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The caldera inside Yellowstone National Park is nicknamed a supervolcano because of its ability to inflict untold global devastation in the event of a supereruption. It formed during the last three major events over the past 2.1 million years, with the most recent eruption of Lava Creek occurring around 630,000 years ago. Located under the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, the area is constantly monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for signs that history may repeat itself.
Science writer Bryan Walsh explored this possibility in chilling detail in an article promoting his recently published book “End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World”.
He wrote: “A Yellowstone eruption would be unlike anything humanity has ever experienced.
“First there would be more and more intense earthquakes, a sign that the magma under Yellowstone was rushing to the surface.
“Then magma would erupt through the ground in a titanic eruption, releasing the toxic entrails of the earth into the air.
“It would go on for days, burying Yellowstone in lava within 40 miles.
Mr Walsh said “the devastation around Yellowstone would only be the beginning,” adding that a supereruption “would bury vast swathes of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in up to three feet of toxic volcanic ash” .
He added, “Depending on weather conditions, much of the Midwest would also get a few inches, plunging the area into darkness.
“Even the coasts – where a majority of Americans live – would most likely see dust when the ash cloud spreads.
“The crops would be destroyed, the pastures would be contaminated.
READ MORE: Prediction of Yellowstone volcano supereruption after caldera ‘clock’ identified by scientist
“Power lines and power transformers would be damaged, potentially destroying much of the grid.”
According to Walsh, the impacts could be felt “globally if the eruption occurs during the summer” as a toxic cloud could block sunlight and “dip global temperatures” for years.
He added: “The rainfall would decrease sharply. This could be enough to trigger the disappearance of tropical forests.
“Agriculture could collapse, starting with the Midwest.
Citing a group of researchers from a 2015 European Science Foundation report, Walsh agreed that a supereruption in Yellowstone would be “the greatest disaster since the dawn of civilization.”
But the USGS says there is no need to fear.
Experts from the government agency estimate the probability of an eruption to be one in 730,000 in any given year.
And a recent study also suggested that the hotspot may currently be in a state of decline.
This discovery was based on an analysis of volcanic deposits scattered over tens of thousands of kilometers in the region.
“End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World” is published by Hachette Books and available for purchase here.
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