Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Yellowstone Super Volcano
Topic Started: Apr 12 2005, 11:25 AM (328 Views)
gvok
Unregistered

I saw part of a show on the Discovery Science Channel last night about how Yellowstone National park is actually an active "super-volcano" which, if it errupted, would kill off most of the life on earth. It made me a little nervous to watch and I was trying to go to sleep so I turned it off.

Does anyone know anything about this? How realistic is this scenario?
| Quote | ^
 
Dr. Noah
Sistertrek's Asian Correspondant
I read something about it in National Geographic. The entire area of Yellowstone is one huge volcano filled in after it's last eruption 6000 odd years ago. The pressure is said to continuously build for another one, but this could be averted theoretically by putting in an artificial pressure valve (perhaps some form of geothermal energy production! :wow: ) here's a link:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...ellowstone.html
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
gvok
Unregistered

Thanks for the link Sisknoah.
| Quote | ^
 
Dr. Noah
Sistertrek's Asian Correspondant
No sweat. Other odd volcanic phenomenon in the United States includes Lake Tahoe which was once a huge volcano, later covered in an ice sheet and melted off to create a huge, very deep lake. Also, if anyone gets the chance, check out Devil's Tower. It's way out in the middle of nowhere (somewhere in Northern Wyoming/Southern Montana I think) been a while since I was there, anyway, it's an eruption of magma that shot straight into the air some 10,000 years ago and cooled quickly giving it the appearance of a large pillar of rock. Geologists are still puzzled over how this could've naturally occurred. (cue X-files theme)
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
gvok
Unregistered

Devil's Tower was featured prominently in "Close Encounters".
| Quote | ^
 
Dr. Noah
Sistertrek's Asian Correspondant
There was also a very realistic model constructed of mashed potatoes in that movie as well. ;)
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
gvok
Unregistered

;)
| Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
Supervolcano was on tonight, the dramatisation tends to trivialise the event - I think.

I can understand how people who live in the USA might be very disturbed by the show. Another reason why I am glad I DON"T live in the USA.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
digifan2004
Member Avatar
Electronic genius
IMO I think the scientists are over reacting. CIP - Take a look at the Mount Saint Helen's erruption. The erruption disrupted the entire Spokan-Washington area. Many lives were affected but nature had found ways to recover. Same scenario applies here. Modern jet engines and avionic control systems are designed to withinstand extreme conditions including travelling through an ash cloud. Givem the proper conditions I think the people can and will survive this worst case scenario.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
Sophie
Member Avatar
Keeper of the spider-cats
Yellowstone is a supervolcano? :jawdrop:
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
digifan2004
Apr 17 2005, 11:01 AM
IMO I think the scientists are over reacting. CIP - Take a look at the Mount Saint Helen's erruption. The erruption disrupted the entire Spokan-Washington area. Many lives were affected but nature had found ways to recover. Same scenario applies here. Modern jet engines and avionic control systems are designed to withinstand extreme conditions including travelling through an ash cloud. Givem the proper conditions I think the people can and will survive this worst case scenario.

I'm not so sure about that.

Imagine 10 or 20 Krakatoas happening in one after another or all at once and you might get the picture.

Mt.St Helens was nothing compared with Krakatoa. (Explosive powerwise, what did the most damage at Mt.St.Helens was the paraclastic flows when one side of the volcanoe collapsed.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
3 of 7
Member Avatar
Watch out, or I'll assimilate you!!!
^ True, the scientist are not overreacting! after all, the human population on the entire planet was almost wiped out the last time a super volcano errupted! :jawdrop: :scared: (And if I recall correct, that super volcano was not as big as Yellowstone!)
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
Swidden
Member Avatar
Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
We're pretty lucky that we have not had such an event in quite some time and that the last truly significant impact was probably Tunguska. However, it has lead to a sense of complacency. We're still more worried about what we're doing to nature and less worried about what nature can aribtrarily do to us...
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
psyfi
psyfi
I saw that supervolcano special also. HORRIFYING! It seems to be that not being in the U.S. would only delay the inevitable for the rest of the world.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
Latest Assessment - Yellowstone Rated High for Eruption Threat

But don't panic just yet.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
« Previous Topic · Science and Technology · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Tweet
comments powered by Disqus