Many volcanologists have started talking about the fact that the Yellowstone volcano is waking up and its eruption can begin at any moment! What then will become of the United States and the rest of the world if this suddenly happens?

According to American volcanologists, the eruption of the largest volcano in the world, the Yellowstone Caldera, can lead to the Apocalypse.

IN Lately the dormant volcano begins to show more and more obvious signs of activity, which only further inflames the situation around it.


Why is there black smoke coming out of the Yellowstone volcano geyser?

So, very recently, on the night of October 3-4, 2017, black smoke poured out of the volcano, which seriously frightened the inhabitants of Wyoming. It turned out that the smoke was coming from Geyser "Old Faithful"- the most famous geyser volcano.


Usually a volcano ejects jets from a geyser hot water the height of a 9-story building with an interval of 45 to 125 minutes, but instead of water or at least steam, black smoke poured.

Why is black smoke coming out of a volcano?- unclear. Perhaps this is a burning organic matter that has approached the surface.

What happens if the Yellowstone Super Volcano erupts?

The first known eruption was two million years ago, the second 1.3 million years ago, and in last time The earthquake happened 630 thousand years ago.

A super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park has been growing at a record rate since 2004. And it can explode with a force a thousand times more powerful than several hundred volcanoes all over the earth at the same time.

At any moment, with its eruption, it can destroy the territory of the United States, which may even begin a world catastrophe - the Apocalypse, as some American scientists believe.


Experts predict that the volcanic eruption will be no less powerful than all three times when the Yellowstone volcano erupted over the past 2.1 million years.

According to the forecasts of volcanologists, the lava will rise high into the sky, the ash will cover the nearby territories with a layer of 15 meters and a distance of 5000 kilometers.

In the very first days, the territory of the United States may become uninhabited due to toxic air. The dangers in North America will not end there, as the likelihood of earthquakes and tsunamis that can destroy hundreds of cities will increase.

The consequences of the explosion will affect the whole world, as the accumulation of vapors from the Yellowstone volcano will envelop the entire planet. The smoke will make it difficult for the sun's rays to pass through, which will provoke the onset of a long winter. Global temperatures will drop to -25 degrees on average.


How does the volcanic eruption in Yellowstone threaten Russia?

Experts believe that the country is unlikely to be affected by the explosion itself, but the consequences will affect the entire remaining population, as there will be an acute shortage of oxygen, perhaps due to a decrease in temperature, first plants and then animals will not remain.

For many centuries, mankind has been watching with interest and anxiety one of the most unusual and threatening creations of nature - volcanoes. There is a huge variety of them all over the planet, among which there are both dormant or extinct, and active specimens. For example, only in the USA there are about 100 volcanoes of varying degrees of activity, including the largest of them - Yellowstone.

Where is

In the northwestern part North America Yellowstone is located in the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. national park- an international reserve, which is part of the objects world heritage UNESCO. It was created in March 1872, is considered the very first national park, covers an area of ​​​​about 898.3 thousand hectares. This is where the most dangerous volcano in America, which is simply enormous (about 72 km by 55 km), while occupying almost a third of the entire area of ​​​​the park.

Yellowstone (Yellowstone) caldera (Yellowstone Caldera) is an active volcanic system, included in the list of 20 supervolcanoes around the world. The power of the eruption of each of this list is capable of provoking cardinal changes climate on planet earth.

Caldera - pit large sizes, which in appearance resembles a circus arena, has a volcanic origin, steep walls and a flat bottom. It is formed after the collapse of the walls of the crater during a giant ejection.

The territory of the system is located above the hot spot - the place where the movement of the hot liquid rock of the mantle occurs in the direction of the Earth's surface, this area is covered with a plateau. Scientists' observations show that hot spot moves to the eastern and northeastern part of the continent, and the entire North American plate is shifting towards the west and southwest.

