Yellowstone’s Fury

Magma Cap Discovery: A “breathing” cap of magma has been found inside the Yellowstone supervolcano. This could help scientists predict future eruptions.

Location: Yellowstone supervolcano is located beneath Yellowstone National Park in the western United States.

Size & Type: It’s one of the world’s largest active volcanic systems, characterized as a caldera (a large crater) and an active supervolcano. The caldera is 55 x 72 km (34 x 45 miles) in size.

Formation: The caldera formed from the collapse of land after massive pyroclastic eruptions emptied the magma chamber beneath.

Past Eruptions: Yellowstone has had three major eruptions: 2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago. Two of these qualify it as a supervolcano.

Supervolcano Definition: A supervolcano is defined by eruptions of more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of deposits.

Potential Impact: A future supereruption could blanket North America in ash, with areas near the volcano potentially covered by over a meter of debris.

Climate Effects: Supervolcanoes can cause global cooling for several years due to sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere, which blocks sunlight.