NASA plans to save the United States from the probable threat of the Yellowstone Caldera eruption in future. NASA has to spend a whopping $3.5 billion to implement the plan.
The Yellowstone Caldera last erupted 70,000 years ago. The bowl-shaped Caldera formed due to the past evacuation of the lava. It could act as the ticking time bomb, though relatively. Now NASA wants to ensure that any threat from Yellowstone should be averted properly.
The important fact is nobody knows when the eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera will take place again. Scientists also don't believe it as the imminent threat. But, this doesn't stop NASA to bring a plan that can ensure the unsuccessful fruition of the threat by the Yellowstone.
From the previous eruption history, it is quite assumable that lava would not be a major issue. Lava didn't reach far outside the boundaries of the park. Now, ash could create the far-flung cloud. This cloud could cover up to 800 kilometers of the surrounding area of the Yellowstone, according to the TNW.
When the dust would begin to fall, then ten centimeters of soot would cover parts of Chicago and the Midwest. The region that is responsible for major food supply could be affected due to this cover of soot. The Yellowstone eruption will form the ash clouds and will emit a huge amount of gas including the sulfur dioxide.
Now, these gases could be responsible for creating the absorbent layer. The absorbent layer will catch the sunlight and will reflect the sunlight's major part back into space. It would ultimately bring the cooling effect that could last for several decades. In a word, the Yellowstone eruption could have a great impact.
But, the important thing is scientists give the said incidents and the Yellowstone eruption very minimum chance of occurring in the next hundred years. Now, NASA has planned a solution to prevent all these incidents from happening. According to the plan, drilling would be performed by the teams from the volcano's both sides. It is obvious that it would be done outside the boundaries of the Yellowstone National Park.
Now, after drilling water must be pumped into one side, then back out of the other maintaining the high pressure. The water would cool the hot volcano, the Yellowstone Caldera and the temperature of the exiting water would reach about 350 degrees. Steam could be generated by the hot water and would be very useful to produce electricity. According to News.com.au, this plan could stop the magma of the super volcano, Yellowstone Caldera, from reaching the eruption temperature.
The estimated cost amount to implement this project is $3.5 billion. Now, the success of this project could cool down the Yellowstone at the rate of 3.2 feet every year. No doubt, this rate would take a long time to cool the volcano sufficiently.
