Posts
USGS: Yellowstone Super Volcano Threat Set To "High"
30
October, 2018
The
United States Geological Survey has increased the Yellowstone
supervolcano threat to “high.” This
is the first time that the USGS has updated its volcano
threat assessments list since
2006.
The
USGS said that 11 of the 18 volcanoes they have classified as a “high
threat” or a “very high threat” are located in Washington,
Oregon, or California, “where explosive and often snow- and
ice-covered edifices can project hazards long distances to densely
populated and highly developed areas.”
According to the Epoch Times, the danger list is topped by Kilauea in Hawaii, which has been erupting continuously in 2018. Mount St. Helens as well as Mount Rainier in Washington, Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano, and California’s Mount Shasta are also in the top five, according to what the USGS has said.
Although
the Yellowstone supervolcano is a “high” threat, it’s only the
21st most dangerous volcano in the United States.
According
to Forbes, the
assessment that Yellowstone supervolcano was only high was not
assigned on a whim. While theYellowstone
supervolcano does have the potential for a large eruption,
other factors are at play. Such as the fact that it erupts so
infrequently, shows no signs of increasing eruption risk today, and
is located in a relatively sparsely populated area of the United
States which decreases the threat. To
be clear, the USGS still ranked the supervolcano as a “high”
threat, but it is clearly not the most dangerous volcano in the
United States.
The
Yellowstone supervolcano is one of the most feared volcanoes on the
globe, however, scientists are constantly reminding everyone that the
chance of it erupting in a violent and globally devastating fashion
is rather small, even
though it is said to be “past due” for such an explosion.
