Yellowtone Super-Volcano Essay

The Yellowstone volcano is very active volcanic system which requires much observation. The geysers, mudd pots, hotsprings and steam vents are all examples of the heat from molten rock of a volcano. For many years the Yellowstone volcano could not be located. There is not obvious signs of a volcano, but scientists looked for other clues. Rhyolite is present in a location that has pinetress and many mosquitoes can be found due to the lakes that have formed. Rhyolite is a very violent eruption, due to the high silica content,  it flows slowly, like honey, and tends to pile up and form lava

A volcano is an earth hazard that occurs on faults between tectonic plates on a destructive boundary and an eruption is a natural disaster. A primary impact happens immediately after the disaster and before any response like death or collapsing or destruction of buildings. A secondary impact occurs later after the disaster, such less farm produce or a reduction in tourism. The severity of these impacts will differ considerably in a MEDC and LEDC where volcanic eruptions have taken place. These may be seen in the Mount St. Helen volcano eruption as well as in the Iceland volcanic eruption. They may also

A hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat tolife, health, property or environment. The level of hazard posed by different volcanoes can very greatly, from a weak eruption with minimal impact that causes little damage, to a voilent and life threatening explosion. Most of the sixty-plus volcanoes that erupt each year are low risk, however a combination of factors can cause a volcano to be a serious hazard. The factors causing these variations will be explained in this essay.

The volcanoes are located where there is a divergence or convergence in the tectonic plates and bring their lava from the deepest of the terrestrial mantle. The materials and explosions of these ginates represent a constant risk in the places inhabited by the human being, nevertheless the people ususually live in these areas no matter the risk. On the other hand the volcanos can change the geology of an impressive form, or to cool the temperature of the earth, or to darken the sky. The scientific community increases its efforts to try to understand better what happens in volcanoes, however it is impossible to predict these conditions.

Yellowstone National Park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in American history. Yellowstone was the first park to be protected by private investment on March 1, 1872, and the first to be put under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1918, no doubt due to its unique and inspiring landscape and geothermal features. In fact, Yellowstone National Park is home to half of the world’s total hydrothermal features. These awesome attractions draw an incredible amount of visitors, an average of two to three million each year, to Yellowstone’s immense landscape. The park has a total size of 28,125 square miles, is found in three distinct states, and is considered to be one of the largest

Volcanoes are one of the most destructive, yet, most beautiful things on Earth. They can make a famous city choke in its own ashes in one day, like Pompeii. Or they can turn a once damaging mountain into a graceful and peaceful home for new life, like Mount St. Helen’s. All volcanoes are unique, and no two are the same. Some erupt differently than others, some look different than others, and all are located in different spots all over the world. I learned this while completing the project and the five volcanoes I researched are examples of my discoveries. The five volcanoes I researched were Mount Hood, Mount Mageik, Long Island, Mount Muria, and Las Pilas.

Analyse the factors that causes differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world (40 marks)

Bagley, Mary. “Mount St. Helens Eruption: Facts & Information.” LiveScience, Purch, 28 Feb. 2013, www.livescience.com/27553-mount-st-helens-eruption.html

The blast was preceded by two months of intense activity that included over 10,000 earthquakes, hundreds of small phreatic (steam blasts) , explosions and the north side bulge. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake below the volcano at 8:32 am started the eruption. MSH is still a potentially dangerous and active volcano even though it has been quiet since 1995. In the last 515 years there have been four major eruptions and dozens of lesser eruptions. Two of the eruptions were only two years apart. In 1480, the eruption was about five times larger than the one in May 1980. There have been even larger eruptions during MSH' 50,000 year lifetime. After the May 18, 1980 eruption, there have been five smaller explosive eruptions over a five month period. Since then, there have been 16 dome building eruptions through October 1986 when the new dome in the crater was formed. As the mountain was torn open, the pressure in inside was suddenly relieved. The rock shattered inside the mountain was exploded out the top at speeds over 200 miles per hour. The blast was so strong that it leveled whole forest of fir trees. Geologist call this a "stone wind" since the winds carried the rocks form the blast with them. The rocks gave the winds extra force that let them flatten the trees. 150 square miles of land was leveled. The edges of this area also lost their forested areas from the heat of the blast and the fires it caused. The original blast of the

