Yellowstone supervolcano: Studying the risk of future eruptions

Scientists have discovered that the supervolcano in Yellowstone Park in the United States had two "catastrophic" eruptions. Both took place about 8.7 million years ago. Could such a scenario happen again?

The supervolcano in Yellowstone is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Scientists are studying what could trigger its eruption and what catastrophic consequences it could bring. In the distant past, eruptions have already resulted in enormous disasters.

Last month, visitors to Yellowstone National Park had to flee from a geyser eruption that ejected boiling water and rocks to a height of about 180 metres.

Despite geologists considering the 23 July event to be a routine occurrence, the incident has renewed fears about the awakening of the supervolcano hidden under the park.

Michael Poland from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, in an interview with the Daily Mail, noted that even a small eruption would cause serious problems.

Ash is heavy - he said, pointing to potential problems with water access, agriculture, and electrical networks. However, he stressed that even such an eruption would not mean the end of humanity.

The Yellowstone supervolcano, with its enormous magma chamber, had its last eruption about 630,000 years ago. Scenarios considered by scientists include an eruption in one "big bang" or a series of smaller eruptions, both of which would be extremely destructive to the surroundings.

Poland pointed out that each large eruption affected the climate worldwide, lowering global temperatures for many years. The example of the Tambora eruption in 1816, which caused the "Year Without a Summer" in North America and Europe, is cited.

However, studies indicate that similar historical events did not lead to mass extinctions of species. He also dismisses common myths that the Yellowstone eruption would be a civilization-ending event, emphasising that most volcanic eruptions do not occur in an extremely violent manner.

The park is one of the best-monitored volcanic systems in the world. Current monitoring and research do not indicate an impending eruption. Michael Poland emphasises that Yellowstone does not currently pose a greater threat than other, more active volcanoes.

Thus, Poland believes the fear of an eruption of this supervolcano is exaggerated, and the very name "supervolcano" can be misleading, suggesting exceptional strength or frequency of eruptions of such volcanoes.