Bye Bye Yellowstone

Is the world's largest super-volcano set to erupt for the first time in 600,000 years, wiping out two-thirds of the U.S.?
The super-volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has been rising at a record rate since 2004
It would explode with a force a thousand times more powerful than the Mount St Helens eruption in 1980.
Spewing lava far into the sky, a cloud of plant-killing ash would fan out and dump a layer 10ft deep up to 1,000 miles away.
Two-thirds of the U.S. could become uninhabitable as toxic air sweeps through it, grounding thousands of flights and forcing millions to leave their homes

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1350123/Worlds-largest-volcano-Yellowstone-National-Park-wipe-thirds-US.html

If this goes up, the economy will be the least of our worries. :eek:

But then it's the Daily Mail! :pac:

Mackman

In fact, the daily mail underestimating the impact this could have. It wouldnt just affect America, it would affect the whole world.

Grounding flights :pac:

Rothmans

Well, if that was true, I'm sure it would be a burning issue now.

CrazyBiscuit

Saw this comment below the article

"Yellowstone is going to blow soon, as is Vesuvius, that other big volcano in Italy that they want to drill into, Anak Krakatoa (son of the infamous Krakatoa) Katla in Iceland, half a dozen volcanoes in Vanuatu, not to mention the Hadron Collider, the magnetic poles moving, an upcoming mega tsunami on the east coast of the USA ... add in 2012 in general, Betelgeuse supernovaring, the Sun's killer solar flares, the return of the Mahdi, the second coming and .. and .... well, will whoever is left please ensure all the lights are turned off??

---

Seriously people, we only have one small blue fragile planet ... so all of you ... stay safe!"

I could add asteroids, climate change, rogue states and several other things to that list.

Its no different from any other day of the week, another doom story.

Essentially humanity is screwed, we face threats from everywhere most of the time and cant seem to get our collective act together. Hopefully we can survive long enough to get the hell off this rock.

Jesus Wept

Daily Fail.


Less alarmist report here:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110119-yellowstone-park-supervolcano-eruption-magma-science/

Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News
Published January 19, 2011

Yellowstone National Park's supervolcano just took a deep "breath," causing miles of ground to rise dramatically, scientists report.

The simmering volcano has produced major eruptions—each a thousand times more powerful than Mount St. Helens's 1980 eruption—three times in the past 2.1 million years. Yellowstone's caldera, which covers a 25- by 37-mile (40- by 60-kilometer) swath of Wyoming, is an ancient crater formed after the last big blast, some 640,000 years ago.

(See "When Yellowstone Explodes" in National Geographic magazine.)

Since then, about 30 smaller eruptions—including one as recent as 70,000 years ago—have filled the caldera with lava and ash, producing the relatively flat landscape we see today.

But beginning in 2004, scientists saw the ground above the caldera rise upward at rates as high as 2.8 inches (7 centimeters) a year. (Related: "Yellowstone Is Rising on Swollen 'Supervolcano.'")

The rate slowed between 2007 and 2010 to a centimeter a year or less. Still, since the start of the swelling, ground levels over the volcano have been raised by as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) in places.

"It's an extraordinary uplift, because it covers such a large area and the rates are so high," said the University of Utah's Bob Smith, a longtime expert in Yellowstone's volcanism.


Scientists think a swelling magma reservoir four to six miles (seven to ten kilometers) below the surface is driving the uplift. Fortunately, the surge doesn't seem to herald an imminent catastrophe, Smith said. (Related: "Under Yellowstone, Magma Pocket 20 Percent Larger Than Thought.")

"At the beginning we were concerned it could be leading up to an eruption," said Smith, who co-authored a paper on the surge published in the December 3, 2010, edition of Geophysical Research Letters.

"But once we saw [the magma] was at a depth of ten kilometers, we weren't so concerned. If it had been at depths of two or three kilometers [one or two miles], we'd have been a lot more concerned."

Studies of the surge, he added, may offer valuable clues about what's going on in the volcano's subterranean plumbing, which may eventually help scientists predict when Yellowstone's next volcanic "burp" will break out.

Yellowstone Takes Regular Breaths

Smith and colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Yellowstone Volcano Observatory have been mapping the caldera's rise and fall using tools such as global positioning systems (GPS) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), which gives ground-deformation measurements.

Ground deformation can suggest that magma is moving toward the surface before an eruption: The flanks of Mount St. Helens, for example, swelled dramatically in the months before its 1980 explosion. (See pictures of Mount St. Helens before and after the blast.)

But there are also many examples, including the Yellowstone supervolcano, where it appears the ground has risen and fallen for thousands of years without an eruption.

According to current theory, Yellowstone's magma reservoir is fed by a plume of hot rock surging upward from Earth's mantle. (Related: "New Magma Layer Found Deep in Earth's Mantle?")

When the amount of magma flowing into the chamber increases, the reservoir swells like a lung and the surface above expands upward. Models suggest that during the recent uplift, the reservoir was filling with 0.02 cubic miles (0.1 cubic kilometer) of magma a year.

When the rate of increase slows, the theory goes, the magma likely moves off horizontally to solidify and cool, allowing the surface to settle back down.

Based on geologic evidence, Yellowstone has probably seen a continuous cycle of inflation and deflation over the past 15,000 years, and the cycle will likely continue, Smith said.

Surveys show, for example, that the caldera rose some 7 inches (18 centimeters) between 1976 and 1984 before dropping back about 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) over the next decade.

"These calderas tend to go up and down, up and down," he said. "But every once in a while they burp, creating hydrothermal explosions, earthquakes, or—ultimately—they can produce volcanic eruptions."

Yellowstone Surge Also Linked to Geysers, Quakes?

Predicting when an eruption might occur is extremely difficult, in part because the fine details of what's going on under Yellowstone are still undetermined. What's more, continuous records of Yellowstone's activity have been made only since the 1970s—a tiny slice of geologic time—making it hard to draw conclusions.

"Clearly some deep source of magma feeds Yellowstone, and since Yellowstone has erupted in the recent geological past, we know that there is magma at shallower depths too," said Dan Dzurisin, a Yellowstone expert with the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Washington State.

"There has to be magma in the crust, or we wouldn't have all the hydrothermal activity that we have," Dzurisin added. "There is so much heat coming out of Yellowstone right now that if it wasn't being reheated by magma, the whole system would have gone stone cold since the time of the last eruption 70,000 years ago."

The large hydrothermal system just below Yellowstone's surface, which produces many of the park's top tourist attractions, may also play a role in ground swelling, Dzurisin said, though no one is sure to what extent.

"Could it be that some uplift is caused not by new magma coming in but by the hydrothermal system sealing itself up and pressurizing?" he asked. "And then it subsides when it springs a leak and depressurizes? These details are difficult."

And it's not a matter of simply watching the ground rise and fall. Different areas may move in different directions and be interconnected in unknown ways, reflecting the as yet unmapped network of volcanic and hydrothermal plumbing.

The roughly 3,000 earthquakes in Yellowstone each year may offer even more clues about the relationship between ground uplift and the magma chamber.

For example, between December 26, 2008, and January 8, 2009, some 900 earthquakes occurred in the area around Yellowstone Lake.

This earthquake "swarm" may have helped to release pressure on the magma reservoir by allowing fluids to escape, and this may have slowed the rate of uplift, the University of Utah's Smith said. (Related: "Mysterious 'Swarm' of Quakes Strikes Oregon Waters.")

"Big quakes [can have] a relationship to uplift and deformations caused by the intrusion of magma," he said. "How those intrusions stress the adjacent faults, or how the faults might transmit stress to the magma system, is a really important new area of study."

Overall, USGS's Dzurisin added, "the story of Yellowstone deformation has gotten more complex as we've had better and better technologies to study it."

Anyone else have that morbid curiousity of what would happen to the world if something like this happened? I've said it before.. I'd rather be here and witness the end than grow old and see nothing.

Yakult

Unlikely to happen within our lifetime.

But if it does.. It should be fcuking awesome to see.

danniemcq

Yakult wrote: »

Unlikely to happen within our lifetime.

But if it does.. It should be fcuking awesome to see.

although i agree with the morbid curiousity of the whole thing but saying the end of life as we know it the possible extintinction of Humans (At the very least the wiping out of at least 90% of people with vast areas of the farming states in America buried under several feet of ash (and how long did it takle to remove the debris from the WTC imagine that over several states. This will cut the worlds grain and corn production to severe levels.

Then you have the the drop in temperature caused by the ash blocking out the sun for several years, devestating enough but when you also factor in that plants need sunlight to thrive any major reduction will have a vastly negative effect on life.

TL:DR The explosion if you are close enough will be awesome but deadly if you don't see it you will most likely starve to death

Happy Tuesday everyone

TeddyTedson

Will all these Volcanoes, Hadron Colliders, and strange objects in our neighbourhood it's amazing we're all still alive in the firsts place.
Scientists need to stop f*cking around with it all before we all get killed!

Canis Lupus

Yakult wrote: »

Unlikely to happen within our lifetime.

But if it does.. It should be fcuking awesome to see.

Awesome to see yep but death would be slow which frankly wouldn't be any fun at all at all.

