Yellowstone

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local public health authorities, we are increasing access and services in a phased approach across all units of the National Park System. Before visiting a park, please check the to determine its operating status. Updates about the overall NPS response to COVID-19, including safety information, are posted on Search Open Menu National ParkID, MT, WY Alerts In Effect Park ClosuresDismiss×Contact Us On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic wonders. Hot springs are the most abundant hydrothermal feature in Yellowstone, and are home to organisms known as thermophiles.

Hot springs are the most common hydrothermal features in Yellowstone.

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Last updated: May 28, 2020

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I Accept Support our journalism × By Updated Dec 15, 2014, 10:24am EST Share this story Share All sharing options for: What would happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano actually erupted? An aerial flight over Yellowstone’s Midway Geyser Basin in 2004 shows Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser Crater, which drain into the nearby Firehole River. US Geological Survey If the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park ever had another massive eruption, it could spew ash for thousands of miles across the United States, damaging buildings, smothering crops, and shutting down power plants. It'd be a huge disaster.

A super-eruption would be horrific — though also pretty unlikely

But that doesn't mean we should all start freaking out. The odds of that happening are thankfully pretty low. The — thousands of times more powerful than a regular volcano — has only had three truly enormous eruptions in history. One occurred 2.1 million years ago, one 1.3 million years ago, and one 664,000 years ago.

And despite what you sometimes hear in the press, there's that we're due for another "super-eruption" anytime soon. In fact, it's even possible that Yellowstone mightnever have an eruption that large again.

Even so, the Yellowstone supervolcano remains an endless source of apocalyptic fascination — and it's not hard to see why. In September 2014, a team of scientists in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems exploring what a Yellowstone super-eruption might actually look like.

Among other things, they found the volcano was capable of burying states like Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado in three feet of harmful — a mix of splintered rock and glass — and blanket the Midwest. That much ash could kill plants and animals, crush roofs, and short all sorts of electrical equipment:

Ash, ash, everywhere

An example of the possible distribution of ash from a month-long Yellowstone supereruption. (US Geological Survey)

When I called up one of the study's co-authors, Jacob Lowenstern of the US Geological Survey, he stressed that the paper wasnot any sort of prediction of the future. "Even if Yellowstone did erupt again, you probably wouldn't get that worst-case scenario," he says. "What's much, much more common are small eruptions — that's a point that often gets ignored in the press." (And even those small eruptions are very rare.)

Lowenstern is the Scientist-In-Charge of the in Menlo Park, California. So I talked to him further about what we actually know about the Yellowstone supervolcano, what its eruptions might look like, and why the odds of disaster are low.

What is the Yellowstone supervolcano? (National Park Service)

Lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park is of hot magma five miles deep, fed by a gigantic plume of molten rock welling up from hundreds of miles below. That heat for many of the park's famous geysers and hot springs. And as magma rises up into the chamber and cools, the ground above .

The vast, vast majority of Yellowstone eruptions are small

On rare occasions throughout history, that magma chamber has erupted. The vast, vast majority of those eruptions in Yellowstone have been smaller lava flows — with the last occurring at some 70,000 years ago.

But the reason why Yellowstone gets so much attention is the remote possibility of catastrophic "super-eruptions." A is anything that measures magnitude 8 or more on the , in which at least 1,000 cubic kilometers (or 240 cubic miles) of material gets ejected. That's enough to bury Texas five feet deep.

These super-eruptions are thousands of times more powerful than even the biggest eruptions we're used to. Here's from USGS comparing the Yellowstone super-eruptions with the Mt. St. Helens eruption of 1980. The difference is staggering:

Super-eruptions vs ordinary eruptions

(US Geological Survey)

Yellowstone has had three of these really massive eruptions in its history — 2.1 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago, and 664,000 years ago. The last of those, at Yellowstone Lava Creek, ejected so much material from below that it left a 34-mile-by-50-mile depression in the ground — what we see today as the Yellowstone Caldera:

Location of past Yellowstone super-eruptions

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It's worth noting that Yellowstone is hardly the only supervolcano out there — geologists have found evidence of in Earth's history. The most recent occurred in New Zealand's some 26,000 years ago.

More dramatically, there was the gargantuan Toba eruption 74,000 years ago, caused by shifting tectonic plates. That triggered a dramatic 6- to 10-year global winter and (according to some) may have the nascent human race.

On average, the Earth has seen roughly one super-eruption every 100,000 years, although that's not an ironclad law.

So what would a Yellowstone eruption look like? Let's reiterate that the odds of any sort of Yellowstone eruption, big or small, are . But if we're speaking hypothetically…

The most likely eruption scenario in Yellowstone is a smaller event that produced lava flows (similar to what's happening ) and possible a typical volcanic explosion. This would likely be precipitated by a swarm of earthquakes in a specific region of the park as the magma made its way to the surface.