How it works

In 1960-1970, while studying satellite images of the territory biosphere reserve the ruins of the Yellowstone crater were seen. Upon further study, experts found that under it there is a huge bubble of hot magma, and its depth is more than 8000 m. The temperature of the magma inside is 800 degrees Celsius, which allows heating thermal springs and release water vapor, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from under the earth's crust.

Here is the world's largest valley of geysers, one of the five largest around the globe.

The source of power for the volcanic system is a huge vertical plume, which is a stream of molten solid rock of the mantle with a temperature of about 1600 degrees Celsius.

The melting of part of the plume into magma in the upper layers closer to the earth's crust contributes to the formation of mud pots and geysers. The plume section is a 660 km long column with branches on the sides, which has a funnel-shaped extension at the top.

eruptions

Experts in the course of studying the activity of the largest volcano in the United States came to the unanimous opinion that there have already been 3 global eruptions that are striking in their scale and number of victims.

The ash that covers the entire surface of the earth after the explosion prevents the passage of the light of the Sun, as a result of which a period called "volcanic winter" begins.

First

After the eruption, which was about 2.1 million years ago, the Island Park caldera and the Hackleberry Ridge tuff formations arose. It is believed that it was so powerful that the fourth part of the American continent was covered with ash from the explosion, the height of the magma ejection reached the upper layers of the stratosphere (50 km above ground level), and the mountain ranges were torn apart.

Second

About 1.3 million years ago, Yellowstone ejected about 280 cubic kilometers of volcanic mixture, after which the large Henrys Fork caldera formed.

Third

It happened 640,000 years ago, experts believe that it was 2 times weaker than the first. The consequence of this catastrophe was the failure of the top of the crater and the formation of a caldera. This huge depression has a circumference of almost 150 km. The tuff terrain of Lava Creek was also formed.

The eruption of a supervolcano is considered the second global cataclysm in terms of power and damage, which is second only to the fall of an asteroid in terms of destruction.

earthquakes

Every year, earthquakes occur in the park, their number varies between 1000-2000 times, but they are so insignificant that visitors hardly notice them.

Despite the danger and threat of a blowout, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to this amazing place every year to admire the beauty and bright colors of nature, as there are simply incredible landscapes around.

New catastrophes and forecasts of seismologists

In the course of research, scientists have established the probability of new disasters in Yellowstone National Park - 0.00014% per year. The calculations were based on two time intervals between three large-scale emissions. However, specialists in geology and seismology unanimously assert that processes of this kind in modern world are not regular, and also not amenable to control, forecast and management. However, every year in the network and periodicals now and then appears various information that the supervolcano is waking up. A catastrophe that may occur in the near future is capable of delivering a powerful blow to the territory of North America, destroying life and changing the climate.

The most pessimistic forecast of experts suggests that during the subsequent eruption of Yellowstone, a release of magma in a volume equal to 1000 cubic kilometers is possible. Such a powerful burning avalanche can destroy life at a distance of 1600 km from the center of the disaster, covering a significant part of the country (2/3) with a layer of volcanic ash of 3 m.

Director Roland Emmerich in November 2009 presented to the world fantasy movie"2012" showing the colossal destruction caused by the Yellowstone eruption.

Measures to prevent new disasters

Scientists believe that, despite the calculated low probability of new catastrophic situations, Yellowstone still poses a very serious threat to the United States. In the country on state level NASA has developed a number of measures aimed at preventing new crashes.

Scientists from this organization have found that the main lever that holds back possible emissions is water, which carries away excess energy from magma in the form of geysers. It is estimated that about 70% of the energy is spent in this way, and the remaining 30% goes to melting the rocks, which will eventually lead to a new eruption. According to experts' calculations, this residual amount is equal to the power of several gigawatts, which can be obtained with the operation of 6 combined heat and power plants.

