‘Colossal eruption’ of Yellowstone volcano is not the biggest concern, as the US warns of forgotten danger

Yellowstone volcano: Super eruptions ‘very rare’ says expert

FOLLOWING

Volcanologist and Yellowstone volcano expert Clive Oppenheimer argued that a super eruption is unlikely. In an interview with Express.co.uk, he said the danger is big and small steam explosions. He said it was much more than a massive eruption.

Yellowstone volcano: theory of expert debunks of ‘overdue’ eruption

FOLLOWING

Mr Oppenheimer said: ‘Well, there are many potential scenarios for a future eruption at Yellowstone Volcano.

“The one that people get excited about and want to be about is the chance of a colossal eruption, which we can call a super eruption, but it’s a very rare event.

“Its probability is extremely low, probably less than 1 in a million per year.

“But what’s more likely are smaller events, because there’s a whole range of things volcanoes can do.”

DON’T MISS: Yellowstone volcano hit by 73 earthquakes – Will the volcano erupt?

Mr Oppenheimer reflected on the other dangers that the Yellowstone volcano could cause and things that people should be more concerned about.

He said: ‘One of the most likely scenarios at Yellowstone is small steam explosions.

‘We all know of the famous geysers there and now and then when the water flashes to steam harder, it can blow out rock and make a crater ten to a hundred meters across.

“These are far more likely events than things at the end of the scale.”

“We have many ways to monitor volcanoes.

‘Many of the principle methods are to use seismometers to measure earthquakes.

‘And you can imagine a volcano that had been silent for a long time, the crust cooled and many of the rocks healed and sealed.

“When you start building a large magma room again, magma increases, it causes earthquakes and it can be detected.”

READ MORE:

Yellowstone Volcano: How USGS Study Shows ‘Abnormal’ Change [REVEALED]Yellowstone: How scientists made a worrying discovery in the lake [COMMENT]Yellowstone Volcano Shock: Eruption Mantle Runs Under California [STUDY]

“This is almost beyond the concern of hazard assessment, unless there is some kind of indication that the volcano will be preparing for a very large event in the future.”

Mr Oppenheimer also took note of the ways in which volcanologists measure the dangers associated with the volcano.

As for a super eruption, however, he insisted that there was not a significant amount of data to accurately predict when a major eruption would occur.

Source

Share this:

Related