Rest assured citizens of D.C., you will have three to five days to formulate a survival plan during a worst-case scenario “super-volcanic” eruption of Yellowstone Park, according to the Discovery Channel and the United States Geologic Survey. The Yellowstone region is what is known as a caldera-forming volcano, which has the potential to spew some 250 cubic miles … yes, cubic miles … of liquid-hot magma into the atmosphere, which would then begin to rain down across the country and the world. This would make would make Mount St. Helens look like the July Fourth fireworks display on the Mall.
According to Discovery’s super-volcano mini-movie that aired last night, D.C. would receive about 1 centimeter of ash — 10 times the average amount it generally takes to cripple an airport. Areas near the eruption site would be buried under 20 feet of ash. The volcanic cloud would blacken the world’s skies resulting in, among other things, widespread chaos, extensive destruction, a global decline in temperature and prolonged volcanic winter.