A super-eruption is capable of sending ash many thousands of miles

Now, in the unlikely event of a much bigger super-eruption, the warning signs would be much bigger. "We'd likely first see intense seismic activity across the entire park," Lowenstern says. It could take weeks or months for those earthquakes to break up the rocks above the magma before an eruption.

And what if we did get a super-eruption — an event that was 1,000 times more powerful than a regular volcanic eruption, ejected at least 240 cubic miles of material, and lasted weeks or months? The lava flows themselves would be contained within a relatively small radius within the park — say, 40 miles or so. In fact, only about one-third of the material would actually make it up into the atmosphere.

The main damage would come from volcanic ash — a combination of splintered rock and glass — that was ejected miles into the air and scattered around the country. In , Lowenstern and his colleagues looked at both historical ash deposits and advanced modeling to conclude that an eruption would create an umbrella cloud, expanding even in all directions. (This was actually .)

A super-eruption could conceivably bury the northern Rockies in three feet of ash — devastating large swaths of Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Utah. Meanwhile, the Midwest would get a few inches of ash, while both coasts would see even smaller amounts. The exact distribution would depend on the time of year and weather patterns:

Modeling the spread of ash from a Yellowstone super-eruption

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Any of those scenarios would be terrible news. That much volcanic ash killing people, plants, and animals and crushing buildings. Even a few inches of ash (which is what much of the country can get) can destroy farms, clog roadways, cause serious respiratory problems, block sewer lines, and even short out transformers. Air travel would have to shut down across much of North America.

An eruption that big would also cool the planet temporarily

A volcanic eruption that big would also have major effects on the global climate. Volcanoes can emit sulfur aerosols that reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere cool the climate. These particles are short-lived in the atmosphere, so the effect is only temporary, but it can still be dramatic.

When Pinatubo erupted in 1991, by about 1°C (1.8°F) for a few years. The cooled the planet enough to damage crops around the world — possibly leading to famines in some areas. And those were relatively tiny eruptions compared to what a supervolcano is, in theory, capable of.

Yikes! So what are the odds of a Yellowstone super-eruption? Very, very low. In fact, it's even possible Yellowstone might never erupt again.

'Odds are very high that Yellowstone will be eruption-free for the coming centuries'

Right now, there's no sign of a pending eruption. Yellowstone park does continue to get earthquakes, and the ground continues to rise and fall, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. "Yellowstone is behaving as it has for the past 140 years," the USGS . " Odds are very high that Yellowstone will be eruption-free for the coming centuries."

The USGS also notes that, if you simply took the past three eruptions, the odds of Yellowstone erupting in any given year are 0.00014 percent — lower than the odds of getting hit by . But even that's not a good estimate, since it's not at all certain that Yellowstone erupts on a regular cycle or that it's "overdue" for another eruption. In fact, there might never be a big eruption in Yellowstone again.

"The Earth will see super-eruptions in the future, but will they come in Yellowstone? That's not a sure thing," says Lowenstern. "Yellowstone's already lived a good long life. It may not even see a fourth eruption."

Volcanoes, after all, do die out. The magma chamber below Yellowstone is being affected by two opposing forces — the heat welling up from below and the relative cold from the surface. If less heat comes in from below, then the chamber could conceivably freeze, eventually turning into a solid granite body.

It's also worth noting that underneath Yellowstone is slowly migrating to the northeast (or, more accurately, the North American tectonic plate above the hotspot is migrating southwest). You can see the migration below:

The volcanic hotspot is sloooooowly moving northeast

(USGS)

On a long enough time scale, the hotspot will move out from under Yellowstone — and the Yellowstone supervolcano would, presumably, die out. Of course, it's possible that another supervolcano could emerge further in the northeast, but the hotspot would first have to heat up and melt the cold crust first. And that process could take a million years or longer.

"It's hard to get our minds around something like a million years," Lowenstern says. "Humans are a relatively brand-new species. But Earth's been around a very long time, and these systems take a long time to do what they do."

Further reading -- The US Geological survey on the Yellowstone supervolcano.They of the most recent paper modeling a super-eruption.

-- Here's a fascinating (and very accessible) Lowenstern wrote in 2006 explaining how scientists actually monitor the Yellowstone volcanic system. A key line: "One obstacle to accurate forecasting of large volcanic events is humanity's lack of familiarity with the singals leading up to the largest class of volcanic eruptions."

-- In the New Yorker, George Black about how unhinged fears (and misinformation) about the Yellowstone supervolcano keep going viral.

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By By By By By By Share this story Yellowstone National Park - Wikipedia

More Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park’s 2 million acres are home to an incomparable combination of natural beauty, rugged wilderness, majestic peaks and abundant wildlife, as well as theworld’s largest concentration of geysers and thermal features.The iconic spots—, Lower Falls and Yellowstone Lake—may be familiar from paintings and photographs, but seeing them in person is a humbling, enthralling experience that visitors can enjoy year-round.

Guided Tours Leave the worry of planning behind. Experience custom tours, and guided activities throughout Yellowstone by searching through our directory of .

Yellowstone Lodging and Accommodations In the summer, visitors may select from within the park’s boundaries with accommodations that include Yellowstone’s , , , , , , and . Each of the lodging options has varying amenities and dining offerings. It is important to note that all lodging within the park is non-smoking and rooms do not have televisions, radios, air conditioning or internet (although Wi-Fi is available at specific locations), allowing visitors to relax, unwind and enjoy America’s first national park.

In addition to lodge rooms, hotel accommodations and cabins, Yellowstone National Park has with more than 2,000 sites that accommodate tent and RV camping. Some campsites can be reserved, while others are first-come, first-serve. (a permit is required) is available at more than 300 designated sites.

Find more trip inspiration by reading the .

Exploring Four Seasons in Yellowstone National Park As a national park, Yellowstone is open year-round. Each season provides travelers with a distinct experience ranging from to backcountry treks and fall-foliage tours to . To help you determine which time of year you'd like to explore Yellowstone National Park, we've included an overview of each season below.

Summer in Yellowstone: Road Trip Season Summer is the park's busiest season, but it's also a beautiful time of year to visit. When planning a summer road trip through Yellowstone National Park, plan to make your accommodations and activity reservations early. As the park welcomes a majority of its travelers during summer, be sure to get off the beaten path by taking a hike (check out the ) and plan to depart for your day's adventures early. For more, read .

Fall in Yellowstone: Colorful Foliage & Active Wildlife Fall brings comfortable days, chilly evenings, crisp mountain air, elk bugling and an array of colorful foliage to Yellowstone National Park. Wildlife are active in the park during autumn, especially as grizzly and black bears fill their bellies to prepare for the upcoming winter hibernation. Elk are also in rut and visitors will hear bugling in the park, especially in the early morning and at dusk. If wildlife-watching opportunities and quieter trails are high on your travel list, fall is a beautiful time of year to explore the park.

Winter in Yellowstone: A Snow-Covered Wonderland is truly a unique and intimate experience. Although most roads in the park are closed to vehicles, visitors can travel through the park in snowcoaches or on snowmobiles with an authorized guide. Plus, in winter the park becomes a snow-covered wonderland that allows visitors to cross-country ski or snowshoe on miles of groomed trails, watch bison trudge through the snow or simply escape for a quiet and majestic retreat. In the winter, guests can stay inside the park at the or . Both locations have casual dining facilities and visitor centers that are open year-round.

Spring in Yellowstone: The Undiscovered Season Appropriately known as the park's undiscovered season, spring brings additional road openings, with all roads being open by Memorial Day weekend. If you're looking for an uncrowded trip to Yellowstone National Park, spring is an ideal time to plan your trip, with activities that include hiking on lower-elevation trails, wildlife watching (bison and elk calve during April and May) and .

Find more Yellowstone National Park at and . You can also see your favorite places in Yellowstone on the park's .

Getting to Yellowstone National Park Getting to Yellowstone National Park by Car Visitors can enter the south entrance via State Highway 191/287 from the second Friday in May through early November (weather dependent). This entrance is open to tracked-oversnow vehicles from December 15 to March 15.

Visitors can enter the east entrance via State Highway 20/14/16 from the first Friday in May through early November (weather dependent). This entrance is open to tracked-oversnow vehicles December 22 through March 1.

Roads inside Yellowstone National Park begin to open for the summer season in late April but are not completely open until the end of May, depending on the weather. Check ahead of your visit for . Some roads are open to bicycles and other light traffic before they open to motorized vehicles. RVs and trailers up to 72 feet are allowed inside the park.

All gates are open 24 hours a day in the summer unless weather conditions or construction cause them to close. Visitors should allow plenty of time for driving through the park. Wildlife on or near the road can cause delays. Various bus tours are available that depart from towns around both the south and east gates.

Getting to Yellowstone National Park by Plane Year-round commercial airline service is available into Jackson, Wyoming, and Cody, Wyoming. is located in Grand Teton National Park and is the closest airline service to the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park. (located in Cody) is the closest service to the east entrance of Yellowstone. Rental vehicles and chartered transportation are available at both locations.

Where is Yellowstone National Park? The majority of Yellowstone National Park (96 percent) is located within Wyoming. Visitors can access the park from two entrances in Wyoming: the south entrance, located north of Jackson and Grand Teton National Park, and the east entrance near Cody.

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