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U researcher discovers future megavolcano

Posted at 5:54 PM, Feb 07, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-07 21:10:19-05

SALT LAKE CITY - A researcher at the University of Utah is making waves in the scientific community with a discovery deep within the Earth that could cause extinction.

Michael Thorne, a seismologist and assistant professor at the University of Utah, has discovered a dark red blob in the Earth's core that could prove devastating.

Research shows that two rock piles the size of continents are colliding, creating a molten rock the size of Florida that could eventually cause a giant eruption.

"Something like the size of Alaska eruption probably coming out in the Pacific Ocean. This is something that might be down the road some 100 million years or so," Thorne said. "This is the kind of eruption that would make a super volcano eruption look pretty small."

Thorne uncovered the megavolcano after noticing strange seismic waves near the Samoan Islands.

The explosion won't be happening any time soon, but Thorne says it's still fun to think about.