Geo Blog # 4: The Yellowstone Supervolcano

Last week, I was briefed for our next Critical Thought Symposium; the topic of the next symposia is the Yellowstone supervolcano. The magnitude potential of Yellowstone immediately grabbed my attention. I was assigned the role of the ‘Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Scientist –in-Charge’. Interestingly during my research, I stumbled upon an article written by Jake Lowenstern, the current scientist-in-charge for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory based at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, California. Therefore, I would like to use this blog post as a reflection on that article.

First…let’s begin with some background information. The Yellowstone supervolcano is a caldera, a violent type of volcano that is a combination of mafic and felsic material. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a supervolcano implies “an eruption of magnitude 8 on the Volcano Explosivity Index, meaning that more than 1,000 cubic kilometers (250 cubic miles) of magma are erupted” (Lowenstern).

The Yellowstone volcanic field is one of the most seismically active areas of the western U.S., experiencing … more than 30,000 earthquakes from 1973 to 2007” (Farrell). The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) was founded in 2001 by a joined effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and the University of Utah. These parties work in unison to ensure that “there is a proper response to any geologic even that occurs at Yellowstone” (Dr. Pillar).

In his article titled, “Truth, Fiction and Everything in between at Yellowstone,” Lowenstern discusses his views on the myths surrounding Yellowstone. While Lowenstern acknowledges that Yellowstone will most likely erupt again, he doubts that the magnitude of the eruption will amount to the three largest explosive eruptions, 2.1 million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago (Lowenstern). Lowenstern continues on to discuss how “docudramas,” news articles, and the Internet have instilled unrealistic conceptions of the Yellowstone volcano. Instead of portraying the effects of a small eruption, these sources become chronicle a near-future cataclysm as they assume the worst possible scenario; for instance, BBC Science and National Geographic have contributed to false public impression. Lawenstern describes this as “creatively embellishing the fundamental science.”

Lowenstern concludes his article by reflecting on the ‘public face of science.’ He mentions that one of the challenges he faced once being promoted to ‘scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’ was communicating technical information to a public. Nonetheless, he acknowledges how vital the skill is. “When the science is ignored, or misunderstood, everyone loses. The challenge for us scientists is to relay both the details and the context of our work, so that society understands that science is ultimately a human endeavor — sometimes uncertain, often complex, but always exciting” (Lowenstren).

It was that excitement that prompted me to conduct further research on the potential effects of super-volcanic eruptions from peer-reviewed sources. I came across an interesting source addressing the atmospheric impacts of such a large-scale eruption. The article discussed a plethora of impacts that create a sort of chain reaction on the atmosphere. One of the many impacts discussed by Harris is that of sulfuric acid droplets. “The most widespread global effects of a large volcanic eruption are not caused by ash or pyroclastic flows, which can be locally devastating, but by tiny droplets of sulfuric acid, known as sulphate aerosol, which decrease the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface and lead to a cooling” (Harris).
I will continue to explore this topic in the coming weeks as I form my research paper.

Work Cited:

Farrell, J., Husen, S., & Smith, R. B. (2009). Earthquake swarm and b-value characterization of the Yellowstone volcano-tectonic system. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 188(1), 260-276.

Harris, B. (2008). The potential impact of super‐volcanic eruptions on the Earth’s atmosphere. Weather, 63(8), 221-225.

Lowenstern, Jake. (June 2005). “Truth, Fiction and Everything in between at Yellowstone.” Geotimes. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. .