Experts propose to start construction of the newest geothermal power plant on the territory of Yellowstone for further intake of excess energy. However, to implement such a project, it is necessary to spend a whopping $3.5 billion and apply horizontal drilling technology in such a way as not to affect the caldera shell. Today, the project is being discussed and finalized, and, perhaps, in the near future, experts will finally approve specifications project for its subsequent implementation.

Which claimed more than 70,000 lives in 1815. However, geologists today are more concerned about another peak, the eruption of which could cause the death of tens of thousands of Americans. "Time bomb", " most dangerous volcano USA "- so they call it, located in the state of Washington, just 87 km from Seattle. According to volcanologists, even its insignificant activity can lead to a serious catastrophe, let alone a full-scale eruption, not inferior in strength to the last explosion.

When St. Helens began to erupt in May 1980, the energy it splashed out was comparable to the yield of 500 Hiroshima bombs. At that time, scientists could not even imagine that the mountain was capable of such a strong eruption. However, St. Helens is not the most dangerous volcano in Washington State. If Rainier exploded with the same force, then the material losses would be much higher, and the number of deaths is difficult to imagine.

The thing is that Rainier is located in a more densely populated area, and the glaciers lying on it are many times more massive than on St. Helens. The greatest danger to the population is the flow of stones and ash mixed with melted ice (lahars). Most of the villages in the vicinity of the volcano were built on such streams formed in the past millennia. About 150,000 people live on the old lahars, according to the US Geological Survey. The largest of them is called Osceola. It descended from Rainier about 5600 years ago and covered an area of ​​more than 340 square kilometers with a layer of mud several tens of meters thick.

Just imagine a giant stream of hot mud moving at high speed. Scientists believe that Rainier is capable of producing lahars that flow down slopes at speeds of up to 70 km/h. According to geologist Jeff Clayton, a mudflow the size of Osceola could destroy the cities of Enumclaw, Orthing, Kent, Auburn, Sumner and Renton, as well as reach the mouth of the Duwamish River, flood Seattle with mud, and cause a tsunami in Lake Washington and Puget Sound.

Cities in the Rainier area have an early warning system, but how realistic is it to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people in less than an hour? In the event of an eruption, numerous settlements nearby will be completely destroyed. The inhabitants of the cities of Orthing, Sumner, Buckley and Enumklo will have only 30 minutes to escape. After that, a powerful stream, accelerated by the flow of rivers descending from Rainier, will bury their homes under a 30-meter layer of dirt and debris. Even big cities can't avoid disaster. Auburn and Puyallup, with a total population of about 80,000, will be covered by a 6-meter lahar in less than an hour, and Tacoma, with almost 200,000 inhabitants, will be washed away by a 3-meter mudflow in 1.5 hours.

It is hard to imagine how terrifying the sight will be. The "river of death" tens of meters thick will bury everything in its path. If the lahar is within sight, then it is no longer possible to escape from it. The only hope is to reach some hill in time. Explode Rainier today, its eruption will be the worst natural disaster in US history. And scientists say that such an event is inevitable ...

Although the Puget Sound is not very deep, lahars caught in it can lead to huge waves. Keep in mind that a tsunami is not just a flow of water. Consider the disaster in Japan in 2011. Then giant boulders mixed with houses, trees, cars, ships, cows. Instead of water streams, tons of garbage will pass through the cities, in which many sharp fragments and heavy objects are collected. Once in such a cycle, it is already unrealistic to survive.

Scientists studying Rainier claim that it has spewed at least 60 lahars in the past. Given its location on , there is a high probability that it will continue to throw out ash and dirt. According to volcanologists, seismic activity will increase before the eruption, and it must be said that about 20 earthquakes have been recorded on the mountain over the past few months. It is possible that his activities will begin without warning. In any case, a full blown explosion Mount Rainier will lead to deaths and such destruction, which is absolutely unprecedented in the modern period.

On October 14-15, the American city of Portland, Oregon, was seized by some panic. The concern of its inhabitants was caused by the fact that over Mount St. Helens, which is an active stratovolcano, clouds of ash and smoke were seen.

