What will you do if Yellowstone erupts?

[Shadowferal]

I wouldn't put that number so high, humans are almost like cockroaches. We survived Toba going off 75,000 years ago, we(as a species) would probably survive, if by the skin of our teeth again.

Skin of our teeth indeed;

The Toba eruption has been linked to a genetic bottleneck in human evolution about 70,000 years ago, which may have resulted from a severe reduction in the size of the total human population due to the effects of the eruption on the global climate. According to the genetic bottleneck theory, between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago, human populations sharply decreased to 3,000–10,000 surviving individuals. It is supported by some genetic evidence suggesting that today's humans are descended from a very small population of between 1,000 and 10,000 breeding pairs that existed about 70,000 years ago.

[Flutterguy]

If my dreams were fulfilled, I'd be living near Yellowstone so I'd die probably if there was no warning to evacuate.

[philandjims]

What will I do?

Pray, repent for my sins and hope I make it to heaven. LOL!

[Kathandira]

The most terrifying and overlooked issue in the U.S if not the world is the supervolcano in the western US that is bound to erupt any moment. Even if you're out the blast radius, super-tsunami, super-earthquakes and the shifting of the plates will wreck so much havoc on this planet and if that doesn't scare you? The ashfall out will cover the sun and super-cool the Earth for hundreds of years.

What would you do in this situation:
"BREAKING NEWS: YELLOWSTONE SUPER VOLCANO ERUPTS"

I'm on the coast, so i'll likely drown. There isn't much that can be done. Just hope you survive.

[cubby]

The most terrifying and overlooked issue in the U.S if not the world is the supervolcano in the western US that is bound to erupt any moment. Even if you're out the blast radius, super-tsunami, super-earthquakes and the shifting of the plates will wreck so much havoc on this planet and if that doesn't scare you? The ashfall out will cover the sun and super-cool the Earth for hundreds of years.

What would you do in this situation:
"BREAKING NEWS: YELLOWSTONE SUPER VOLCANO ERUPTS"

The eruption will push the earth into a dramatic climate change, erasing the United States midwestern "breadbasket" and killing possibly billions. I'm not entirely sure that the ashfall will cover the sun, but it will dramatically cool the earth.

What will I do? Try and survive as best I can.

[Temp name]

Probably the same as I do right now. Play video games. I'm far enough away that I won't die, so worrying about it just seems silly

[dbaum23]

Initially nothing. Mid to long term the earth will cool and enter another mini ice-age and agriculture/crops will fail due to decreased sun exposure.

- - - Updated - - -



Well I forsee a reverse of the S. American caravans walking to El Norte. Trump may actually get his wall with Mexico paying, hell even building, for it. Though I'm sure the US military will lead the way wiping out/surpressing any resistance for all the heartland people heading into "shithole" brown majority countries.

It wouldn't matter, the whole world would be affected. Long term there isn't a "paradise". Most of the world's population would once again die off.

[ecospherez]

[Shadowferal]

Probably the same as I do right now. Play video games. I'm far enough away that I won't die, so worrying about it just seems silly

That big of an eruption? You won't be playing games for long.
You'll be struggling to survive and likely fighting for food and water just like everyone else that survived.

[Temp name]

That big of an eruption? You won't be playing games for long.
You'll be struggling to survive and likely fighting for food and water just like everyone else that survived.

I'm not in the the Americas, so power will be fine. We'll probably be food safe for a couple years at least as well too.

Harvests might fail, but over all we'd probably still be fine

[Yadryonych]

That big of an eruption? You won't be playing games for long.
You'll be struggling to survive and likely fighting for food and water just like everyone else that survived.

Why do people imagine Yellowstone eruption as a half of earth's crust being blown away into space? It would be much like a Hawaiian constant lava flow but a few times larger. Nobody has extinct because of Hawaii, people even live in closest proximity to these volcanoes

[Puupi]

Why do people imagine Yellowstone eruption as a half of earth's crust being blown away into space? It would be much like a Hawaiian constant lava flow but a few times larger. Nobody has extinct because of Hawaii, people even live in closest proximity to these volcanoes

It's not the lava that is dangerous here. It's the ash and the toxic chemicals.

