Forget Yellowstone... Snake River Plain’s volcano is a MUCH BIGGER threat to America

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Forget Yellowstone... Snake River Plain?s volcano is a MUCH BIGGER threat to America | Science | News | Daily Express

FOR those that thought Yellowstone super-volcano was one of the biggest natural threats to the USA, think again.

By Sean Martin
PUBLISHED: 11:48, Wed, Apr 27, 2016 | UPDATED: 12:41, Wed, Apr 27, 2016

Eruptions at Snake River Plain in Idaho were “significantly larger” than geologists had previously thought.

Scientists from the University of Leicester discovered there were a staggering 12 massive eruptions over the course of four million years, beginning 12 million years ago.

The massive eruptions helped to form the 100 kilometre-wide Snake River Basin, with one of the most powerful eruptions occurring 8.1 million years ago. The eruption's volume exceeded 1,900 km3 and created a 1.3km thick caldera.

Furthermore, the Snake River Plain is situated on the Yellowstone Hotspot track, a region which spans from Nevada, through Oregon and Idaho and then to Wyoming where Yellowstone Volcano is located.

Dr Tom Knott from the University of Leicester, said: "While it is well-know that Yellowstone has erupted catastrophically in recent times perhaps less widely appreciated is that these were just the latest in a protracted history of numerous catastrophic super-eruptions that have burned a track along the Snake River eastwards from Oregon to Yellowstone from 16 Ma to present.

"The size and magnitude of this newly defined eruption is as large, if not larger, than better known eruptions at Yellowstone, and it is just the first in an emerging record of newly discovered super-eruptions during a period of intense magmatic activity between eight and 12 million years ago."

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

Spent most of my adult life on the Snake River Plain. Last eruption at Craters of the Moon was less than 2,000 year ago. Very interesting country. I imagine there could be another eruption at any time, but probably not a monster. More likely to have a monster in the Yellowstone region, but probably somewhere to the northeast of Yellowstone, as the hotspot continues its northeast drift, or rather the continent continues to move southwest.
Jim

 

[Jason in Enid]

Article is BS and probably written by a moron. The Snake River eruptions were part of the past track of calderas created by the same lava dome and the tectonic plates moved over the top of it. Snake river 12 million years ago is Yellowstone today. Hence, there can be no eruption in Snake River caldera.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Article is BS and probably written by a moron. The Snake River eruptions were part of the past track of calderas created by the same lava dome and the tectonic plates moved over the top of it. Snake river 12 million years ago is Yellowstone today. Hence, there can be no eruption in Snake River caldera.

Well, I wouldn't say no chance. Two thousand years ago Craters last erupted. That's a very short period of time in a geologic sense. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see another eruption between Craters and Yellowstone......just not a monster.
Jim

 

[Holyground]

Article is BS and probably written by a moron. The Snake River eruptions were part of the past track of calderas created by the same lava dome and the tectonic plates moved over the top of it. Snake river 12 million years ago is Yellowstone today. Hence, there can be no eruption in Snake River caldera.

Exactly.