10 Fascinating Facts About Supervolcanoes

Here are 10 fascinating facts about supervolcanoes.

Erupting volcanoes are generally bad news, but when they’re among the most powerful variety the destruction they cause is of epic proportions.
Here are 10 amazing, and somewhat terrifying, facts about supervolcanoes.
Number 10. They can spread acid rain to the ends of the Earth. Researchers have discovered traces of sulfuric acid embedded in the ice caps near both the north and south poles. It’s believed it got there via the eruption of Indonesia’s Toba supervolcano, which occurred approximately 74 thousand years ago.
Number 9. The force of an eruption would exceed that of an atomic blast. Should one blow at full strength, it’s possible it would produce an effect closer to that of 1 thousand atomic bombs detonating per second. 
Number 8. They’re located beneath volcanic pits. The indentations are called calderas, and some existing today have been linked to all sorts of unwelcomed geological events including eruptions and earthquakes.
Number 7. Yellowstone National Park harbors the potential to end life as we know it. Should the supervolcano located within it explode, ash would blanket the country making transportation – and breathing - difficult. Further, communications between the coasts would be disabled, and the nation’s crops and water supplies would be at great risk of total destruction. 

Number 6. Ancient ones have been discovered along the Utah-Nevada border. Rest easy, they’re no longer active but that wasn’t the case some 30 million years ago. Back then a weeklong eruption near what is now Wah Wah Springs, Utah produced over 13 hundred cubic miles of magma. 
Number 5.  It’s the volcanic particles that people should really be worried about. Though lava is certainly dangerous, the particulates spread disastrous effects the furthest. It’s been estimated that the largest supervolcanic eruptions would be capable of shooting as much as 2 thousand million tons of sulfur into the air, which would make its way around the planet in a matter of weeks. 
Number 4. The largest known magma reservoir measures 55 by 20. That’s miles, by the way. It’s also approximately 6 miles deep and located right here under our beloved Yellowstone National Park.
Number 3. A significant temperature drop would be among the post-eruption fallout. Some reports indicate an average decrease of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Though that doesn’t sound like an enormous disruption in human comfort, it would be a significant one for the food-bearing plants we rely upon. 
Number 2. Some of them are located on the ocean floor. The largest is about the size of California and is situated less than a thousand miles off the coast of Japan. It’s believed it’s been there for nearly 150 million years, and may have even spent some time above the water’s surface. 
Number 1. They’re not just an Earth thing. Jupiter’s moon Io is home to a few as well, only the ones there aren’t as quiet as ours have been. A massive series of eruptions was observed not long ago when debris plumes pushed hundreds of miles above the satellite’s surface over the course of 14-days. 
What do you find most fascinating – and frightening – about supervolcanoes?