Yellowstone Supervolcano Eruptions More Massive Than

Thought
Introduction:

The geysers and hotspots which are the main features of America's Yellowstone Park are
merely what is left of massive volcanic eruptions that occurred in the area millions of years
ago. British researchers have used new techniques to identify where the eruptions took
place and how strong they were.

Development:

Scientists now know that the whole northwestern region of the United States was hit by
gigantic eruptions. They say that there were at least a dozen eruptions in the area over the
last 12 million years, some of which were much stronger than previously thought.The last
Yellowstone supervolcano outburst occurred 640 000 years ago. The last flow of lava took
place 70000 years ago. The new study suggests that a further gigantic eruption, about
2000 times as strong as the Mount St. Helen outburst in 1981, may take place within the
next few thousand years. Scientists have discovered a massive new magma chamber
under Yellowstone. The next eruption would release thousands of cubic kilometres of
material into the atmosphere, covering the whole North American continent in ash.

Conclusion:

The Yellowstone supervolcano is one of a series of volcanoes that spread from Oregon
eastward across the Snake River Valley and the northwestern US. Geologists now think
that this moving hotspot may have run into a thicker geologic plate , needing more energy
for an eruption to occur.