The First Apocalypse Friday

Today, Friday, means freedom from work and school (except today; it's spring break for me). Sometimes, it's just so amazing that you couldn't even dream of the world ending today. So, to make sure you don't do anything too crazy (or to ruin your Friday, evil me), check in on how the world could actually cease to exist tomorrow.

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about the supervolcano in Yellowstone Park. Does it exist? Will it explode? How bad will the eruption be? 

Let's be clear, there isn't a clear volcano at Yellowstone. The volcano you always think of is a composite volcano, which looks like a mountain with magma. However, if you look at Yellowstone, there isn't a clear hump.

The reason is that this volcano is not obvious is because it has exploded before, most recently 640,000 years ago. When a volcano erupts violently, the roof of the magma chamber (the supply of magma for the volcano) collapses. This makes the entire mountain sink down to form a crater, or more specifcally, a caldera. The process is shown by this diagram of Mount Mazama, Oregon:

So the volcano does exist. Now, let's find out if this volcano will erupt. The tern "supervolcano" alone worries everyone, including scientists. They are now measuring the Yellowstone caldera, which is rising 

and falling. Surprisingly, between 2004 and 2008, it rose at a rate of 3 inches per year: the fastest it has ever risen in recorded history. In addition, the volcano is 1,000 years overdue for a supereruption. Finally, animals are fleeing the area due to growing seismic activity.

Is it the end?

No. In 2009, it stopped rising as quickly, and in Janurary 2010, it was offically declared that the caldera had slowed to its normal rate of rising. The "overdue" evidence doesn't actually exist. Instead, it was a hoax created by the press. As for the animals, it's part of migration and is nothing out of the ordinary.

Sorry for scaring you, but thanks for watching! Make sure to comment below! I may not see you for a while becuase of spring break, but after that, I'm going to try to make the blog a daily thing.

Until next time,

Ben's jamin'

Benjamin

P.S. Make sure you check out John's math blog at http://johncooksmathblog.blogspot.com.