WLW: UC geologist explains risks of supervolcanoes
Geology professor Thomas Algeo talks to "Eddie & Rocky" about Yellowstone's caldera
UC geology professor Thomas Algeo has been studying the world's biggest mass extinctions. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
The "Eddie and Rocky" show on 700-WLW talked to University of Cincinnati geologist Thomas Algeo about the supervolcano in the heart of Yellowstone National Park.
An op-ed about the volcano by author Bryan Walsh in The New York Times has generated a lot of social media discussion this month about the looming existential threat to human life on Earth.
Algeo has studied the world's biggest mass extinctions, including "the Great Dying" 252 million years ago that wiped out 95 percent of life on Earth. In a study published this year in the journal Nature Communications, Algeo found evidence that the extinction was caused by intense volcanic activity over hundreds of thousands of years.
Algeo said the historical eruptions at Yellowstone have been 1,000 times bigger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington that sent ash raining down hundreds of miles away.
"In the last 2 million years there have been three major eruptions of this volcano at intervals of 600,000 years. And the last major eruption was about 600,000 years ago," Algeo said. "In a geological sense, we're ready for another big eruption. But it doesn't happen like clockwork."
Algeo, a professor in UC's McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, said nobody knows for sure when Yellowstone's caldera might pose an imminent risk, but it will give us ample warning.
"There will be a lot of inflation of the magma chamber before it blows," he said. "If you ask me the probability of it happening tomorrow, it's effectively zero. But if you talk the next 100,000 years, it's almost a certainty."
Featured image at top: An illustration of life 252 million years ago when volcanic activity wiped out most life on Earth. Most of the big animals that pre-dated dinosaurs went extinct. Illustration/Margaret Weiner/UC Creative Services
Related Stories
Love it or raze it?
February 20, 2026
An architectural magazine covered the demolition of UC's Crosley Tower.
Discovery Amplified expands research, teaching support across A&S
February 19, 2026
The College of Arts & Sciences is investing in a bold new vision for research, teaching and creative activity through Discovery Amplified. This initiative was launched through the Dean’s Office in August 2024, and is expanding its role as a central hub for scholarly activity and research support within the Arts & Sciences (A&S) community. Designed to serve faculty, students, and staff, the initiative aims to strengthen research productivity, foster collaboration, and enhance teaching innovation. Discovery Amplified was created to help scholars define and pursue academic goals while increasing the reach and impact of A&S research and training programs locally and globally. The unit provides tailored guidance, connects collaborators, and supports strategic partnerships that promote innovation across disciplines.
Niehoff Center for Film & Media Studies kicks off 2026 series
February 16, 2026
The Niehoff Center for Film and Media Studies at the University of Cincinnati invites the campus and community to delve into the thought-provoking “2026 UC European Film Series: Perspectives on Our World.” Five recent films will be screened, with introductions and discussions led by UC faculty. Using a variety of genres and forms, these films encourage audiences to think about their place on the planet, in relation to civic engagement, to the natural world, to others, and even to space aliens in Moravia. “The series is a mix of realism, reality, comedy, and escapism that we hope will make you see things differently,” said Michael Gott, Neihoff Center director of programming and College of Arts and Sciences professor. “Film can make us rethink our ideas about the world and see things from different perspectives.” Past topics have ranged from artificial intelligence to migration, urban spaces, and women in film. Following each screening, discussions with filmmakers and UC faculty aim to spark meaningful conversations.