8 January 2009 · science
Is Yellowstone about to blow?
The last eruption was 640,000 years ago. The eruptions seem to occur about every 680,000 years, give or take. So Yellowstone is about due.
(SciGuy: Is Yellowstone about to blow?)
I remember the above stat from when I read Bill Bryson’s “A Short History Of Nearly Everything” (a most excellent book btw).
According to SciGuy, just after Christmas there was a flurry of earthquakes beneath Yellowstone Lake. Could this be the big one?
If so, and you live in the US, I hope you’re on one of the coasts, as this map estimates the ash beds for the last three major eruptions:
