When visiting Yellowstone National Park, many people want to know about Yellowstone’s volcano. They want to know when the volcano will erupt and how dangerous it will be once it does explode.
The last time the Yellowstone volcano erupted was over 70,000 years ago. In the previous eruption, most scientists estimated that the volcanic debris covered a large part of the American continent. But most scientists feel that the Yellowstone volcano will not likely erupt anytime soon; if it does explode, the scientists believe it will not be a large eruption.
Table of Contents
- Yellowstone National Park’s Giant Volcano
- Yellowstone’s Super Volcano And Magma Rock
- When Will Yellowstone’s Supervolcano Erupted?
- Yellowstone’s Seismic Activity
- Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
- Virtually Visit Yellowstone With The Conquer Virtual Challenges
- Related Questions
Yellowstone National Park’s Giant Volcano
Underneath Yellowstone’s National Park is a giant sleeping volcano. Tell the volcano will occur casually stir it has not risen from a slumber for nearly 70,000 years.
When the last Yellowstone eruption occurred, it is estimated that one-third of the American continent was covered in volcanic ash. The volcanic flow of hot, dry rock fragments and gasses would have raced along the continent, burying or shattering everything in its path.
Most scientists agree that the Yellowstone volcano is dormant and not likely to erupt anytime soon.
Yellowstone National Park is located in parts of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. The actual volcano is located in northwestern Wyoming, where a large amount of Yellowstone Park is.
Yellowstone’s Super Volcano And Magma Rock
The ground above the Yellowstone supervolcano sits on a hotspot made of a molten and semi-molten rock called Magma. The magma feeds into a magma chamber or reservoir about 6 to 10 km or 4 to 6 miles underneath the park; when the Magma rock solidifies and cools the ground, the ground will also begin to rise or fall.
Volcanologists have been watching and measuring the Yellowstone Volcano for years. They have records from 1923 to determine how the land will rise or fall. The rising and falling of the ground show activity beneath the surface.
Between 2004 to 2009, the ground rose about 25 centimeters or 9.8 inches. The ground movement has scientists wondering if the volcano may wake up from its slumber and erupt.
When Will Yellowstone’s Supervolcano Erupted?
Nobody knows when or if the Yellowstone supervolcano will erupt. Most scientists believe there is no danger of the super volcano exploding anytime soon.
Most scientists feel the volcano will not erupt in the next hundred years. They think if something happens, the most likely activity would be a lava flow, which may occur after a major volcano eruption. Scientists believe the lava flow would ooze slowly over months or even years.
There is no scientific evidence to show that a lava flow will occur anytime soon or that the volcano will erupt anytime soon.
Most scientists feel it would not be an enormous eruption if it erupted or was very destructive. Most scientists think the continued hype and worry over the volcano erupting is overstated.
Dr. Jacob Lowenster, a research geologist and Science-in-charge of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, said that there is no activity on the volcano; he said:
“There is no current activity that is going on that would indicate anything is happening. If there was something coming, there is nothing to show at this point in time.”
Dr. Jacob Lowenster To National GEOGRAPHIC Magazine
Despite the fact we have been assured that there has been no imminent eruption of the volcano, the Yellowstone volcanic activity continues to rise at the fastest rate ever recorded.
Yellowstone’s Seismic Activity
Most people do not realize it, but the Yellowstone area averages 1000 to 3000 earthquakes yearly. That is anywhere from 2 to 9 earthquakes in the Yellowstone area daily.
Most earthquakes are so small (1 to 3 magnitude) that they are not noticed. But these earthquakes and the seismic activity give scientists insight into how fast the magma chambers under Yellowstone park are filling up.
Even with the increase in this earthquake activity in Yellowstone park, Scientists do not think the magma chambers under Yellowstone park pose an imminent danger. With this seismic activity, there is no evidence to show that the Yellowstone volcano will erupt soon or even in the next 100 years.
Scientists feel the eruption could be hydrothermal explosions or steam and hot water eruptions rather than molten rock and lava flows.
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
In 2001 Yellowstone set up the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is a partnership between the US Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the University of Utah, the University of Wyoming, the University NavstarConsortium, and a state geological survey of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
The observatory’s purpose is to examine the potential hazards of volcano earthquakes and other hydrothermal activity in the Yellowstone region. They also provide reliable data and warnings of possible earthquake or volcano events.
You can find any current updates or volcano warnings on the Yellowstone website. You can find out more about Yellowstone’s Volcano or the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory by clicking here.
Virtually Visit Yellowstone With The Conquer Virtual Challenges
If you’re not able to visit Yellowstone National Park or you stayed there but would like to be able to continue on your journey, we recommend the Conqueror Virtual Challenge. The Conquer Virtual Challenge has a virtual challenge that takes you through Yellowstone National Park.
Every time you walk, run, swim, cycle, or do another type of physical activity, you can count those miles towards your virtual challenge. At the end of the challenge, you will receive a very lovely Yellowstone medal to show that you have completed the journey.
I love the Conquer Virtual Challenges as it is a great way to see parts or areas of the world you may not usually see.
Each time you go past landmarks of Yellowstone National Park, the virtual challenge will email you a postcard to tell you about the area you just went through. The Conquer Virtual Challenge is a great way to travel through Yellowstone National Park virtually.
We love that you can go onto the challenge and see precisely where you’re traveling through the Google Maps app.
You can do the Conquer Virtual Challenges alone or with friends. You could do them as quickly or as slowly as you want. We love the flexibility of these challenges.
To save 10% off your first Conquer Virtual Challenge, you can click on the button below:
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Related Questions
Which Airport Is Close To Yellowstone? And Other Yellowstone Airport Travel Facts
West Yellowstone Airport is the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park. The airport is only a few miles from the park entrance but has a limited flight schedule and is not open all year round. Other airports include Jackson Hole Airport and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport; both offer more flights, car rental, and ground transportation options.
By clicking here, you can discover Which Airport Is Close To Yellowstone? And Other Yellowstone Airport Travel Facts.
Is Yogi Bears Jellystone Park Based On Yellowstone Park?
Yogi bear’s Jellystone is known to be based in Yellowstone National Park, even though it is supposed to represent all U.S. National Parks. Yogi Bear is a fictional cartoon character that has been around since 1958 but has recently seen some reemergence with a new Yogi Bear Movie (2010) and Jellystone Cartoon series (2021).
By clicking here, you can discover Is Yogi Bears Jellystone Park Based On Yellowstone Park?.
What Happened To The Black Wolf At Yellowstone?
The Black wolves at Yellowstone are still part of Yellowstone National Park. In Yellowstone, 505 of the wolves are black; the black color is not native to most wolf populations.
By clicking here, you can discover What Happened To The Black Wolf At Yellowstone?.
