'Supervolcano' beneath Yellowstone: Caldera Volcano in park shocks researchers

'Supervolcano' beneath Yellowstone: Caldera Volcano in park shocks researchers 

Yellowstone National Park, located in the United States, is home to a super volcano where seismic activity creates geysers and hot springs. A new study from researchers at the University of Utah indicates that the magma chamber of the super volcano...on.aol.com

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A new study claims the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park is larger than expected. The Caldera Volcano underneath Yellowstone Park, which hasn't erupted in 640,000 years, has a magma chamber that dwarfs previous estimates and has many wondering if the "apocalyptic" dome is ready to blow.

The so-called supervolcano beneath Yellowstone is "much, much, much larger" than previously thought, as Epoch Timeswrote on Dec. 13.

Dr. Jamie Farrell and Professor Bob Smith, study authors from the University of Utah, say new information they've compiled suggests that Yellowstone Caldera's volcanic chamber is about two and a half times larger than earlier records indicate.

The Yellowstone Supervolcano spans 55 miles and has up to 600 cubic km of molten rock. What's more, the subterranean bluff's cavern is 20 miles in width and goes to a depth of two miles.

We've been working there for a long time, and we've always thought it would be bigger. But this finding is astounding," said Professor Smith.

Dr. Farrell added that "We record earthquakes in and around Yellowstone, and we measure the seismic waves as they travel through the ground. The waves travel slower through hot and partially molten material (and) with this; we can measure what's beneath."

New findings on the supervolcano below Yellowstone National Park don’t necessarily spell doom and gloom as many believe. Instead, it gives scientists new insight into the origins of the famous park and offers new clues about the formation of mountain ranges and park ecology.

Simply put, the larger-than-expected dimensions of Caldera don’t mean it carries a larger punch or presents an imminent eruption.

Current seismic records show that the super-sized volcano in Yellowstone, should it erupt today, would indeed be catastrophic.

The previous event eons ago left plumes of smoke and ash in the atmosphere, which is what scientists believe led to dinosaur extinction.

With the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park erupting on a cycle of once every 700,000 years, experts believe the dormant volcano is due to blow 40,000 years from today.

The study results were presented this week at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif