An eruption of the Yellowstone caldera occurs it will likely be an extinction level event.
I think you are asking "How high" in elevation. Yellowstone NP encompasses most of the Yellowstone volcanic center/hot spot/caldera, which is a plateau. The highest elevation for the caldera is around 7,733 feet above sea level although the highest point "Eagle Peak" is 11,358 feet above sea level and the lowest point "Reese Creek" is 5,282 feet ABSL. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/about/index.php
The elevation of La Garita Caldera is approximately 9,203 feet (2,805 meters) above sea level. It is located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, USA.
Yellowstone Lake (found in Yellowstone National Park) has the highest elevation of a lake in the US. Its elevation is 7,735 feet above sea level.
In terms of eruptions in the states themselves, the largest eruption goes to the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens. The largest eruption to occur on U.S. soil was the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska. This eruption was an order of magnitude larger than the Mount St Helens eruption, but at the time Alaska was not a state.
A supervolcano typically has a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 8, which is the highest level on the scale. This VEI indicates an eruption that releases more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of material, causing widespread devastation on a global scale. Examples of supervolcanoes include Yellowstone Caldera in the United States and Lake Toba in Indonesia.
At Yellowstone, we see the caldera or what we call a supervolcano. The volcanic profile of Yellowstone in its past is one of a massive eruption that dwarfs anything we understand in current knowledge. Use the link below to the Wikipedia post on the supervolcano to learn more.
The eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano is generally accepted to be inevitable. So, when the super volcano does erupt, it is likely to be an ELE (Extinction Level Event). It is likely to end most if not all life on Earth. Even life in Singapore.
The moon crashing into the planet would be an extinction level event. The extinction of the dinosaurs occurred long before we were born.
I think you are asking "How high" in elevation. Yellowstone NP encompasses most of the Yellowstone volcanic center/hot spot/caldera, which is a plateau. The highest elevation for the caldera is around 7,733 feet above sea level although the highest point "Eagle Peak" is 11,358 feet above sea level and the lowest point "Reese Creek" is 5,282 feet ABSL. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/about/index.php
Nope. It is quite possible. There are several possible extinction level events that have been theorized.Possible ELE's:Asteroid/Comet strikeMajor Caldera eruptionWorldwide PandemicFour to Six strategically detonated EMPsSolar FlareBlack HoleNear space Supernova
The earth could be devestated by an extinction level event. I.e. planetary imact with a comet or large space body.
The Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) Extinction Event is widely recognised as the greatest extinction event on Earth. It is also known as the "Great Dieing".It occurred 251 million years ago marking the end of the Permian Period and the start of the Triassic Period.It also marks the end of the Paleozoic Era and the start of the Mesozoic Era. Estimates have suggested that 96% of marine species and 70% percent of land vertebrate species became extinct. It is also the only known mass extinction of insect with 56% of insect families and 83% of insect genera becoming extinct.Little is known of the cause of the mass extinction but theories range from meteorite impacts, to volcanism, to sea level fluctuations.
It was the second largest extinction in terms of loss of life. The extinction was caused by the movement of Gondwana into the south polar region which led to glaciation and subsequent sea level fall. At this time all know life was confined to the oceans and 60% of marine invertebrates died. The event ended when Gondwana moved out of the south polar region, the glaciers melted, and sea level returned to normal.
The elevation of La Garita Caldera is approximately 9,203 feet (2,805 meters) above sea level. It is located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, USA.
West Yellowstone is a town in Gallatin County, Montana. The altitude is 6,667 feet above sea level.
The Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) Extinction Event is widely recognised as the greatest extinction event on Earth. It is also known as the "Great Dieing".It occurred 251 million years ago marking the end of the Permian Period and the start of the Triassic Period. It also marks the end of the Paleozoic Era and the start of the Mesozoic Era. Estimates have suggested that 96% of marine species and 70% percent of land vertebrate species became extinct. It is also the only known mass extinction of insect with 56% of insect families and 83% of insect genera becoming extinct.Little is known of the cause of the mass extinction but theories range from meteorite impacts, to volcanism, to sea level fluctuations.
buffalo, deer, and mice