Yellowstone supervolcano would cover North America in ashFrom American Geophysical Union, via E

Yellowstone supervolcano would cover North America in ash
FromAmerican Geophysical Union, via EarthSky  ||  27 August 2014

IMAGES

1. An example of the possible distribution of ash from a month-long Yellowstone supereruption. A hypothetical, large eruption would create a distinctive kind of ash cloud known as an “umbrella,” which expands evenly in all directions.  Image via USGS 
2. An aerial flight over Yellowstone’s Midway Geyser Basin in 2004 shows Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser Crater, which drain into the nearby Firehole River. Image via USGS

Bottom line: If the Yellowstone supervolcano were to erupt – an unlikely scenario, scientists say – cities close to volcano could be covered by more than a meter (a few feet) of ash. There would be centimeters (a few inches) of ash in the Midwest, while cities on both coasts would see millimeters (a fraction of an inch) of accumulation, according to the new study that was published online on August 27, 2014 in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. The paper has been made available at no charge via onlinelibrary.wiley.com.