for residents of the country and foreign tourists. True, visitors to the park are not informed that at any moment the volcano located under their feet can fly into the air. However, if you are not burdened by thoughts about the future, then visiting Yellowstone, of course, is worth it: it is amazingly beautiful. On its territory there is a magnificent mountain lake, almost three hundred waterfalls, one of which is larger than Niagara. Well, there is no need to talk about hot springs and exotic geysers: the whole of America comes to look at them.
SCENARIO OF THE APOCALYPSE
The average period of time between explosions of supervolcanoes, calculated theoretically, also does not add optimism. It averages 600 thousand years. The last time Yellowstone erupted was about 640,000 years ago. Therefore, a new explosion can be expected at any moment. The force of the explosion of this volcano will be equal to the simultaneous detonation of several dozen modern nuclear bombs. In the event of a disaster, volcanologists believe, the earth's crust will rise by several meters, the soil will heat up to 60 degrees Celsius, and the content of helium and hydrogen sulfide will increase significantly in the atmosphere over America. Almost instantly, all life will be destroyed in an area of 1000 square kilometers.
Lava flows, rushing at a speed of several hundred kilometers per hour, will burn giant territories, and volcanic ash will rise to a height of up to 50 kilometers, causing the effect of a nuclear winter. In the "death zone" will be the entire territory of the United States to the Mississippi. The rest of the country will not be greeted either: it will be covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash. Nuclear, or rather, volcanic winter over the territory of North America will last from one to four years. Of course, the climate will change catastrophically throughout the planet. At the same time, the center of Eurasia and Siberia, that is, the territory of Russia, will become the safest place on Earth.
WHY LEFT THE BISONS?
When will the Yellowstone explosion happen? No one can give an exact answer to this question. Some scientists are waiting for the eruption from day to day, others attribute it in time to centuries and even millennia. In 2006, volcanologists Ilya Bindeman and John Valei predicted a supervolcano eruption for 2016 in the journal Earth and Planetary Science. However, the tragedy, as you know, did not happen. Nevertheless, it is too early to calm down. Since the spring of 2014, when scientists noted a significant increase in seismic activity and geyser emissions, animals began to leave the national park. The bison left first, followed by the deer. This is a sure sign of an approaching catastrophe: animals, unlike people, unmistakably foresee natural disasters.
Dmitry SOKOLOV
