Indonesian authorities have raised the state of alert to its highest level, and expanded the exclusion zone around the rumbling volcano. The island's airport has now closed, leaving thousands stranded in the tourist hotspot.

Arizona State University researchers have analyzed minerals around the supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park and have come to a startling conclusion. It could blow much faster than previously expected, potentially wiping out life as we know it.

These new findings were presented in August. An earlier study, from 2011, demonstrated that Yellowstone's magma reservoir has risen about 10 inches in seven years.

The disaster mitigation agency's command post in Bali said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 122,500. The figure is more than double the estimated population within an immediate danger zone but people further away are leaving too.

Nearly 50,000 people have fled the Indonesian tourist Island of Bali Sunday, fearing a looming volcano. The authorities said Mount Agung has seen signs of magma rising in the recent days, forcing to create a 7.5 mile buffer zone.

NASA believes the Yellowstone super volcano is a greater threat to life on Earth than any asteroid. So it’s come up with a plan to defuse its explosive potential.

The Jet Propulsion Labs team calculated that the molten core would need to be cooled some 35 per cent. They propose drillling deep vents on the sides of the super volcano to let out hot water and steam, and possibly help pay for the cost by generating electricity.