THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT – When the ground in Yellowstone rises, it’s time to go. But where?
There are an estimated 20 supervolcanos on the planet. One of them happens to be in Wyoming. The good news? It’s only gone off three times—the last time about 640,000 years ago. The bad news? According to the timeline of previous eruptions, we’re due any day now.
If the volcano were to erupt, the ash would reach far and wide across the Western United States, according to US Geological Survey studies. In the event of a supervolcano eruption, ash would cover virtually all of the US with the exception of maybe Miami, Florida, and Brownsville, Texas. As for Jackson Hole? While we are no strangers to 4-6 feet dumps, this won’t be snow. We’re goners…and fairly quickly.
Though a recent article by Only In Your State assured readers: “What Scientists Have Discovered About Wyoming’s Supervolcano Will Make You Sleep Better Tonight,” we’re still a little jumpy after reading it.
For one: scientists say that the magma inside the supervolcano would have to be around 50 percent melt in order for the pressure to be at a level to cause an eruption. It’s only between 10 and 30 percent partial melt right now. Only? Thirty percent!?
Another telltale sign it’s time to pack the Subaru? The ground in Yellowstone will begin to rise. Like hundreds of feet. This will indicate the magma chamber is beginning to bloat and ready to burst at the seams. No one is sure how much time you’ll have when that happens, scientists estimate…
