Yellowstone Caldera

10/21/2021

Blog Post By: Dakota James

The last time the Yellowstone caldera erupted was 664,000 years ago, meaning it is long overdue for another "super eruption." Yellowstone has erupted a total of 3 times, each one calculated to be a devastating disaster. If this massive volcano was to erupt again scientists assume the ash would block the sun for an extended period of time, significantly enough to change our global climate. Ultimately the ash and toxicity of the air is what scientists fear more than the initial blast. However, there are many skewed conspiracies out there about this super volcano. Some say it may never erupt again after the last explosion created a 34x50 mile wide depression in the Earth, now known as the Yellowstone caldera. Although some remain scared because "a super-eruption could conceivably bury the northern Rockies in three feet of ash — devastating large swaths of Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Utah." This could be especially alarming for those of us who live only 237 miles away (Salmon, Idaho) from this sleeping chamber of magma. Does this mean we should prepare? What if the volcano erupted? Could the blast be exponentially smaller or bigger than scientists predict? Is it fascinating or terrifying? What are your opinions/thoughts on the Yellowstone caldera?
Personally I have always been a fanatic for volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, or maybe it is just the immense power of nature. I do not see any benefit in becoming paranoid over the thought of Yellowstone erupting. For one, living so close to the center of the blast would limit my ability to escape it anyway and secondly it is nature's course which I cannot change. However I think having a bug out plan, in event the caldera did blow, is a good idea. I do not expect Yellowstone to explode during my life time as most people don't. Although when it does, I am not sure scientists will have accurately calculated the energy it will release. Reason being, no human source has lived through any of the previous blasts. That said, I am not worried whatsoever about Yellowstone erupting because I think it would be kind of cool, maybe that is a problem haha.

Reference:https://www.vox.com/2014/9/5/6108169/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption?fbclid=IwAR3ycccEsuY5GsChIG2NRLdafNkkE6x-bAbW6e24qHTelyHuahSAIxwY8Ao

45 Comments

Carson Mildon

10/22/2021 09:49:13 am

In the actual event of an eruption, everyone else and myself would have a reason to panic and fear for our lives. However, I just don't think it is possible that it happens in our life times. We would have more clues that it was about to erupt that we do now, I do not think it would just be randomly. Even if it does erupt I would accept my fate or whatever happens to me, there is no point trying to cease the actions of a force that powerful and large.

Hailey

10/24/2021 01:06:52 pm

I agree with you that, because we live so close, we cannot do much to prepare for a potential eruption. I like how you mentioned that we would be dead before we even realized what happened. How much do you think the blast would affect?

Dakota James

10/24/2021 01:32:23 pm

I believe that it is very possible that the "dormant" volcano could erupt in our lifetime, since it is so far overdue. However, I do agree that we would probably have some warning, thanks to our advanced technology and the numerous studies done on the caldera every year. Again, if the eruption does occur, living in Salmon, we are unlikely to escape the toxic vapors and ash that would cover the surrounding radius for miles.

Jonah

10/24/2021 02:17:16 pm

I agree, I don't think it will be random. We will definitely know as it gets closer.

Courtney Vennell

10/24/2021 04:43:55 pm

I definitely agree with how you think we will have a lot more clues to the Yellowstone Caldera erupting when it gets closer to that time.

Kendra Hobbs

10/24/2021 04:45:56 pm

I like what you said. I think that we would would have plenty of warning if something like this happened and there is no need to worry about it.

Beth

10/24/2021 07:56:17 pm

I agree that if it were to be a concern, we should prepare ourselves, but it is paranoid to think it will erupt any time soon or in our lifetime at all.

Adyson Sawyer

10/26/2021 10:55:38 am

I agree with you, I think that we will have more of a heads up when it does happen.

Hailey

10/24/2021 01:04:58 pm

Living in the region that we do, we are at a higher risk concerning the potential eruption of the Yellowstone caldera. For people that choose to live on the coasts, they are vulnerable to hurricanes and tsunamis. Californians are likely to experience earthquakes. Nature is more powerful than any human being, and worrying about that fact will do nothing to effectually change it. If the Yellowstone caldera does erupt, there is nothing that humans can do to completely stop the damage. Therefore, I choose not to let the possibility of an eruption to cause me stress. Death is inevitable for us all, and no matter how much we try to worry it away, we will all experience it at some point.

Dakota James

10/24/2021 01:37:25 pm

I think you propose a logical point of view towards this potential situation. I see no benefit in worrying about such an event that we cannot prevent. The science and possibility concerning the volcano and its magnitude is much more fascinating to me than preparing for the explosion. Natural disasters happen all the time, and we will never dictate their occurrence.

Jonah

10/24/2021 02:20:23 pm

I agree with what Dakota said, that we can't really dictate some natural disasters. But, I do think that some are less random than others. Like obviously we can tell when a hurricane or tornado might happen because of the weather patterns, but we can't really predict an earthquake. I think Yellowstone falls somewhere in the middle.

Nathan

10/24/2021 05:46:20 pm

I think the prediction of volcanos is much like earth quakes. We know when they are over due, and about where they will happen based on the fault line.

Courtney Vennell

10/24/2021 04:00:19 pm

I definitely agree with you by saying we should not worry about something that may or may not happen because in the end we all will go through death. Although it may be one of the scariest things in life for a human, it is going to happen one way or another.

Carson Mildon

10/24/2021 06:27:04 pm

I agree a potential eruption us an inevitable force. There is not much we can do to prevent of prepare for an eruption.

Robyn Chaffin

10/24/2021 07:09:56 pm

Living in this region really shouldn’t cause us stress. When the volcano erupts we will be dead in seconds. It honestly sounds better than other ways of dying.

Adyson Sawyer

10/26/2021 10:57:24 am

I think your right, there is no need to worrying about dying because well, it is simply inevitable.

Micah Tolman

10/24/2021 02:15:43 pm

If Yellowstone erupts in my lifetime, I believe it will not be as big as predicted. I trust that the end of the world will not be for at least 1,000 more years. Christ has yet to return to the earth. When he does so, I do not think he would want to come back to a giant cloud of ash. From this aspect comes my belief that the Yellowstone eruption is yet a while off, if even it is destined to erupt.

Robyn Chaffin

10/24/2021 07:12:14 pm

With all of the technology we have to study volcanoes I think scientists will know when time for the volcano is getting close.

Jonah

10/24/2021 02:15:55 pm

In life you can find many things to worry about. A Yellowstone eruption, to me, is not one of those things. a hypothetically possible scenario that is so far down the road that worrying about it is pointless. Many theories are just made for entertainment because humans like to find subjects to argue about. “If the problem can be solved, there is no use worrying about it.”
“If it can't be solved, worrying will do no good.”
I've always resonated with this idea that I don't want to waste any of my personal peace worrying about things outside of my control. I’d invite any of you to try it sometime.

Carson Mildon

10/24/2021 06:28:30 pm

I agree with you that there are many other things to worry about. The chances of an eruptions are so much lower the chances of developing a disease for example.

Janessa

10/24/2021 07:56:10 pm

Your advice to not worry about things out of our control probably would have benefited the psycho people that thought the world was going to end in 2012 because of the Aztec calendar. Even if it would have, we should spend our last moments with those we care about, and not freaking out.

Courtney Vennell

10/24/2021 03:50:25 pm

I think because of our geographical location we are at a higher risk to be harmed by the Yellowstone Caldera if it were to erupt. I just don't quite believe that it is going to erupt in our lifetime because of how long it has been put off so far. I also agree with what a lot of people said about it erupting, because if it does since we are so close to where it would happen we would have virtually no time to escape the destruction. At that point we would have to except our fate and let nature take its course.

Kendra Hobbs

10/24/2021 04:49:49 pm

I definitely think that this is an, “it is what it is” situation. Like you said, we would just, “have to except our fate and let nature take its course.

Jonah

10/24/2021 08:49:38 pm

It eez what it eez

Kendra Hobbs

10/24/2021 04:43:10 pm

It took a long time for me to even realize that Yellowstone was a volcano. While I find volcanos and their destruction amazing and scary it never really occurred to me that it would be much of a threat. While it’s not impossible for Yellowstone to erupt, I figure it probably won’t erupt or if it does, a long way down the road. As for now we can just be prepared for anything bad to come our way. It seems impossible to truly prepare for a natural disaster like this one, but it couldn’t hurt to have a plan in the back of our minds if it did occur. We don’t need to be afraid for our lives because of it though.

Nathan

10/24/2021 05:43:23 pm

I agree, I don't think one can really prepare for something like that. Maybe someone could have a food storage or something like that.

Robyn Chaffin

10/24/2021 04:52:42 pm

Being prepared wouldn't be a bad thing. I think that topics like these really scare people. Which is probably why it is such a hot topic (pun intended). They say that the likelihood of the volcano erupting is slim but not impossible. Considering the devastation it would bring I think that people should prepare because it could help future generations also be prepared. My concern is how does one prepare for this? What measures does one need to take to ensure their safety?

Ele

10/24/2021 06:09:08 pm

Yes, it is crazy to think that we will never really know what to be prepared for because we have never been through anything like it before.

Nathan Deschaine

10/24/2021 05:40:46 pm

Yellowstone has always fascinated me. It is interesting to try and understand how the tectonic power works and to fantasize what would happen if yellow stone erupted into a supper volcano. If it did erupt it would be a catastrophic event but it is not something to be worried about. The chances of it erupting are so small that it is so much more likely to die in car crash. Which is something we put our selves at risk of every day. I do believe in preparation for catastrophic events. Things like food storage and having extra fire wood are things that my family is actively doing to prepare for the unexpected.

Ele

10/24/2021 06:10:16 pm

Yeah that is true, I am thankful for the food storage and aid kits my family has.

