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The Yellowstone supervolcano — America's ticking time bomb

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December 31, 2024

How likely is an eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano in the USA? Researchers who interpret early warning signs predict an eruption. A huge magma chamber lies dormant beneath the Earth's crust. An eruption would have catastrophic consequences.

If an eruption does occur, it’ll be a race against time. So, with the help of modern measuring techniques, researchers are seeking to identify early warning signs. If they can better understand the processes taking place inside the Earth, it’ll help them predict an eruption. This, in turn, would allow affected areas to be evacuated in time. In the past 2.1 million years, the Yellowstone Supervolcano has erupted three times - most recently, some 600,000 years ago. The next eruption could be due soon.

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