End of humanity? Blow-by-blow account of what would happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted now

Leo Kohout/Shutterstock End of humanity? Blow‑by‑blow account of what would happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted now Published: September 21, 2026 7:15am EDT https://theconversation.com/end-of-humanity-blow-by-blow-account-of-what-would-happen-if-the-yellowstone-supervolcano-erupted-now-288649 https://theconversation.com/end-of-humanity-blow-by-blow-account-of-what-would-happen-if-the-yellowstone-supervolcano-erupted-now-288649 Link copied Share article Share article

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Around 631,000 years ago — a geological blink of an eye — catastrophe unfolded in what is now north-western Wyoming, US. During what is thought to have been a series of immense volcanic eruptions, life within hundreds of kilometres of the blasts was shattered. Ash was dispersed across much of North America and the effects were felt worldwide. This was a super-eruption of the massive volcanic system located in what is now the Yellowstone National Park.