Volcanologists have reported a real threat to humans due to geological activity in Yellowstone National Park. According to scientists, in the future, powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 will occur in the area, which can lead to the collapse of rocks, landslides and human casualties. At the same time, the eruption of the supervolcano itself remains unlikely, according to USA Today.
The Yellowstone supervolcano last erupted 2.5 million years ago. A series of eruptions left on the surface giant calderas tens of kilometers across, but a repetition of such catastrophic events is unlikely. According to scientists, the chance of a new explosion in a giant caldera (diameter of about 65 kilometers) is 1 in 730 thousand. However, the probability of strong earthquakes is much higher. So, tremors on August 17, 1959 led to a devastating landslide, which killed 28 people.
According to experts, an earthquake of this magnitude will occur in the foreseeable future. However, the consequences could be much more serious than in 1959, since the national park is visited by millions of people.
In July, it was reported that employees of the Grand Teton National Park, which is 16 kilometers from Yellowstone National Park, closed some areas due to growing cracks.
