Ash may reach Los Angeles and NYC if Yellowstone supervolcano erupts

As per a new study, eruption of super volcano in Yellowstone National Park wouldn’t leave any place to escape, as far afield as Miami, New York and Los Angeles is concerned.

A volcanic eruption is considered to be super eruption if ejection is in excess of 240 cubic miles of eruption material into the atmosphere.

In the past, this Yellowstone region that exists over a giant pool of partly melted, hot rock beneath has seen 3 such eruptions 3.1 million years ago. 640,000 years ago and 2.1 million years ago. No geologic activity has been seen in the area and this suggests that occurrence of giant eruption may be seen soon. However, with the help of computer models, it has been stimulated by scientists who are curious about the effects of the event.

Data about historical patterns of winds across U.S is used by computer model that is dubbed Ash3D for calculating the amount of ash that would fall.

Several feet of ash would cover the Yellowstone region cities. On the other hand, ash deposits several inches deep would be experienced by cities in the Midwest. It has been suggested by computer models that ash from a super volcano eruption will be less affected by the prevailing winds as compared to ash from smaller eruptions.

During large volcanic eruptions, the expansion rate of leading edge of ash cloud is greater as compared to average ambient wind speed and an outward expansion is created which drives ash more than 900 miles upwind to West and crosswind to south and North.

USGS geologist and study lead author Larry Mastin says “In essence, the eruption makes its own winds that can overcome the prevailing westerlies, which normally dominate weather patterns in the United States”.

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Christina Langfold

Remember that weird girl in school who never quite managed to fit in? Who was always silent and strange? That was me during my entire teenage life. A few years after finishing college (with a degree in arts) I decided that the best way to become more sociable, while also feeling safe, is to test my people skills online.