The eruption of a supervolcano in Yellowstone may occur in a few decades, writes National Geographic, citing a study by scientists at the University of Arizona.
Previously, it was believed that the volume of melt in the caldera will reach a critical mass only in the distant future. However, analysis of volcanic ash fossils from the last super-eruption has shown that the geothermal processes that form the magma bubble are much faster.
“It's scary to imagine how little time it takes for a dormant volcano to be on the verge of erupting,” co-author Hannah Shamlu told The New York Times.
However, an employee of the Yellowstone Volcanic Observatory, Michael Poland, doubts the conclusions of scientists. According to him, the possibility of a sharp increase in caldera activity is excluded.
“Something interesting happens all the time. But we have not seen anything that would make us think that the magmatic processes described in the study really take place, Poland told NG journalists.
Yellowstone Volcano is located in the US state of Wyoming. The last time it erupted 640 thousand years ago. The explosion of this supervolcano in its consequences is comparable to a full-scale nuclear war, experts say.