Micah Tolman

10/24/2021 07:54:30 pm

I do not feel there is any reasonable way to prepare or prevent this from happening. If it blows up we will all die. Basically we just need to live our lives good enough to meet our maker on good terms and everything will be okay.

Hailey

10/24/2021 07:57:13 pm

Nathan Deschaine I appreciate your point concerning car crashes. Often times we worry about things that are very unlikely to happen, yet ignore the dangers of our everyday actions.

Boaz Oswald

10/25/2021 08:05:40 am

Yellowstone has always interested me as well. It is weird to know that something so powerful is so close to us.

Ele

10/24/2021 06:05:54 pm

Everywhere we live there will always be some form of natural disaster that is threatening. Ours in this case is Yellowstone. In other places it may be earthquakes or tornados, etc. The chances for this volcano to erupt is very slim. Though, to think about what it would do if it did erupt based on research is crazy. This ultimate event does need to be prepared for just like any other disaster that harms people on the other parts of the world. This event may never occur in our lifetime which it is likely to not, but we still need to be prepared for possibilities of some form of catastrophe.

Janessa

10/24/2021 07:52:47 pm

Talking about natural disasters makes me remember that asteroid warning a couple years ago in August. I genuinely thought the world was going to be destroyed and that I was going to die. It kept me up at night.

Micah Tolman

10/24/2021 07:53:16 pm

Learning about a possible Yellowstone eruption is certainly something that helps people understand what God is capable of. It might persuade people to be obedient lest they become victims to its explosion and the aftermath.

Janessa

10/24/2021 07:51:33 pm

Honestly, I’m in promotion for the explosion. Yellowstone has been shy for so long, I’ll be right there supporting it’s big debut. I think the scientists are putting too much pressure on Yellowstone, speculating and taking data and observing. It’s making the volcano nervous, and I think such extensive investigation is a breach of its privacy. No one should be pushing the volcano to explode, or even hypothesizing when it will be ready. An explosion is a very personal thing to volcanos that marks a part of their identity, so I think the public needs to stop giving it so much negative attention. I don’t think anyone fully realizes how damaged Yellowstone’s self-worth becomes when it’s constantly being asked “When will you explode?” or being told that it’s outburst will “kill millions” and basically be the “end of the world.” People are just dramatic. They need to be considerate.

Beth

10/24/2021 07:57:22 pm

I like your perspective Janessa. I think that you might not have much time for celebration though

Lizzie

10/24/2021 08:38:07 pm

I like the way you approach this subject. If it happens than it happens if it doesn't then do be it. Volcanos should be free to do what they want.

Beth

10/24/2021 07:55:11 pm

I definitely think the eruption would be something to keep in mind if it suddenly became public news that it was going to erupt soon. However, it would be paranoid to move across the country simply because of a volcano that may or may not erupt in our lifetime. I do not think it is impossible that I could erupt, I just do not think it is very likely or something we should even worry about.

Lizzie

10/24/2021 08:36:26 pm

I think that it is interesting that this could happen and have such a large affect on our Earth. I also think there isn’t a huge point in being paranoid since it could happen at any point. We could die doing anything so might as well just live your life.

Lizzie

10/24/2021 08:32:58 pm

Yellowstone erupting is an often discussed possibility, however we have no idea when it will happen. This makes it hard to prepare for it, if we don’t even know when it will be. It is always a good idea to be prepared for natural disasters with things like food storage but this doesn’t mean that everything will just be fine. There is only so much we can do, when we have so many unknowns. I think there is probably more important things we could be focusing on other than this. Natural disasters will always be apart of the world that we will have to deal with.

Boaz Oswald

10/25/2021 08:03:44 am

As much as I hate moving my families food storage it is really important and it has brought a lot of comfort last year when we didn't have a clue what would happen.

Boaz Oswald

10/25/2021 07:59:54 am

Over the many times we have moved, I have become painfully aware of the sizable food storage that our family keeps (food, even dry, is not light stuff). We keep this food storage, however, because there are many events, natural or not, that could happen that would prohibit us from obtaining food and it is nice to know that we have something we could rely on in that situation. I think that this having just a little storage of food and water is very beneficial not only for its physical benefits in the small chance that a disaster occurs, but for the security that it brings. In the case that Yellowstone erupts this wouldn't necessarily help much, but not much else would. The only thing that would conceivably help would be an extremely expensive bunker or moving out of the range of the blast, both of which are just not reasonable and would inhibit the enjoyment of life now. I am learning that if the things I am doing for my future self severely impact my wellbeing now than I am creating a life for myself that is never satisfied with today. In a sense tomorrow never truly comes. Coming back to the subject, there will always be a disaster to prepare for. In this case I think elongating life prohibits the true expansion of life which should be the true goal of an individual.

Adyson Sawyer

10/26/2021 10:54:11 am

Choosing to live in a area where natural disasters are possible can create the constant worry about your life and the life you’ve built. However in a case such as Yellowstone, I believe that we will most likely have some what of a heads up when it does erupt one day, and we will be able to evacuate the area. But until that day comes I see so need to worry.

Yellowstone Caldera

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