Ghandee

What about poor Yogi?:eek::eek:

sideswipe

Ghandee wrote: »

What about poor Yogi?:eek::eek:

Think you made a Boo-boo, he lives in Jellystone Park!

danniemcq

Can people please stop linking the Large Hadron Collider to the end of the world/mankind?

not all scientists are hell bent on world domination only 3 or 4 of them and they aren't allowed past the level 2 security. They only have access to paperclips and staplers

TeddyTedson

danniemcq wrote: »

Can people please stop linking the Large Hadron Collider to the end of the world/mankind?

not all scientists are hell bent on world domination only 3 or 4 of them and they aren't allowed past the level 2 security. They only have access to paperclips and staplers

Nice try, but we all know that's not true.
If scientists would just stop there fecking around the world would be a much safer place.
We're talking about the same people that invented nukes here!

Loomis

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Nice try, but we all know that's not true.
If scientists would just stop there fecking around the world would be a much safer place.
We're talking about the same people that invented nukes here!

The guys who invented nukes also built the LHC?
Jaysus, they must be old.

*pictures a load of geriatric scientists walking around LHC with their Zimmer frames*

mathie

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyone else have that morbid curiousity of what would happen to the world if something like this happened? I've said it before.. I'd rather be here and witness the end than grow old and see nothing.

Curious to selll large numbers of people die just so I saw something interesting?

No. Not really.

TeddyTedson

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

The guys who invented nukes also built the LHC?
Jaysus, they must be old.

*pictures a load of geriatric scientists walking around LHC with their Zimmer frames*

You wouldn't believe some of the things that goes on

mathie

mathie wrote: »

Curious to selll large numbers of people die just so I saw something interesting?

No. Not really.

That's why I called it morbid. And it'll happen someday.. I'd rather see it than miss it.

chakotha

Funny I was just reading about the Yellowstone timebomb in Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything last night.

the_syco

I'd rather grow old peacefully, than have to mow down anyone who gets in the way to the bomb shelter should Yellowstone explode.

If we're not "in space (colonies)" by that time, we're f**ked.

iMax

Great.... Now I've got this stuck in my head:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud-OKAcSJjk

I've seen this mentioned twice over the last couple of days, there was a piece on fox news about it & it was also on Nat Geo

blaze1

sideswipe wrote: »

Think you made a Bobo, he lives in Jellystone Park!

and you good sir made a boo boo

Rawhead

Rothmans wrote: »

Well, if that was true, I'm sure it would be a burning issue now.

Douchebag

danniemcq

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Nice try, but we all know that's not true.
If scientists would just stop there fecking around the world would be a much safer place.
We're talking about the same people that invented nukes here!

oh god please be a troll?

cause if you aren't then maybe you'd be happier living in a cave with no internet, medicine, decent healthcare, tv, mobile phone, mp3 player, radio, chocolate, electricity etc etc. hey that would still make you a troll!

although it would also mean you'd never have to watch star wars so it has its advantages too

starbelgrade

Ghandee wrote: »

What about poor Yogi?:eek::eek:

It appears that you are not smarter than the average bear.

Mr Benevolent

Kaboom?

Kintarō Hattori

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyone else have that morbid curiousity of what would happen to the world if something like this happened? I've said it before.. I'd rather be here and witness the end than grow old and see nothing.

I'd rather see out old age with my good lady thanks. I'd also kinda like for my nephews and niece to grow up and have a life of their own.

Pace2008

Aticle fails to mention whether said volcanic ash cloud will cause or cure cancer.

This isn't up to the usual level of reporting on scientific issues wi've come to expect from the Daily Mail.

danniemcq

Pace2008 wrote: »

Aticle fails to mention whether said volcanic ash cloud will cause or cure cancer.

This isn't up to the usual level of reporting on scientific issues wi've come to expect from the Daily Mail.

Will it bring Diana back from the dead?

AckwelFoley

The most important issue here remains unanswered!!!!1


How will this effect the boards.ie servers?

danniemcq

snyper wrote: »

The most important issue here remains unanswered!!!!1


How will this effect the boards.ie servers?

ya know the way boards is at half 3 in the morning? imagine that all day every day forever

sbsquarepants

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyone else have that morbid curiousity of what would happen to the world if something like this happened? I've said it before.. I'd rather be here and witness the end than grow old and see nothing.

It'd be cool. We'd all be driving around in stolen pickup trucks, raiding supermarkets for food, there'd be beautiful women just waiting to fall in love with us on the road and whatnot. Do you not watch the movies?

Educate yourself my friend, it's coming!
Personally speaking i'm more prepared for the zombie apocalypse, but i reckon i'd handle a super volcano should the need arise.

dr.bollocko

This is why I don't play multiplayer minecraft.

ceadaoin.

