Magma Expanse under Yellowstone supervolcano more vast than thought

CNN’s article, Magma Expanse under Yellowstone supervolcano more vast than thought written by Ben Brumfield, is almost horrific. It compares the Yellowstone supervolcano to a ticking time bomb, like Mt. Saint Helens, Mt. Pinatubo, or Krakatoa. The belly of the beast being more than twice the size of the Grand Canyon, the odds are very unlikely, scientists say, about 1 in 700,000 this year alone. “But when it does blow, it will probably change the world.” To understand the effects Yellowstone’s eruption would have on the world, Brumfield looked back on the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, which “blew many cubic meters of debris skyward and killed about 10,000 inhabitants of Indonesia in an instant.” This article is new, a little frightening, and hopefully, helps scientists keep an eye out to what might happen.

This article is incredibly significant. Although Yellowstone might not erupt for another thousand years, the odds are still odds, and the volcano is still 2.5 times the size of the Grand Canyon. When the author compared what might happen to some great horrific eruptions, I was frightened a lot because of the significant changes they made to the earth around them and the immense death tolls. Although I have never witnessed an erupting volcano, and I know that there can be different kinds, Yellowstone is a supervolcano and so many people visit it - I did when I was eight. I was very curious as to why scientists had to re-measure Yellowstone’s supervolcano and why their first measurements or estimates were so far off the real thing. So I hope this article has alerted scientists all over the country, maybe even the world, to keep their eyes open for any unusual activity to keep people safe if Yellowstone really does erupt.

This article was written very well. Although it contained lots of information, it also contained lots of imagery and was divided up into several parts with different headlines, like “World’s Greatest Explosions,” “Magnitudes Worse,” and “Keeping an Eye Out,” which I liked. The comparisons to other eruptions in “World’s Greatest Explosions” created a morbid mood, although maybe not quite intentionally, it summarized the significance of what would happen when Yellowstone did explode. This article grabbed my attention right from the title and continued to keep my attention all the way down, with pictures and models included on the sides. It was a very interesting and significant read.

Brumfield, Ben. "Magma Expanse under Yellowstone Supervolcano More Vast - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 24 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 May 2015.

Posted for G. Burkee