[Shadowferal]

I'm not in the the Americas, so power will be fine. We'll probably be food safe for a couple years at least as well too.
Harvests might fail, but over all we'd probably still be fine

No you wouldn't.
This level of eruption is a near extinction level event.
And many survivors will suicide.

You won't have wifi..you won't have internet...(and no radio assuming you know what that is) you might get lucky in having electricity for a while.
The big struggle will be keeping warm and fed. And every routine will be involve just that.

- - - Updated - - -

Why do people imagine Yellowstone eruption as a half of earth's crust being blown away into space? It would be much like a Hawaiian constant lava flow but a few times larger. Nobody has extinct because of Hawaii, people even live in closest proximity to these volcanoes

Those are tiny eruptions in comparison.
If such an event as the Yellowstone Caldera going boom happens, you're in for a terrifying surprise.

[Yadryonych]

No you wouldn't.
This level of eruption is a near extinction level event.
Those are tiny eruptions in comparison.
If such an event as the Yellowstone Caldera going boom happens, you're in for a terrifying surprise.

It will have an impact in a long term but in a no case the Yellowstone eruption is going to be a "BOOM instakill" kind of event. Even people living in ground zero will have a few days to evacuate, considering how well it is monitored and forecasted

[Puupi]

It will have an impact in a long term but in a no case the Yellowstone eruption is going to be a "BOOM instakill" kind of event. Even people living in ground zero will have a few days to evacuate, considering how well it is monitored and forecasted

Tell that to the people in New Zealand just this week.

[Shadowferal]

It will have an impact in a long term but in a no case the Yellowstone eruption is going to be a "BOOM instakill" kind of event. Even people living in ground zero will have a few days to evacuate, considering how well it is monitored and forecasted

Don't underestimate people's ability to ignore the obvious.

Tell that to the people in New Zealand just this week.

That sums it up.

[Puupi]

Don't underestimate people's ability to ignore the obvious. That sums it up.

Yeah, two more died today. Now it's 8 dead, 9 missing (presumed dead, too) and around 20 in critical condition in ICU.

[Crissi]

Why do people imagine Yellowstone eruption as a half of earth's crust being blown away into space? It would be much like a Hawaiian constant lava flow but a few times larger. Nobody has extinct because of Hawaii, people even live in closest proximity to these volcanoes

Different volcanoes erupt differently. Shield volcanoes like in hawaii do the lava spills while stratovolcanoes like Mt. St. Helens explode. Yellowstone could do one of several since its a caldera type volcano. It could do a hydro eruption with a ton of water which isnt too terrible, some lavl flows or it could do what its done 3 times in the past and yes, explode and put a shitton of ash into the air.

Hydroerruption is most likely according to the USGS, but an explosive type is always possible. You cant really compare different volcano types.

as for if the worst happens, my family would try and go as far South as possible. Mexico would probably pull a Murica and forbid Americans from crossing as refugees, but the tip of south texas should be safe enough.

[DarkAmbient]

Skin of our teeth indeed;

The Toba eruption has been linked to a genetic bottleneck in human evolution about 70,000 years ago, which may have resulted from a severe reduction in the size of the total human population due to the effects of the eruption on the global climate. According to the genetic bottleneck theory, between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago, human populations sharply decreased to 3,000–10,000 surviving individuals. It is supported by some genetic evidence suggesting that today's humans are descended from a very small population of between 1,000 and 10,000 breeding pairs that existed about 70,000 years ago.

Yeah, that's insane. I wonder how well we'd fare next time round. We're healthier these days, but the vast majority of us who don't still live in mud huts don't even know how to hunt or distill water. Throw in the collapse of industrial agriculture and food production and we're fucked. But we are a resilient species, I think we'd make it.

[FatGandalf]

Someone has been watching 2012 and bad youtube vids for to long..

1. Yellowstone is not overlooked

2. An eruption is not going to happen any day now

3. A Yellowstone eruption wouldn´t even kill all life in North America and is not a world ending event.