A Personal Note on Yellowstone Caldera

Photo credit: H. Shamloo & J. Shaffer

​Worried it's going to blow? No need for panic, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1.  Ignore headlines claiming "the volcano is going to blow any day now!"
   Experts at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory are monitoring the volcano 24/7, and the current status of the volcano is "normal" and "green". These are two indications that the volcano is in its typical, non-eruptive state.
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2. You might be wondering, "What's going to happen if it erupts again? Will it be catastrophic?" Yellowstone has experienced 23 smaller-scale eruptions after its last supereruption ~631,000 years ago. If the volcano were to erupt again, it is much more probable that it would be one of these smaller-scale eruptions. (A "burp" in comparison to a supereruption). 
   
   
3. Our publication covered in the New York Times investigated the magmatic events that likely led to the last supereruption ~631,000 years ago. Although our results suggest a magmatic recharge event occurred on the order of years (decades at most) prior to eruption, this does not equate to a prediction of a future eruption. Instead, this information can be used in a potential future eruption as a stopwatch between the detection of unusual activity and eruption.
   
   
4. It's important to always consider the source when reading headlines on the internet and use our best critical reasoning. For a clear explanation dispelling myths about the volcano, read the Snopes.com article published in response to over-sensationalized headlines.

​​​Entry last updated October 2019