The third eruption happened about 640,000 years ago, and spewed 240 cubic miles of material. This third eruption created the third and largest of Yellowstone’s calderas, Yellowstone Caldera, which is 30 by 45 miles in size. The pyroclastic lava flows from this eruption formed the north wall of the caldera and are visible from the south-facing cliffs east of Madison. (Solcomhouse) This third eruption is said to have vaporized an entire mountain range. Smaller eruptions have also helped to shape Today’s Yellowstone, such as one that occurred 174,000 years ago and created what is now the “West Thumb” of Yellowstone Lake. (National Park Service) Many sources say that a catastrophic eruption, such as those that have formed the three calderas at Yellowstone, is unlikely during the next several hundred years, but if one such eruption did occur it would devastate much of the United States and would have the potential to alter the global climate.

Simultaneously, Mt Adams is the second highest mountain and the most under looked volcano in Washington State. In terms of volume, Mt. Adams is the second largest volcano (behind Mt. Shasta) in the Cascade Range (Alt & Hyndman 1984). Since it has been relatively quiet for the past couple millennia, it does not receive as much attention as it’s counterparts and draws very few tourists due to it’s remote setting (Hill 2004). Prior to recent research, not much was known regarding Mt. Adam’s eruptive history, frequency or how explosive previous eruptions have been. (Hildreth & Lanphere 1994). In this paper, I will discuss the geography, history, geology, and hazards of Mt. Adams and it’s surrounding area; focusing heavily on its geology and geologic hazards.

As discussed, Yellowstone poses many hazards and potential risk. It is vital that first responders understand exactly what is happening at the scene and what equipment they might need. For example, if emergency personnel respond to a call involving one or more individuals in a close proximity exhibiting the same symptoms and/or complaint they might assume this stems from toxic gas exposure. Therefore, first responders would need to know what gases could be causing the problem, why and how the victims were exposed to them, and ensure they have the appropriate personal protective equipment. Unfortunately, the majority of hazards in Yellowstone National Park are all from natural sources, and therefore, are hard to predict and control. Therefore,

Ash plumes and steam rose into the bright blue sky as the underground earthquake shook the land and rattled windows all across the eighteen mile town. As the jet circled the island, in view of lovely beaches and emerald water, looming over this lush paradise was the screaming volcano. Volcanos erupt when the pressure inside of them becomes so great that the magma surges up and forces its way out. An exploding volcano can rip apart a mountain in just seconds, when the eruption is over, a landscape is changed forever. The united states is home to more volcanos than any other country except Indonesia, and Japan. The majority of these volcanoes are in Alaska. Until recently, there was no way to predict when a volcano would blow, although volcanoes give off many warning signs before they erupt. Including smaller earthquakes beneath the volcano, slight inflation, or swelling. The rising magma eventually causes the solid rock to break, sending earthquake signals. Most volcanoes give warning signs beginning weeks or months before they blow (Lindop).

Right as your reading this there could be about 20 volcanoes erupting. Every year about 50-70 volcanoes erupt which tear down and kills thousands of people. Every 10 years about 160 erupt that’s enough lava to make a new city! There’s been about 550 historical eruptions that were really bad they killed millions of people and anyone that did live through that didn’t have a home anymore.

Spontaneously erupting/shaking is one problem. No matter what scientists’ predictions read, natural disasters can happen at any moment. If a volcanologist or scientist has a station near the main vent, and the volcano erupts, then there is no way that they are making it down in time to flee the area. For example, since 1980 Mt. St. Helens in