Today on the surface of the Earth there are about 600 active volcanoes and up to 1000 extinct. In addition, about 10 thousand more are hidden under water. Most of them are located at the joints of tectonic plates. About 100 volcanoes are concentrated around Indonesia, there are about 10 of them in the territory of the western American states, and there are also accumulations of volcanoes in the region of Japan, the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. But they are all nothing compared to the one megavolcano that scientists fear most.
The most dangerous volcanoes
One or another danger is any of the existing volcanoes, even sleeping. To determine which of them is the most dangerous, not a single volcanologist or geomorphologist is taken, since it is impossible to accurately predict the time and strength of the eruption of any of them. The name "most dangerous volcano in the world" is simultaneously claimed by Roman Vesuvius and Etna, Mexican Popocatepetl, Japanese Sakurajima, Colombian Galeras, located in Congo Nyiragongo, in Guatemala - Santa Maria, in Hawaii - Manua Loa and others.
If the danger of a volcano is estimated by the alleged damage that it can cause, then it would be wise to turn to a story that describes what consequences the most dangerous volcanic eruptions in the world have brought in the past. For example, the well-known Vesuvius took away in 79 AD. e. up to 10 thousand lives and obliterated two major cities. The Krakatau eruption in 1883, which was 200, 000 times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, echoed all over the Earth and took lives from 36 thousand islanders.
The eruption in 1783 of a volcano called Laki led to the fact that a huge part of cattle and food stocks was destroyed, due to which 20% of the population of Iceland died of starvation. The following year, due to Lucky, became barren for the whole of Europe. All this shows how large-scale consequences an eruption of a large volcano can turn out for people.
Destructive Super Volcanoes
But did you know that all the largest dangerous volcanoes in the world are nothing compared to the so-called supervolcanoes, the eruption of each of which thousands of years ago brought truly catastrophic consequences for the whole Earth and changed the climate on the planet? Eruptions of such volcanoes could have a force of 8 points, and ashes with a volume of at least 1000 m 3 were thrown to a height of at least 25 km. This led to prolonged sulfur deposits, the absence of sunlight for many months and the covering of vast areas of the earth with huge layers of ash.
Supervolcanoes are distinguished by the fact that they do not have a crater, but a caldera at the eruption site. This circus-shaped basin with a relatively flat bottom is formed as a result of the fact that after a series of violent explosions with the emission of smoke, ash and magma, the upper part of the mountain collapses.
The most dangerous supervolcano
Scientists are aware of the existence of approximately 20 supervolcanoes. In place of one of these terrifying giants, today is Lake Taupa in New Zealand, another supervolcano is hidden under Lake Toba, located on the island of Sumatra. Examples of supervolcanoes are also Long Valley in California, Wallis in New Mexico and Ira In Japan.
But the most dangerous volcano in the world is the Yellowstone supervolcano, the most "matured" to eruption, located on the territory of Western American states. It is he who makes the volcanologists and geomorphologists of the United States, and the whole world, live in a state of growing fear, forcing to forget about all the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world.
Location and dimensions of Yellowstone
The Yellowstone Caldera is located in the northwestern United States, in Wyoming. It was first noticed from a satellite in 1960. Caldera, whose dimensions are approximately 55 * 72 km, is part of the world famous Yellowstone National Park. A third of the nearly 900, 000 ha of parkland is located on the territory of the caldera of the volcano.
Under the Yellowstone crater, to this day lies a giant magma bubble with a depth of about 8, 000 m.The magma temperature inside it is close to 1000 0 C. Thanks to this, a lot of hot springs are bubbling in the Yellowstone Park, steam and gas mixtures rise from cracks in the earth's crust.
Also there are many geysers and mud boilers. The reason for this was a vertical flow of solid rock heated to a temperature of 1600 ° C with a width of 660 km. Under the park at a depth of 8-16 km there are two branches of this stream.
Yellowstone eruptions in the past
The first eruption of Yellowstone, which, according to scientists, more than 2 million years ago, was the largest disaster on Earth in the history of its existence. Then, according to the assumption of volcanologists, about 2.5 thousand km 3 of rock was thrown into the atmosphere, and the upper mark, which these emissions reached, was 50 km above the earth's surface.
The largest and most dangerous volcano in the world began a re-eruption more than 1.2 million years ago. Then the volume of emissions was approximately 10 times less. The third eruption occurred 640 thousand years ago. It was then that the walls of the crater collapsed and the caldera existing today formed.
Why you should be afraid of the Yellowstone Caldera today
In the light of recent changes in the Yellowstone National Park, it is becoming clearer to scientists which volcano is the most dangerous in the world. What is going on there? Scientists were alerted by the following changes, which were especially intensified in the 2000s:
- Over the 6 years preceding 2013, the land covering the caldera rose by as much as 2 meters, while over the previous 20 years the rise was only 10 cm.
- New hot geysers scored from under the ground.
- The frequency and strength of earthquakes in the area of the Yellowstone Caldera is increasing. Only in 2014, scientists recorded them around 2000.
- In some places, underground gases penetrate the surface through the layers of the earth.
- The water temperature in the rivers increased by several degrees.
These frightening news alarmed the public, and especially the inhabitants of the North American continent. Many scientists agree that the eruption of a supervolcano will occur in this century.
Consequences of the eruption for America
No wonder many volcanologists believe that the Yellowstone Caldera is the most dangerous volcano in the world. They suggest that his next eruption will be as powerful as the previous ones. Scientists equate it to the explosion of a thousand atomic bombs. This means that in a radius of 160 km around the epicenter, everything will be completely destroyed. The territory covered with ashes will turn into a “dead zone", stretching for 1, 600 km around.
The Yellowstone eruption can lead to eruptions of other volcanoes and the formation of powerful tsunamis. For the United States there will be an emergency and martial law will be introduced. From various sources, information is received that America is preparing for a disaster: it builds shelters, makes more than a million plastic coffins, draws up an evacuation plan, drawing up agreements with countries on other continents. Recently, the United States prefers to remain silent about the true state of affairs at the Yellowstone Caldera.
