And we thought the Iceland volcano was bad

[bpwallace49]

Underground Yellowstone ‘supervolcano’ causing earth to rise in some spots

By Brett Michael Dykes

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EmailPrint..By Brett Michael Dykes brett Michael Dykes – Tue Jan 25, 2:18 pm ET

 

 

It's like something one of those disaster movie trailers with a basso profundo voiceover: Man, or perhaps woman, on a family vacation takes in the breathtaking scope of nature found in Yellowstone National Park--only to see the earth beneath their feet violently explode. Will our hero and his or her family be swallowed in the molten horror of -- "Supervolcano"?

 

But this scenario isn't the stuff of Hollywood fantasy--scientists caution that there's a chance that Yellowstone could blow. One day, anyway.

 

Yes, there apparently exists an underground volcano whose past eruptions -- the last one estimated at some 640,000 years ago -- have been, according to National Geographic, "a thousand times more powerful than Mount St. Helens's 1980 eruption." The supervolcano lurks a few miles underground and spreads out across an area roughly the size of Los Angeles. But here's the best part: It's taking deep "breaths," as the magazine puts it, causing miles of ground around it to rise dramatically. Since 2004, researchers say that the ground above the supervolcano rose as much as 2.8 inches per year.

 

 

So is the "swelling magma reservoir" ready to blow? Well, scientists say it will eventually--and when it does it could spew ash as high as 25 miles into the air, rendering an estimated two-thirds of the country inhabitable. Remember, it was a massive volcanic eruption that some scientists think wiped out the dinosaurs. And here we thought that Icelandic volcano last year was a major calamity.

 

See below for National Geographic's photos (full slideshow here; article here); photos taken by Mark Thiessen on assignment for National Geographic magazine's August 2009 issue.

 

Awesome. I wonder if the US will be penalized for the carbon footprint this thing causes.

 

[cliaz]

This super volcano would cause a significant impact the climate of earth in general & would lay waste to the bread basket. I saw some projections from the USGS & FEMA that an eruption would make the entire middle of the US uninhabitable and, because of the wind currents, cover the eastern seaboard in 6 inches of ash. This is a very ugly monster that resides in our back yard.

 

Based on the USGS's assessment, this super volcano is about 170,000 years overdue for an eruption.

[cliaz]

I also blame Obama-care for this

[JoJoTheWebToedBoy]

This could be prevented if Obama just produces a Birth Certificate......

[Big John]

ell, scientists say it will eventually--and when it does it could spew ash as high as 25 miles into the air, rendering an estimated two-thirds of the country inhabitable.

So 1/3 uninhabitable?

[cliaz]

So 1/3 uninhabitable?

 

 

typo on my part

[JoJoTheWebToedBoy]

Wait a minute..... won't the run-off Noah's arch weather pattern that threating to drown California put this out?

[SEC=UGA]

All you people from the central, mountain and midwest states best stay the hell outta GA, we've already been invaded by the Yankees and we ain't too happy about that!!

 

Also, Anyone wanna buy a lake house on Lake Michigan?

[Big John]

All you people from the central, mountain and midwest states best stay the hell outta GA, we've already been invaded by the Yankees and we ain't too happy about that!!

[SEC=UGA]

 

Packer fans aren't yankees, they're cold rednecks. You're already here, we have to accept you, so long as you don't start calling coke "pop" or "soda" or order a Pepsi, you should be alright. You do eat grits at least once a month, right?

[I Like Soup]

Yeah, they've known about this for quite some time.

 

Super volcanos appear to be about the most destructive natural force outside of an asteroid strike. Looking through the history of them, they have been pretty massive. Hell, even the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa doesn't compare to when Toba went off or I'm sure, the earlier Yellowstone eruptions. When Krakatoa went off, they said if it went off in NYC, people in London would be able to hear it, as well as people in San Francisco. Wow. But don't worry, Krakatoa is growing at about half a foot a week or some such, so it will be back!

[Rovers]

Yep, this is old news... the Yellowstone caldera is freakin hughmongus. What is new is how much the earth has been rising in the area, and some scientists think and eruption is emminent in geological terms. What they can only guess at is how big an eruption it might be. IIRC, there are three disticnt calderas. Even the smallest of them if matched would mean millions dead. It's not a question of if, but when.

[The Irish Doggy]

So is the "swelling magma reservoir" ready to blow?

 

Damn straight.

[redrumjuice]

But, but we have to ban light bulbs because of global warming!

[cliaz]

There used to be a webcam just like the African Watering Hole that was positioned next to a small lake in Yellow Stone and over a course of 2 years the lake shifted 18 inches because of the ground swelling from the magma chamber. I have to find the time lapse version of the video so you can see with your eyes how the ground on the far side of the lake rises and the water spills out over the bank.

[Cunning Runt]

Real question here....

 

If this thing blowing really means the kind of catastrophic loss of life described, is there anything that geologists can do or are doing to alleviate the pressure to hopefully avert/minimize this?

 

Seriously - this is some potentially scary sh-t.

[bpwallace49]

But, but we have to ban light bulbs because of global warming!

 

You have some light bulb obsession.

 

Do you work in a light bulb factory or sumptin?

[I Like Soup]

Real question here....

 

If this thing blowing really means the kind of catastrophic loss of life described, is there anything that geologists can do or are doing to alleviate the pressure to hopefully avert/minimize this?

 

Seriously - this is some potentially scary sh-t.

 

I doubt it at this magnitude. They did some experiments with simulated conditions in the lab and when they released the smallest bit of pressure, that thing went off like you wouldn't believe for such a small amount of material. When that thing goes off, America will no long be a world player.

[bushwacked]

The "impending" possibility of a " cataclysmic near future" volcanic eruption of Yellowstone is being severely over-stated in this thread. The whole Cascade Mountain Range has swelling magma chambers as do many other places in the world but it doesn't quite make as good a a post apocalyptic made for TV movie that Yellowstone does. The fact that there are routine numerous earthquakes and small scale volcanic activity is probably a good thing. If you really want an idea of what is going on read this:

 

 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/fs2005-3024.pdf

Edited January 27, 2011 by bushwacked

[I Like Soup]

The "impending" possibility of a " cataclysmic near future" volcanic eruption of Yellowstone is being severely over-stated in this thread. The whole Cascade Mountain Range has swelling magma chambers as do many other places in the world but it doesn't quite make as good a a post apocalyptic made for TV movie that Yellowstone does. The fact that there are routine numerous earthquakes and small scale volcanic activity is probably a good thing. If you really want an idea of what is going on read this:

 

 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/fs2005-3024.pdf

 

Dude, I watch National Geographic Channel, I don't need to read nothin'. Every 600,000 years Yellowstone goes up and it has been 599,999 years since the last time...

[redrumjuice]

The "impending" possibility of a " cataclysmic near future" volcanic eruption of Yellowstone is being severely over-stated in this thread.

 

 

 

So says the global warming, hy0mans are killing the planet prophet of doom! You sir, are a true master of comedy theater. Bravo!

[SEC=UGA]

Dude, I watch National Geographic Channel, I don't need to read nothin'. Every 600,000 years Yellowstone goes up and it has been 599,999 years since the last time...

 

I'm serious, nice cottage on Lake Michigan, good price.

 

I will also be willing to subdivide my acreage down here in GA. 1/4 acre, you guys will ahve to do the grading and build the house, $950K. I also have a 1/3 acre lot in Mountain Park, near Roswell, that'll cost you a million, 300 thousand. But think about it, you'll be able to breathe.

[SEC=UGA]

The "impending" possibility of a " cataclysmic near future" volcanic eruption of Yellowstone is being severely over-stated in this thread. The whole Cascade Mountain Range has swelling magma chambers as do many other places in the world but it doesn't quite make as good a a post apocalyptic made for TV movie that Yellowstone does. The fact that there are routine numerous earthquakes and small scale volcanic activity is probably a good thing. If you really want an idea of what is going on read this:

 

 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/fs2005-3024.pdf

 

 

Hmmm, erupted forming calderas 2.1 MY ago, 1.3 MY ago and 640,000 years ago... Looks like we have another 130,000 years to wait, maybe.

[bushwacked]

Hmmm, erupted forming calderas 2.1 MY ago, 1.3 MY ago and 640,000 years ago... Looks like we have another 130,000 years to wait, maybe.

 

Many caldera forming events have happened over the last several million years that eventually stop. Your assumption may be correct, but it is also a bit oversimplistic and largely unfounded. DId you read this part?

 

U.S. Geological Survey, University of Utah, and National Park Service scientists with the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) see no evidence that another such cataclysmic eruption will occur at Yellowstone in the foreseeable future. Recurrence intervals of these events are neither regular nor predictable.

 

If you have evidence that an impending eruption is imminent I suggest you submit it to USGS.

Edited January 27, 2011 by bushwacked

[SEC=UGA]

Many caldera forming events have happened over the last several million years that eventually stop. Your assumption may be correct, but it is also a bit oversimplistic and largely unfounded. DId you read this part?

 

 

 

If you have evidence that an impending eruption is imminent I suggest you submit it to USGS.

 

I have a PHD in fluvial geomorphology and have studied quite a bit of tectonic geomorphology, I think I know what I'm talking about. If I were to explain the science and math behind my prediction it would take 43 pages and you guys would still not understand what I was talking about.