Will Yellowstone erupt?

[ThePinsir]

Erupt what? Wjat kind of eruption?

Hydrothermal eruption of Steam and hot water? Happens every day.

Ash and Tephra eruption caused by phreatomagmatic explosion, possibly followed by modest lava extrusions? Possibly it could happen in our life time. Although the chance seems low because it hasn't seem to have happened in Yellowstone for many thousands of years.

A plinian eruption like Mt St Helens? Possibly it could happen, but less likely than ash or tephra eruptions. But I think the current view is such event hasn't happened in yellowstone in over 70 thousand years.

A large caldera forming eruption capable of bloting out the land of the free and home of the brave? I believe the current view is the condition for such a eruption currently does not exist. I think geological record suggests caldrea forming eruption over the yellowstone hot spot tend to occur in spurts. Several caldrea forming eruption occurs in one region over a period of a couple of million years, then a quiet period of a couple of million years in which only much smaller eruptions occur, and then a new episold of caldra forming eruptions occurs 100 miles of so further to the north east. I think some geologists think the Lava creek eruption 600,000 years ago mark the end of the spurt of caldera forming eruption that began 2 million years ago with huckleberry ridge eruption. The next caldera forming eruption will belong to a new cycle that won't occur for 2-3 million years, and will happen far outside park boundary to the north east of the park.

Thanks for posting this. Seriously. Even if it's not accurate, I will now cling to it to comfort me and keep my find from an inconvenient reality!

Wow...I sound like a X-ian now lol