Yellowstone-Geysers

Super-volcano eruption is forming under the Pacific

Geology, ,

According to scientists from University of Utah, a “super-volcano” is forming deep below the Earth’s crust at the area north of New Zealand. This kind of volcano eruption can destroy life as we know it. However this event is not likely to happen for another 100-200 million years according to the scientists that studied this phenomenon.

University of Utah seismologist Michael Thorne has been studying seismic waves through the Earth’s crust and has come to the conclusion that such a volcano eruption can happen. According to his study deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, near Samoa, two continent – sized piles of rock were colliding moving at the lower part of  Earth’s mantle.

This way new volcanic “hotspots” are formed leading to huge volcano eruptions giving magnificent features and formations i.e. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

This study includes the largest set of data ever used to map the lower mantle in the Pacific region, using 4.221 seismograms from seismometers around the world that detected 51 deep earthquakes originating more than 100 km under the surface.

source: http://www.stuff.co.nzvolcano _eruption

 

About Elina Apostolou

Elina Apostolou is an Engineering Geologist. She received her bachelor degree in Geology from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2002, graduating from the Department of Dynamic, Tectonic & Applied Geology and specializing in Structural Geology and Geological Cartography. She received her master’s degree from Imperial College London in 2003, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering specializing in “Engineering Geology”. She worked as an Engineering geologist at Geodata Greece (Salonica), performing field work and composing geotechnical evaluations for various tunnel projects. For a short period of time she worked at the head office of Geodata SpA. in Turin Italy, acting as a liaison between the Greek branch and the Turin based office, considering a specific project. She worked as a geotechnical engineer – engineering geologist at General Consulting Ltd Istria for 4 years, specializing in various geotechnical engineering aspects. Her field of expertise includes geotechnical design of cut and cover tunnel portals, geotechnical evaluations of tunnels, earthworks (embankments, cuts) and structures, design of embankments and cuts, slope stability analysis, rockfall analysis and countermeasures. Meanwhile she received her second master’s degree from National Technical University of Athens in 2010, Department of Civil Engineering and Mining & Metallurgical Engineering, i.e. postgraduate award in “Design and Construction of Underground Works”.