GCSE Geography AQA A Restless Earth: Yellowstone supervolcano

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  • Yellowstone supervolcano
    • About
      • A supervolcano is much larger than a normal volcano. they emit at least 1000 cubic metres of material.
      • The magma chamber is believed to be 80km long, 40km wide and 8km deep
      • Eruptions have occurred at Yellowstone 2 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago and 630,000 years ago which suggests we are due another one.
      • The Yellowstone  caldera is located in Yellowstone national park in Wyoming near the border of Idaho.
    • Potential impacts
      • If an eruption was to occur at Yellowstone the effects would be catastrophic worldwide as it is potentially five times the minimum size for a super vocano.
      • An eruption of Yellowstone is likely to destroy 10,000 square km of land, kill around 87,000 people and cover buildings within 1000km in 15cm of ash.
      • Within in a 1000km radius, 1 in 3 people would die directly due to the ash as it can turn to cement like rock when it comes into the contact with liquid in their lungs.
      • The ash would affect electricity, water, transport and farming.
      • International airlines would be seized leaving many stranded without shelter.
      • The ash cloud would throw the world into a volcanic winter as climates would change dramatically.
      • Crops would fail and many people would die from starvation.
      • Lahars (mudflows) are a possibility causing further turmoil.
      • The worlds markets would crash forcing many countries and people into poverty.

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