New Discovery: World's Largest "Super" Volcano Erupted in Utah ..

BYU geologists discover 'super volcano' in Utah
By Ed Yeates
Updated - December 10th, 2013 @ 12:17pm

PROVO — Geologists at Brigham Young University have discovered what may be the world's largest "super" volcano that erupted in Utah's own backyard.

While there are a variety of volcanoes that blast away in different ways, super volcanic eruptions are the biggest that collapse into large calderas. Yellowstone Park is the remains of one of those calderas and it's still very much alive and active.

But, geologists think they may have found an equally as big if not bigger super volcano, one that shook up western Utah and eastern Nevada 30 million years ago. The eruption is hardly visible to the naked eye now, but underneath and in surrounding formations, the evidence was waiting to be uncovered.

"As far as we know, the Wah Wah Springs eruption is the largest known explosive volcanic eruption," said BYU professor of geology Eric Christiansen.

Read more at www.ksl.com...

www.ksl.com...

Supervolcanoes discovered in Utah by BYU geologists

December 9, 2013

Brigham Young University geologists found evidence of some of the largest volcanic eruptions in earth’s history right in their own backyard.

These supervolcanoes aren’t active today, but 30 million years ago more than 5,500 cubic kilometers of magma erupted during a one-week period near a place called Wah Wah Springs. By comparison, this eruption was about 5,000 times larger than the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption.

“In southern Utah, deposits from this single eruption are 13,000 feet thick,” said Eric Christiansen, the lead author for the BYU study. “Imagine the devastation – it would have been catastrophic to anything living within hundreds of miles.”

news.byu.edu...

Think this area is also capable to have strong earthquake of M 7.0 + ..

I guess and have some feeling that next strong earthquake on land at N.America will be somewhere in area of Nevada ..

America it always has to do thing bigger than everywere else.

reply to post by MariaLida


I guess the earth really rocked back then. I found another that was discovered two months ago at the junction of three plates:

Geological exploration reveals Australian super volcano

A GEOLOGICAL survey team says an ancient super volcano exuded more than 450 cubic kilometres of molten magma in a single eruption, over what are now Ngaanyatjarra tribal lands. Geochemist Dr Hugh Smithies says it is the largest super volcano he is aware of on the planet.

Source

Supervolcano wars, anyone? Have at it, boys!

reply to post by MariaLida


I seem to remember seeing a documentary a few years ago that mentioned how the vent remained in the same place while the Earth's crust moved over it. Can't be fussed to find a link now I think I watched it on Netflix. I seem to remember Utah would have passed over it with the path, so same volcano? Like I said, not claiming knowledge just wanted to throw out a possibility.

Wow that's right next door to Yellow Stone.

I'd feel mighty uncomfortable if I lived in any of those surrounding states.

Actually with how they describe a Yellow Stone eruption, I guess me being in California wouldn't be the safest place with and even closer and more explosive super volcano.

Scary stuff.

crazyewok
America it always has to do thing bigger than everywere else.

lol, we do our best! Currently we're working on our storms, keep your eye on us you'll be blown away...

To the OP:
I thought a couple years ago scientists decided that yellow stone went further than they thought. Is that not the case anymore?

If not, guess I'll have to get use to referring to yellow stone as the 2nd largest known volcano.

Super Volcanoes are cool. Yes.
However, as interesting as they are, there's something even bigger known as a Flood Basalt event where you can get Continental sized volcanic activity.

The Siberian Traps, for instance, left over from the Permian-Triassic Extinction event, the event that nearly reset the clock on Life in wiping out 96% of the species alive at the time, covered an area of around 1,500,000 square km.
That's about 1/3 the land mass of the US, to depths of several thousands of feet, turned into volcanic glass by means of comparison.

These eruptions of Continental Scale regions of the Earth's crust basically turning into an ocean of liquified molten rock can also endure over timescales from thousands to millions of years non-stop too.

These events, though massive, are not, however, explosive, and more akin in behavior to the glowing rivers and lakes of molten Basalt we observe in Hawaii, but multiplied over vastly larger scales.



Back to Supervolcanoes; they're an interesting animal too.
I'd love to be alive with access to sufficient resources to monitor coverage of one of those events, as well as having sufficient enough safety in distance, shelter, and preparedness to survive such an event in relative ease and comfort.

Had we time machines and time-tourism, It'd be quite interesting to witness some of these events.

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite

Lets go to Hawaii !! I'll buy there are all kinds of eruptions there! I've been there many times ..you can see the lava

flow..so slow.

This stuff has gone on
this planet and other planets since we thought to think about it. Right?

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


Thanks for that. Got lost in Wiki for a while. ...This stuff always reminds me of ancient texts - so many refer to dramatic geological changes.

I Ching
It is the law of earth to alter the full and to contribute to the modest. High mountains are worn down by the waters, and the valleys are filled up. It is the law of fate to undermine what is full and to prosper the modest.

Isaiah 40:4 CEB
Common English Bible
Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain.

reply to post by soficrow


I think as far as Biblical analogy goes the 'Lake of Fire' ties nicely into a flood basalt event.

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite

I'd love to be alive with access to sufficient resources to monitor coverage of one of those events, as well as having sufficient enough safety in distance, shelter, and preparedness to survive such an event in relative ease and comfort.

Is there any caldera eruption that would allow for everyone to be at a good safe distance though?