The eruption of Supervolcán Yellowstone could be catastrophic, but there’s a bold NASA plan to save humanity from the existential threat of an eruption. So, what’s the big deal about supervolcanoes? Well, it all starts with the Volcanic Explosiveness Index (VEI), which measures the explosiveness of a volcanic eruption. Any volcanic center that’s had a magnitude 8 or higher eruption, according to the VEI, is considered a supervolcano.
What is a supervolcano and can it be stopped?
There are only 20 supervolcanoes in the world, each one unusually large and capable of producing an eruption that would affect the entire world. Yellowstone’s supervolcano, or Yellowstone boiler, is one of them. Located in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, it was formed over three super-eruptions that occurred over the last 2.1 million years. Lately, there’s been a resurgence in volcanic activity that’s caused a stir and put supervolcanoes in the headlines. Even the Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico has been under constant surveillance, with a new satellite keeping an eye on it.
The potential consequences of a Yellowstone eruption
Of all the volcanoes in the world, Yellowstone is the one that keeps volcanologists up at night, as its eruption would send shock waves worldwide. Although it’s rumbling with magma that’s been moving for 160,000 years, a short-term eruption isn’t expected – but if it did happen, there’s a plan in place. So, what would happen if one of these supervolcanoes erupted? If Yellowstone were to erupt, the ash would spread over 800 kilometers, affecting most of the United States’ continental territory. The west would be the most affected region, with ash possibly reaching a meter deep in the Rocky Mountains.
In addition to the devastation those living nearby would suffer, it could cause significant climate changes. The ash would block sunlight, causing a volcanic winter, which threatens crop yields and could lead to food shortages or even massive famine. Meanwhile, volcanic gases could generate acid rain. It’s a pretty dire scenario – but what can be done to prevent it?
NASA’s plan to stop Yellowstone’s possible eruption
When scientists observed the volcano, the most logical solution that occurred to them was to simply cool it down. A Yellowstone-sized volcano is, in essence, a gigantic heat generator, with enough energy inside to supply six industrial power plants. NASA’s plan is to drill into the supervolcano and fill it with cold water to cool it down, similar to how a car radiator works. The constant vapor flow would then provide a renewable energy source without a carbon footprint. The problem is that cooling the lava at the front doesn’t do much to help the magma behind – there are thousands of cubic kilometers of lava to cool, so it’s likely that these efforts wouldn’t be enough. Maybe such a plan could put the supervolcano on ice for a short time, but not forever. In the end, there would still be a devastating eruption.
But here’s the thing – scientists who monitor Yellowstone say it shouldn’t erupt anytime in the next thousand years. That’s roughly the same risk as a large asteroid crashing into Earth (although there is one close, and NASA has plans to divert asteroids). According to the United States Geological Service, the chances of an eruption in a given year are between 1 in 730,000, or 0.00014%. So, while it’s still a risk, it’s not something to lose sleep over just yet.