Blake Hoena - Can You Survive a Supervolcano Eruption?

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YOU are living through a major national disastera supervolcano. It's up to you to make the right choices. Will you live to see another day? Or will you be one of the many buried in the supervolcano's ? Do you have what it takes to survive a supervolcano?

Start on the next page, then follow the links at the bottom of each page. The choices YOU make will change your outcome. After you finish your path, go back and read the others to see how other choices would have changed your fate! Use your device's back buttons or page navigation to jump back to your last choice to make a different decision.

YOU CHOOSE the path you take through a supervolcano eruption.

Were here! your friend Terry exclaims. Were finally here!

You and Terry press your faces to the dusty windows of the tour bus. Tall pines line the road. Snow-capped mountains rise up all around you. Crystal blue lakes dot the landscape. Youve been waiting for months to see Yellowstone National Park.

What do you want to see first? Terry asks. Old Faithful? The Sulphur Spring?

Dont forget about the Mud Volcano, you say.

The mountains fall away as the bus rumbles down into a large, rolling . This area is what makes the park so unique. It is filled with hot springs, bubbling mud pots, and hundreds of steaming geysers. Mr. Thwaites, your science teacher, told you Yellowstone has more geothermal features than any other place on Earth.

With perfect timing, Mr. Thwaites stands up at the front of the bus. Not only is he the trip leader, he also taught a special class about the park before you left.

OK, everyone, listen up, he, says. We are now entering the Yellowstone .

You learned this huge crater was created when a supervolcano erupted here more than 600,000 years ago. The caldera is about 40 miles wide, and just a few miles under your feet, sits a huge lake. Heat rising up from the molten rock is what causes all the geysers and hot springs in the park.

Were almost to where we will be staying, Mr. Thwaites continues. When you get off the bus, youll meet the research assistant who you have been assigned to work with.

Even though youre excited to be here instead of sitting at school, you know this trip wont be all about having fun. Sure, youll get to hike around and see many of the parks sights. But you chose Yellowstone National Park over other possible destinations because you thought itd be interesting to learn about the areas geological features. You and your classmates will be staying here for a couple weeks as you study the park. Then youll put together a final project to present when you get back to school.

Your bus pulls up to a group of small, rustic cabins that youll call home during your stay. They dont have electricity, running water, or Internet. Itll be an experience, you tell yourself as you pocket your phone.

A group of college-age students wait outside the bus. They are all dressed in dusty jeans and hiking boots, and each holds up a card with a different name. You walk up to the woman who has your name.

Hi, you say.

Hey, Im Isabella, she says with a smile. But call me Izzy. Everyone else does.

OK, sure, you reply as you shake her hand.

This way, she says. Ill be showing you around the park, and youll be helping me out. She winks. Ill make sure you go back to school with a good project.

Hey! Last one to the cabin gets bottom bunk! Terry calls.

Izzy grins and says, Why dont you go check out your cabin and get some rest? Our days start early around here.

You dash into the cabin, but youre too late. Dibs! Terry says from the top bunk.

The rest of the day, you and your classmates simply settle in. Its been a long trip to get to the park, and youre exhausted. Izzy stops by and asks you to think about what kind of research you want to do.

You decide to help Izzy study the parks . You spend a lot of time driving and hiking around the park, which makes the work extra enjoyable.

One afternoon in the field, you feel the earth beneath you shake. You stop in your tracks, afraid the ground is going to crumble away under your feet.

What was that? you ask.

Just an earthquake, Izzy says, not looking up from her work.

Just an earthquake? you ask, your voice squeaking in fear.

Yeah, we have hundreds around here every year, Izzy explains. Most are small and register less than 2.0 on the . The parks seismic monitors pick them up, but most people dont notice them.

But I felt that one, you counter.

That one must have been at least a 3, Izzy says. Those are pretty rare.

Later that afternoon, Izzy logs into the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory site to check the parks seismic readings. The earthquake you felt registered 3.2 on the Richter scale. It wasnt strong enough to cause any damage, but several tourists around the park reported it.

The next morning you are shaken awake. But its not Terry whos trying to wake you. The bed is shaking. The windows are rattling in their frames. The walls of your small cabin sound like they are about to fall apart. By time you realize whats happening, the shaking stops.

Terry, from the top bunk, looks down at you.

That must have been a 5, Terry says. Maybe even a 6!

The park hasnt had an earthquake that strong in years. Youre excited to see the seismic readings on Izzys computer. You jump from bed and get dressed before darting out the door.

Even though its still dark out, you are pretty familiar with this part of the park. You and Terry quickly find Izzys cabin. When you get there, youre surprised to see the other research assistants milling around outside.

That was at least a 6, one of them exclaims.

See? says Terry, elbowing you.

Ive been trying to reach the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, another complains, but I havent been able to get a good connection.

Well, lets gather as much data as we can, Izzy says.

Brad, the research assistant working with Terry, asks, Should we check the seismic activity or the surface deformation measurements?

Whats that? you whisper to Terry.

Its the movement of the ground, Terry explains. Its one way to tell if the magma below us is moving. Lets see if we can help.

Youve been at the park almost a week now. Mostly, you follow Izzy around as she observes different features of the park. You help her take water samples from the hot springs, check the temperature in the mud pits, and record the eruption of geysers. Its hard work and you are constantly busy. But it also allows you to see parts of the park that most visitors never get a chance to see.

One day Izzy receives a call as youre working. You hear her say, Well look into it, before hanging up.

Whats up? you ask.

Some hikers reported a stand of dead pine trees along the Otter River, she says. We need to check it out.

You and Izzy hop into a truck and head toward the northeastern corner of the caldera, near the Otter River. You get out and hike a few miles along its bank.