Page 97 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

Molten rock forming at the top of the mantle plume rises through cracks in the brittle crust to fill a huge magma chamber.

The very hot rock of the mantle plume is kept solid by intense pressure, but is soft enough to flow slowly.

Scientists think that Yellowstone’s mantle plume may rise from near Earth’s outer core. A huge city such as Tokyo, one of the biggest in the world, could fit inside the caldera.

MANTLE PLUME Two-thirds of the world’s hot springs and geysers erupt in Yellowstone’s caldera. CALDERA SIZE Yellowstone’s magma chamber has a temperature of about 1,400°F (760°C).

GLOBAL THREAT Yellowstone last erupted 640,000 years ago, with a catastrophic explosion that blasted 230 cubic miles (1,000 cubic km) of rock into the air. It could happen again, creating enough volcanic ash to cover half of the USA. Airborne haze would shroud the globe, dimming the Sun and chilling the climate. TOTAL DESTRUCTION ASH FALL RAINING ASH STATS AND FACTS ACTIVITY Scientists watch Yellowstone very carefully, and luckily, it shows no signs of erupting soon. TEMPERATURE BIGGEST KNOWN ERUPTION 2.1 MILLION

95
95

US_094-095_Yellowstone.indd 95 01/03/17 1:38 pm