Could an Eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano Destroy the United States as We Know It?
When most Americans think of Yellowstone, they tend to conjure up images of Yogi Bear and "Old Faithful". But the truth about Yellowstone is much more frightening than that. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is actually sitting right on top of a massive supervolcano. This supervolcano has erupted before, and scientists tell us that when it fully erupts again it will destroy the United States as we know it. So could such an eruption happen any time soon? Well, scientists tell us that Yellowstone is actually overdue for a major eruption and there are thousands of earthquakes in the Yellowstone area every single year. In addition, scientists that monitor Yellowstone have been quite alarmed that some areas of Yellowstone have risen by as much as ten inches over the past few years. So yes, there are some good reasons to be really, really concerned about what is going on at Yellowstone. The truth is that the Yellowstone supervolcano is the biggest volcano in North America by far. A major eruption at Yellowstone would permanently change all of our lives in just a single day. In fact, a major eruption at Yellowstone would permanently end America's status as a superpower in just a single day. So exactly what would an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano look like? What exactly would a full eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano mean for the United States and for the rest of the world? Well, the following are 11 facts about the Yellowstone supervolcano that are more than a little bit frightening....
#1 A full-scale eruption of Yellowstone could be up to 1,000 times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. #2 A full-scale eruption of Yellowstone would spew volcanic ash 25 miles up into the air. #3 The next eruption of Yellowstone seems to be getting closer with each passing year. Since 2004, some areas of Yellowstone National Park have risen by as much as 10 inches. #4 There are approximately 3,000 earthquakes in the Yellowstone area every single year. #5 In the event of a full-scale eruption of Yellowstone, virtually the entire northwest United States will be completely destroyed. #6 A massive eruption of Yellowstone would mean that just about everything within a 100 mile radius of Yellowstone would be immediately killed. #7 A full-scale eruption of Yellowstone could also potentially dump a layer of volcanic ash that is at least 10 feet deep up to 1,000 miles away. #8 A full-scale eruption of Yellowstone would cover virtually the entire midwest United States with volcanic ash. Food production in America would be almost totally wiped out. #9 The "volcanic winter" that a massive Yellowstone eruption would cause would radically cool the planet. Some scientists believe that global temperatures would decline by up to 20 degrees. #10 America would never be the same again after a massive Yellowstone eruption. Some scientists believe that a full eruption by Yellowstone would render two-thirds of the United States completely uninhabitable. #11 Scientists tell us that it is not a matter of "if" Yellowstone will erupt but rather "when" the next inevitable eruption will take place. For much more on the Yellowstone supervolcano and what a major eruption would mean for the United States, check out the CNN video news report posted below.... Reprinted with permission from End of the American Dream. February 16, 2011 Copyright © 2011 End of the American Dream
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