Mysterious Volcanoes Life's Little Mysteries

How do scientists know when a volcano is about to erupt? What would happen if Yellowstone’s supervolcano erupted? And what would happen if every volcano on earth erupted at once? All these questions (and a whole lot more)are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy.

 

Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.



 

Mystery #1: How Do Scientists Know a Volcano Is About to Erupt?



Warning signs can begin weeks or months before an eruption
Some of the many signs a volcanologist will look for include seismographic detection of earthquakes and tremors and analyzing cracking patterns in the ground in close proximity to the volcano 







Guest editor report with space.com reporter Chelsea Gohd: An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Then, a volcano helped life flourish.

 

Mystery #2: What Would Happen If Yellowstone's Supervolcano Erupted?



Yellowstone National Park is made up of three overlapping calderas 
Calderas are bowl-shaped craters that were formed after three giant eruptions occured 2.1 million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago. 







Interview with volcanologist Dr. Jessica Ball, you can find out more about her work on her blog, Magma Cum Laude, and by following her on Twitter, 







Mystery #3: What If Every Volcano on Earth Erupted at Once?



Worldwide 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, around 500 of which have erupted during recorded human history.  
That number excluded the amount of volcanoes on the seafloor. 




 

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Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms

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