A recent string of earthquakes could mean the end of the United States as we know it, though it is far from certain. While this might seem like an outlandish idea, there are some very well respected scientists that have been sounding the alarm recently.

Over the last few weeks earthquake activity in the Yellowstone region has picked up. A string of quakes in the 4-5 magnitude on the Richter scale were detected towards the end of last week, and this has been cause for cries of warning.

While a level 5 earthquake isn't inherently dangerous, the geology of Yellowstone makes this latest swarm of earthquakes something to be taken seriously.

There is a giant concentration of magma below Yellowstone National Park, and also a dormant volcano in the area.

The volcano has been dormant for hundreds of thousands of years, and this means that it is due to erupt at any time, according to leading scientist Michio Kaku. In a recent interview, he states that the Yellowstone volcano could erupt at any time, and that it is due.

Death swarm

Many people don't know that below Yellowstone there lies a gigantic caldera of molten lava, and over the last 2 million years it has erupted a few times. Scientists think the last eruption was more than 600,000 years ago, so it could go off again tomorrow.

Dr. Kaku thinks that a supervolcanic eruption could be imminent, though it may not happen in our lifetimes either.

He describes predicting the eruption of volcanoes as akin to “black magic,” so adopting a level headed attitude is wise.

The fallout from such an event would be horrific. Over the course of the last week alone there were more than 400 earthquakes in the Yellowstone region, so this matter is anything but theoretical.

Be prepared

While it is impossible to say exactly what kind of effects an eruption would have on the United States, there would be loss of life on a scale never seen before. The vast majority of the infrastructure in a 500 mile radius around Yellowstone would be wiped out overnight.

To put the eruption of the Yellowstone caldera in perspective, it would be as much as 1000 times more powerful than Mt.

St. Helens surprise eruption in 1980. This would create a swath of devastation that runs from Northern California all the way over the the Dakotas, and places like the Denver Metro Area would probably be wiped out completely.

There is absolutely no way to know what will happen next in this developing situation, but keeping a close eye on the earthquakes is a wise idea. In the event of an eruption, there would be little time to get clear of the rain of fire from above.