To prevent panic, the local weather service was even forced to issue an emergency alert, the essence of which boils down to the thesis “do not believe your eyes”.

Thus, the Oregon branch of the National Weather Service assured the people of Portland that it was not volcanic ash and smoke, but simply ash and dust carried from the mountains to the city by fierce winds. However, there are very, very big doubts about the truth of the words of the NWS (National Weather Service).

Volcano St. Helens, which erupted in 1980, is just one of the volcanic cones not very understandable origin, the accumulation of which forms the so-called Cascade Mountains. Its nearest neighbor is Mount Rainier.

The main difference between the volcanoes is that Rainier is closer to Seattle and St. Helens is closer to Portland. However, both volcanoes, like all the rest of the Cascade Mountains, stand on a common magma sea with a volume of at least 12,800 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 2.5 times the volume of Lake Michigan:

On September 19-20, a swarm of earthquakes began on the southern slope of Rainier, which continues to this day. Along the way, as you can see from the USGS map, Mount St. Helens has now joined the swarm. And the shaking there is quite impressive!

Episodic seismic events are clearly visible everywhere, caused by the movements of magma somewhere in the depths of the stratovolcano:

The closest UNAVCO GPS sensor (P-963) to the scene does not show any extreme ground uplift or surface sliding to the north or east.

Based on the foregoing, it is still impossible to say that tomorrow Portland will fall asleep, like Pompeii, with volcanic ash. However, the very presence of smoke in the St. Helens area is an unfavorable sign, and where the smoke and ash come from is not very clear.

The explanation of the officials about the sand does not hold water. If there were the Gobi Desert or the Sahara Desert behind the pass from Portland, then yes, one could rightfully talk about sand. However, there is no sand and deserts there, and ash in the air can appear only as a result of an eruption, for years it does not lie like dust and does not fly in the air.

In addition, we must not forget about the prophecy of Mr. Charles Pretlow, a pastor from Seattle, who had a vision of Rainier erupting. Mr. Charles Pretlow writes: ...the area of ​​Puget Sound in the northwest became the site of volcanic activity, which included earthquakes, lava flows, wildfires, volcanic smoke and earth rumbles, turning part of Washington state into a charred desert. It all started with the fact that Rainier exhaled a smoke plume, which was replaced by lava. But before that, there was an eruption in Hawaii.

It is clear that the words of some single urban lunatic mean nothing in and of themselves, just as Rainier's earthquake swarms or ash clouds over St. Helens mean nothing. However, if you put it all together, you get a completely different picture. So we are following developments.

