W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A . C O M
67
EARTHQUAKES
Brittle
Plastic
CRUSTAL STRETCHING
IF YELLOWSTONE DOES SURPRISE US WITH AN ERUPTION BY 2045, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ERUPTION
WILL MOST LIKELY LOOK LIKE?
Most Yellowstone eruptions are lava flows, slow effusions of molten rock that cover tens of
thousand of acres with thick (hundreds of feet) accumulations of lava. e last one occurred
70,000 years ago and formed the enormous Pitchstone Plateau in the south part of Yellowstone
National Park. Such an eruption would not be a continental-scale disaster but would certainly
impact the park and its surroundings. Potential effects could include road closures, forest fires,
local flooding, and some moderate amounts of volcanic ash.
WHAT KINDS OF PREPARATIONS SHOULD COMMUNITIES BORDERING YELLOWSTONE MAKE FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF SOME KIND OF ERUPTION BY 2045?
At this time, there is no need for any special preparations. An eruption at Yellowstone
remains unlikely. However, people should always prepare for potential emergencies where
power may be out for several days and food and water may be difficult to obtain. Whether an
earthquake, volcanic eruption, tornado, or other disaster, people should have personal plans to
keep their families safe and self-sufficient for several days.
INTERVIEW WITH
DR. JAKE LOWENSTERN
RESEARCH GEOLOGIST; U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
SCIENTIST-IN-CHARGE, YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A . C O M
For a related article in the
Archives, see "Extraterrestial
Life and Yellowstone
Hot Springs"
DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL
www.distinctlymontana.com
A graduate of Dartmouth College and
Stanford University, Jake Lowen-
stern is a volcano expert (volcanolo-
gist) with the U.S. Geological Survey
in Menlo Park, CA. Since 2002, he
has served as the scientist-in-charge
of the Yellowstone Volcano Observa-
tory. His research focuses on the
gases emitted from volcanoes and
how they can be used to understand
how, why, and when volcanoes erupt.
His research has brought him to six
continents to study volcanoes, but he
still likes Yellowstone the best.
