Hi! Senior geology student with a special interest in volcanoes here!
As people are freaking out in the notes, I want to clarify a few things about volcanoes, and in particular Yellowstone.
1) Yellowstone is not "overdue for an eruption". That concept is a misunderstanding of how geologists determine the annual likelihood of a volcanic eruption. Volcanoes don't follow a schedule. A volcano's per-year likelihood of eruption is based on an average amount of time between major eruptions in the past. If a volcanoes average time between eruptions is 725,000 years, there is a 1/725,000 chance of it erupting in any given year. It is NOT a prediction of future eruptions. A volcano could erupt twice in two years. It could erupt one year and then never again.
2) someone mentioned the volcano being "150 years overdue for an eruption". That is a NEGLIGIBLE amount of time on the geologic time scale. There's an average 725,000 years between the last few eruptions. 150 years is nothing.
3) If a Yellowstone eruption DID occur, it would not likely be a catastrophic one. As the magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is mostly solid, it isn't likely that there's even enough magma for an eruption. Yellowstone may not ever even HAVE another catastrophic eruption.
4) When people say that "scientists say Yellowstone could erupt next week" or anything along those lines it's deliberate misinterpretation to get you to read an article. Every single time the scientist is trying to explain why Yellowstone isn't overdue, and that a volcano could erupt today or 500,000 years from now, therefore fearmongering about it needs to stop.
5) yes, there were 111 recorded earthquakes in Yellowstone during march. There were also 62 in Washington State in the last week. Earthquakes are literally always happening, and the Yellowstone observatory has stated that this activity is normal. Even where you are right now there are earthquakes. You may not feel them yourself, but a seismograph does. Earthquakes and a geyser are not indicative of a Yellowstone supereruption.
6) Steamboat geyser went through periods of more frequent eruptions in the 60s and 80s as well. This is not new.
The Earth isn't stable and unchanging. Don't freak out every time Yellowstone Does A Thing. That's what Earth does.
Are there any further concerns?
izzy806
jbbartram-illu
blakekathryn
annaxmalina
snowghoul
discoholicmusic