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Will all these Volcanoes, Hadron Colliders, and strange objects in our neighbourhood it's amazing we're all still alive in the firsts place.
Scientists need to stop f*cking around with it all before we all get killed!

How are scientists to blame for a volcano erupting? Are they poking it with a big stick or something?

Mr Benevolent

snyper wrote: »

The most important issue here remains unanswered!!!!1


How will this effect the boards.ie servers?

Kaboom.

Orando Broom

ceadaoin. wrote: »

How are scientists to blame for a volcano erupting? Are they poking it with a big stick or something?

They are pegging blocks of science into it!

hal9000

OMG!! what if they put the Hadron Collider and all those north & south pole magnets in a volcano would that like amplify the splosion a bajillion times or something!

Time to get some volcano insurance

TeddyTedson

ceadaoin. wrote: »

How are scientists to blame for a volcano erupting? Are they poking it with a big stick or something?

Well Jim Corr says America cause the Haiti disaster!

ejmaztec

It will only explode when Woody Harrelson triggers it off with some OTT acting.

up for anything

A less alarmist article here.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110119-yellowstone-park-supervolcano-eruption-magma-science/

thebigbiffo

i'm more worried about the sugar-loaf - ya gots to think local people

Duggy747

Jeez, relax people! Just get Pierce Brosnan to have a look at the volcano and if it erupts get Tommy Lee Jones to sort out how to stop it.

Rothmans

Rawhead wrote: »

Douchebag

I would reply with some equally eloquent retort, but unfortunately, my vocabulary isn't quite as extensive as yours, and for that I am deeply apologetic good sir.

Bazzy

quick someone tell jim corr

krudler

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Will all these Volcanoes, Hadron Colliders, and strange objects in our neighbourhood it's amazing we're all still alive in the firsts place.
Scientists need to stop f*cking around with it all before we all get killed!

I'm no scientician, but I dont think volcanos were man made

gbee

CrazyBiscuit wrote: »

Essentially humanity is screwed, we face threats from everywhere most of the time and cant seem to get our collective act together. Hopefully we can survive long enough to get the hell off this rock.

And I believe we did just that in the past. A select few, 'Dr Strangeglove' style went into orbit for a hundred years and their offspring repopulated the earth.

I believe that the UFO is possibly ours, but since we last used them, we've forgotten and not reached the required level of technology in the prevailing time frame. I'd blame religion for this, keeping people in fear and ignorance so they'd believe in invisible friends.

Our time is up, we've failed, natural selection prevails again and it's sad to think we probably had a chance. Ultimately the long term success of our species relies on us leaving this rock and living in space independently.

hal9000

gbee wrote: »

And I believe we did just that in the past. A select few, 'Dr Strangeglove' style went into orbit for a hundred years and their offspring repopulated the earth.

I believe that the UFO is possibly ours, but since we last used them, we've forgotten and not reached the required level of technology in the prevailing time frame. I'd blame religion for this, keeping people in fear and ignorance so they'd believe in invisible friends.

Our time is up, we've failed, natural selection prevails again and it's sad to think we probably had a chance. Ultimately the long term success of our species relies on us leaving this rock and living in space independently.

uuuumm, Yellowstone volcano is a UFO now??

gbee

hal9000 wrote: »

uuuumm, Yellowstone volcano is a UFO now??

No, don't think that's what I said. Say 639,000 years ago on the eve of the last Yellowstone eruption we got into our space craft and left the Earth to wait out the damage.

Next day, as predicted, the volcano blows up, killing almost everything on the planet in the following few months.

The Earth would be uninhabitable for a period of time. Afterwards we come back, but maybe not all of us and our craft are still flying around trying to rescue [abduct] us. Etc, Etc...

Mr Benevolent

gbee wrote: »

And I believe we did just that in the past. A select few, 'Dr Strangeglove' style went into orbit for a hundred years and their offspring repopulated the earth.

I believe that the UFO is possibly ours, but since we last used them, we've forgotten and not reached the required level of technology in the prevailing time frame. I'd blame religion for this, keeping people in fear and ignorance so they'd believe in invisible friends.

Our time is up, we've failed, natural selection prevails again and it's sad to think we probably had a chance. Ultimately the long term success of our species relies on us leaving this rock and living in space independently.

What happens when you put on your tinfoil hat?

Cantona's Collars

I blame Jim Corr.

hal9000

gbee wrote: »

No, don't think that's what I said. Say 639,000 years ago on the eve of the last Yellowstone eruption we got into our space craft and left the Earth to wait out the damage.

Next day, as predicted, the volcano blows up, killing almost everything on the planet in the following few months.

The Earth would be uninhabitable for a period of time. Afterwards we come back, but maybe not all of us and our craft are still flying around trying to rescue [abduct] us. Etc, Etc...

cool story bro!