Scientist Predicts 5 Billion Deaths In Eruption Of Yellowstone Supervolcano
Coming back to haunt us is the inevitable eruption of the seething Yellowstone supervolcano, the largest and most dangerous in the world. And this might annihilate more than five billion people in the course of the most massive eruption in history.
The Yellowstone supervolcano at the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is mathematically overdue for another devastating eruption. This eruption is predicted to render two-thirds of the United States uninhabitable and wipe out most of the world’s population.
It’s not well-known that the seemingly placid Yellowstone supervolcano is the world's largest volcano and is considered by some studies as the most dangerous volcano in the world. The caldera is a massive 25 miles x 37 miles (40 km x 60 km) in diameter and was formed after the last Yellowstone eruption about 640,000 years ago.
Yellowstone's three previous monstrous eruptions occurred two million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago. Geologists estimate each of these stupendous explosions devastated large parts of the Earth as far away as Asia.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the chance of Yellowstone exploding in the coming centuries is very low. This USGS prediction, however, might change if there's a major earthquake that shifts geological plates close to Yellowstone.
Ominously, the dangerous San Andreas Fault in California is only a few hundred kilometers away. A massive quake here might prematurely trigger an eruption of Yellowstone.
Recently, Dr. Jerzy Zaba, a geologist at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, confirmed previous predictions about the world-ending destruction to be wrought by the Yellowstone supervolcano’s eruption. He said the eruption will be completely devastating for the world and completely unavoidable.
“I predict an eruption similar to the one from 640,000 years ago would destroy most of the United States’ territories,” Zaba said.
“The erupted materials would cover everything within a 500 km radius with a meter-thick layer. And due to the emission, of dust, gases or sulphur monoxides into the atmosphere, we would witness a cooling of the climate,” he added.
“I estimate, due to the effects of climate change, around five billion people would die from hunger.”
Zaba called for a full-scale evacuation of the United States if there are signs an eruption is to happen in the near-future. He noted the only thing that can be done is to save as many Americans as possible.
Fears, mostly unfounded, about a Yellowstone eruption were reported in 2015. The alarming reports were fueled by news that computer simulations showed this catastrophe might occur earlier than expected. It forced the USGS to say the scenario outlined by the simulation isn't as bad as had first been predicted.