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“Super Volcanoes ”

“Super Volcanoes ”. Tom Pering. Today’s topics…. What is a super eruption? Where do super eruptions occur? What do super volcanoes look like? “Super Volcanoes” around the world. Yellowstone Caldera Chain Yellowstone Now What would an eruption at Yellowstone be like to live through?

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“Super Volcanoes ”

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  1. “Super Volcanoes” Tom Pering

  2. Today’s topics… • What is a super eruption? • Where do super eruptions occur? • What do super volcanoes look like? • “Super Volcanoes” around the world. • Yellowstone Caldera Chain • Yellowstone Now • What would an eruption at Yellowstone be like to live through? • What are the chances of an eruption occurring in our lifetime?

  3. What is a super eruption? • You may know about super eruptions under the term “supervolcano”. • Definition of a super eruption • VEI 8 – Ultra-Plinian, Mega-Colossal

  4. Lord Byron - Darkness “I had a dream, which was not all a dream.The bright sun was extinguished, and the starsDid wander darkling in the eternal space,Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earthSwung blind and blackening in the moonless air;Morn came and went -and came, and brought no day”

  5. Where do super eruptions occur? • Plate Boundaries • Hot Spots • Mantle Plume • Huge Magma Chambers

  6. What do super volcanoes look like? • Caldera Volcanoes

  7. Well known “super volcanoes” • Yellowstone, USA • Lake Toba, INDONESIA • Taupo, NEW ZEALAND Not so well known “super volcanoes” • La Garita Caldera, USA • Cerro Galán, ARGENTINA • Glen Coe, SCOTLAND • Scafells, Lake District, ENGLAND

  8. Glen Coe, Scotland • Last eruption 420 million years ago • Silurian (Paleozoic Era) • 5 eruptions • Roughly 500,000 years apart. • Glaciations

  9. Scafells, Lake District, England • 440 – 520 million years ago (unknown last eruption) • Ordovician (Paleozoic Era) • Largest known phreatomagmatic eruption • VEI 7 or 8? • Glaciations

  10. Lake Toba, Indonesia • 74,000 years ago • Largest Volcanic Lake in world • Mankind survived

  11. Taupo, New Zealand • First Eruption – 300,000 years ago • Oruanui Eruption • 26,500 years ago • Lots of volcanic activity nearby

  12. La Garita Caldera, USA • Colorado • 26 million years ago • Largest known eruption • 5000 km³

  13. Cerro Galán, Argentina • Andes Mountain Range • 2.2 million years ago • 1050 km³

  14. Yellowstone Caldera Chain

  15. Yellowstone Eruptions • Huckleberry Ridge Caldera, 2.1 million years ago • 2450 km³ • Mesa Falls, 1.3 million years ago • 280 km³ • Lava Creek, 640,000 years ago • 1000 km³ • Source: USGS

  16. Yellowstone

  17. Yellowstone Now • National Park - over 3 million visitors a year. • 307 million people in the USA • An eruption at Yellowstone could be a small outflow of lava or an VEI 8 eruption. • Large Magma Chamber

  18. Warning signs of an imminent eruption • High ground temperatures • Increased volcanic gas emission • Hydrothermal feature – activity increase • Ground uplift • Hydrothermal explosions • Earthquakes • Harmonic tremors

  19. Possible regional effects of an eruption at Yellowstone • Zone 1 – Pyroclastic Zone (Around 90,000 could be killed – 90% mortality rate) • 100 km radius • Zone 2 and 3 – Asphyxiation and Roof Collapse • 3 million people trapped by ash • Zone 4 • Ashfall – 15cm • Zone 5 • Ashfall – 5cm • Zone 6 • Ashfall – 1cm

  20. Different ways to die… • Direct • Asphyxiation • Gas Poisoning • Pyroclastic Flows • Roof Collapse • Burning • Lahars • Plane Crash • Indirect • Starvation / Drought • Freeze • Riots / Conflict

  21. What could be the global effects of an eruption at Yellowstone? • Water Contamination • Food Shortages • Increase Rainfall • Economic Failure • Extinction • Volcanic Winter • Triggering of an Ice Age

  22. What are the chances of a super eruption occurring in our lifetimes? • Are we overdue?

  23. Further Reading • http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/calderas.htm • Yellowstone Volcano Observatory • USGS

  24. References • Brenchley, P.J., Rawson, P.F., 1990? The Geology of England and Wales. The Geological Society. Bath. 256pp • CIA World Fact book [Online] • Cole, J.W., Milner, D.M., Spinks, K.D., 2005. Calderas and caldera structures: a review. Earth Science Reviews. 69, pp. 1-26 • Grotzinger, J., Jordan, T.H., Press, F., Siever, R., 2006. Understanding Earth. W.H.Freeman. Basingstoke. • Moore, I., Kokelaar, P., 1998. Tectonically controlled piecemeal caldera collapse: A case study of Glencoe volcano, Scotland. Geological Society of America Bulletin. 110 (11), pp. 1448-1466 • Riciptu, L.R., Johnson, C.M., Sawyer, D.A., Lipman, P.W., 1995. Crustal and magmatic evolution in a large multicyclic caldera complex. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 67, pp. 1 – 28 • Wilson, C.J.N., 2001. The 26.5ka oruanui eruption, New Zealand: an introduction and overview. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 112, pp. 133 - 174

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