Yellowstone Supervolcano Eruption Would Be More a Nightmare than a Catastrophe

There is a little less to worry about when it comes to the destruction which would result from the eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano. A new computer simulation based on recent studies has revealed that the Yellowstone Supervolcano eruption would be less catastrophic than initially inferred. Original studies conducted in the past had assumed an apocalyptic outcome, predicting most of the states would be covered with up to 10 feet of ash. Though Yellowstone is unlikely to erupt any time soon, the resulting ash distribution would be significantly less than originally thought.

The recent study conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) yielded results indicating that ash could be as deep as a meter in a radius of 300 miles. Ash could reach both coasts, but the depths would be at a fraction of an inch. The eruption could disrupt electronic communications and delay air travel, though that should be a given, should such an event occur. The original scenario of an uninhabitable United States has been debunked using the latest of technologies available coupled with the thousands of studies that have been conducted over the years.

Larry Mastin, a USGS hydrologist and lead author of this new paper was quoted in a press release saying, “In essence, the eruption makes its own winds that can overcome the prevailing westerlies, which normally dominate weather patterns in the United States.” This further explains how the ash would reach either coast. Mastin had also helped to develop the Ash3D model, which was used to conduct the latest research on the effects of a possible eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano.


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The study and details of Larry Mastin’s Ash3D model can be found at the Wiley Online Library.

http://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2014/08/31/1027511_yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-usgs-study.html