A Volcano in the Northeast? Scientists Say it Might Happen One Day

When you think of natural hazards while living in the Hudson Valley and northeast, you probably think of blizzards, hurricanes, or even the occasional tornado. We aren't even immune to some small earthquakes every now and then.

But volcanoes? Sounds absurd. There aren't any active volcanoes for thousands of miles.

Volcanoes tend to be found where the Earth's tectonic plates are moving and/or colliding into each other. So, it makes sense that most of the active volcanoes in the United States lie at or near the great Pacific Ring of Fire. That only means places like Alaska, Hawaii, or California, right?

There are other geological hotspot areas, however. You've probably heard of the gigantic Yellowstone Supervolcano, that erupts approximately every 600,000 - 1 million years. You wouldn't want to be around when this thing blows its top.

But could a volcano erupt one day in the northeast? Some researchers from Rutgers say it's a possibility. In a December 2017 article posted in the NY Post, scientists say a large swelling of hot rock has been detected deep below the surface.

The research was posted in Geo Science World, using data from EarthScope. The observations speak of possible "ongoing, geodynamic processes", and "significantly elevated temperatures"  beneath parts of central New England. The NY Post specifically mentions Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Rutgers scientist Vadim Levin said:

The upwelling we detected is like a hot air balloon, and we infer that something is rising up through the deeper part of our planet under New England.

The Earth is very old and holds a lot of history, so it wouldn't be the first time volcanoes existed in what is the modern day East Coast.

The Appalachians formed 480 million years, and were once as tall as the Rocky Mountains. Research posted in the Scientific American says volcanoes may have existed as "recently" as 50 million years ago in Virginia. Wikipedia says there were volcanic eruptions in New Hampshire in both the Pawtuckaway and  Ossipee Mountains during the last era of the dinosaurs.

Worried yet? Well, don't be. The researchers went on to say that this recent plume of rising heat underneath New England could take millions of years to form anything volcanic. It may end up resulting in nothing.

So, no. Fenway Park won't get blown to oblivion anytime soon.