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The caldera within Yellowstone National Park is dubbed a supervolcano for its ability to inflict untold global devastation in the event of a super eruption. It formed during the last three major events over the past 2.1 million years, with the last eruption of Lava Creek occurring about 630,000 years ago. Located beneath 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 a piece promoting his recently published book “End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World”.
He wrote: “A Yellowstone eruption looks like nothing humanity has ever experienced.
“Before, there would have been more and more intense earthquakes, a sign that magma under Yellowstone was rushing to the surface.
“Then the magma would have burst through the ground in a titanic eruption, dumping the toxic bowels of the earth into the air.
“It would continue for days, burying Yellowstone in lava within a 40 mile radius.”
Mr. Walsh said “the devastation around Yellowstone would be just the beginning,” adding that a super eruption “would bury vast swaths of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in up to three feet of toxic volcanic ash.”
He added: “Depending on the weather, much of the Midwest would also receive a few inches, plunging the region into darkness.
“Even the coasts – where most Americans live – would most likely see dust as the ash cloud spreads.
“Crops would be destroyed, pastures would be contaminated.
READ MORE: Yellowstone Volcano Super Eruption Forecast After Caldera “Clock” Identified by Scientist
“Power lines and electrical transformers would be ruined, potentially destroying much of the grid.”
According to Mr. Walsh, the impacts could be felt “globally if the eruption occurs during the summer” as a toxic cloud could block sunlight and “plunge global temperatures” for years.
He added: “Precipitation would drop dramatically. This may be enough to trigger the death of tropical rainforests.
“Agriculture could collapse, starting with the Midwest.
Citing a group of researchers from a 2015 report from the European Science Foundation, Walsh agreed that a super-eruption in Yellowstone would be “the largest catastrophe 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 at 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 the volcanic deposits that were 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 can be purchased here.
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