I read that scientists said that the explosion will definitely happen before 2016. Since the end of March 2014, an increase in seismic activity has been noted there. In addition, local geysers also became noticeably more active. From the territory national park large ungulates began to scatter. According to scientists, the force of the explosion of the Yellowstone volcano will be 2500 times stronger than the release of Etna 8 thousand years ago, when the tsunami formed distorted the coast of three continents in a few hours. When Yellowstone explodes, its consequences can only be compared with an explosion ten at once atomic bombs. The earth's crust will rise by several meters, and the soil will warm up to a temperature of +60 degrees. Pieces of earth rock will be thrown on great height, and then they will cover a huge part of the earth. Then the atmosphere itself will change - the content of helium and hydrogen sulfide will increase. Within a few hours after the explosion of Yellowstone, an area of ​​​​about 1000 km2 will completely burn out. It's about about the northwestern United States and a small part of Canada. More than 10 thousand sq. km. will be buried under the streams of hot mud, or as it is also called pyroclastic waves, it will burn everything in its path with a powerful avalanche. It is she who is the most deadly during the eruption.
AS IT WILL BE
A few days before the explosion Earth's crust above the supervolcano will rise by several tens or even hundreds of meters. The soil will warm up to 60-70°С. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide and helium will increase sharply in the atmosphere.
The cloud of volcanic ash will be the first to escape, which will rise into the atmosphere to a height of 40-50 km. Then the ejection of lava will begin, pieces of which will be thrown to great heights. Falling, they will cover a gigantic territory. The explosion will be accompanied by a powerful earthquake and lava flows, developing speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour.
In the first hours of a new eruption in Yellowstone, an area within a radius of 1000 kilometers around the epicenter will be destroyed. Here, residents of almost the entire American Northwest (the city of Seattle) and part of Canada (the cities of Calgary, Vancouver) are in immediate danger.
On the territory of 10 thousand square meters. kilometers, streams of hot mud will rage, the so-called. "pyroclastic wave" This most deadly product of the eruption will occur when the pressure of lava hitting high into the atmosphere weakens and part of the column collapses into the surroundings in a huge avalanche, burning everything in its path. It will be impossible to survive in pyroclastic flows. At temperatures above 400 ° C, human bodies simply boil, the flesh will separate from the bones.
Hot slurry will kill about 200 thousand people in the first minutes after the start of the eruption. In addition, a series of earthquakes and tsunamis will bring huge losses, which will provoke an explosion. They will already claim tens of millions of lives around the globe. This is provided that the North American continent does not go under water at all, like Atlantis. Then the ash cloud from the volcano will begin to spread in breadth. Within a day, the entire territory of the United States up to the Mississippi will be in the disaster zone. At the same time, volcanic ash represents at least dangerous phenomenon. Ash particles are so small that neither gauze bandages nor respirators protect them from them. Once in the lungs, the ash mixes with mucus, hardens and turns into cement ...
As a result of the shedding of ash, territories located thousands of kilometers from the volcano may be in mortal danger. When the layer of volcanic ash reaches a thickness of 15 cm, the load on the roofs will become too great and the buildings will begin to collapse. It is estimated that from 1 to 50 people in each house will die immediately or be seriously injured. This will be the main cause of death in the areas around Yellowstone bypassed by the pyroclastic wave, where the ash layer will be no less than 60 cm.
The Yellowstone giant will provoke the eruption of several hundred ordinary volcanoes around the world. Other deaths will follow from poisoning. The eruption will continue for several days, but people and animals will continue to die due to suffocation and hydrogen sulfide poisoning. During this time, the air in the western United States will be poisoned so that a person can breathe in it for no more than 5-7 minutes.
Thousands of cubic kilometers of ash thrown into the atmosphere will cross the Atlantic by air in 2-3 weeks and Pacific Ocean, and a month later they will close the Sun all over the Earth.
NUCLEAR WINTER
Once upon a time, Soviet scientists predicted that the most terrible consequence global nuclear conflict will be the so-called. "nuclear winter". The same thing will happen as a result of the explosion of a supervolcano.
First incessant acid rain destroy all crops and crops, kill livestock, dooming the survivors to starvation. Two weeks after the sun disappears into dust clouds, the air temperature is earth's surface fall in different areas the globe from -15° to -50°С and below. average temperature on the Earth's surface will be about -25°С.
The “billionaire” countries India and China will suffer the most from hunger. Here, in the coming months after the explosion, up to 1.5 billion people will die. In total, every third inhabitant of the Earth will die in the first months of the cataclysm.
Winter will last from 1.5 to 4 years. This is enough to change the natural balance on the planet forever. Vegetation will die due to long frosts and lack of light. Since plants are involved in the production of oxygen, it will become very difficult for the planet to breathe. Animal world The earth will die painfully from cold, hunger and epidemics. Humanity will have to move from the surface of the earth for at least 3-4 years ...
For the population of North America, the chances of survival are minimal. In general, the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere will be almost completely destroyed. The central part of Eurasia has the greatest chances. Most people, according to scientists, will survive in Siberia and the Eastern European part of Russia, located on earthquake-resistant platforms, remote from the epicenter of the explosion and protected from the tsunami.