Scientists know it as the deadliest volcano on Earth. You know it…as Yellowstone

Supervolcano is a television docufiction film that was first aired in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2005, and released by the BBC on 10 April 2005 on the Discovery Channel. It is centered on the speculated and potential eruption of the volcanic caldera of Yellowstone National Park…..more info from the BBC

Part 1 of the awesome BBC Supervolcano docu-drama. For all the Documentary fans out there.

Part 2 of the awesome BBC Supervolcano docu-drama. For all the Documentary fans out there.

Supervolcano part 2 2/6 below deals with how volcanic ash effects jet engines.

Supervolcano part 2 3/6 .

Supervolcano part 2 4/6 .

Supervolcano part 2 5/6 .

Supervolcano part 2 6/6 .

About four years after the BBC docu-drama aired there was a large increase of geologic acitvity at Yellowstone, spooking the bejeezus out of those who knew it’s destructive potential.

One of those spooked was oil company geologist Christopher C. Sanders, who issued these warnings:

Yellowstone is overdue. Yellowstone has had an unusually high frequency of earth quakes. Yellowstone’s elevation has dramatically increased over the last 3 years.

“I am advising all State officials around Yellowstone National Park for a potential State of Emergency. In the last week over 300 earthquakes have been observed by the USGS. We have a 3D view on the movement of magma rising underground. We have all of the pre warning signs of a major eruption from a super volcano. – I want everyone to leave Yellowstone National Park and for 200 miles around the volcano caldera.” – Video and waring posted on YouTube January 1, 2009 by geologist Christopher C. Sanders.

From the USGS Yellowstone observatory:

Beginning Dec 26, 2008, the second largest earthquake swarm of Yellowstone’s recorded seismic history occurred beneath the north end of Yellowstone Lake. The swarm continued into Jan. 2009, but subsided rather quickly in activity on January 5. The Lake swarm consisted of 813 well-located earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from -0.8 to 3.9. This sequence contained 19 earthquakes of M>3.0 as well as 141 events of 23 swarm events were felt throughout Yellowstone National Park and surrounding area.

An article on the recent earthquake swarm during December 2008 and January 2009 can be found at:
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/publications/2009/09swarm.php
Scientists continue to look at data collected during the swarm and will publish their results over the coming months and years. However, if any findings have direct implications for public safety, they will be released to the public immediately.

Activity at Yellowstone returned to ‘normal background levels’ early in 2009 and have pretty much remained there since.