worlds largest "super-volcano"ready to blow in yellowstone

[tony hipchest]

discussing yucca mountain reminded me of learning about this in geology about 15 years ago. pretty much dwarfs our nuclear waste threat... thing is theres absolutely NOTHING we can do about this. amazing how you never hear about it. (very long article)

http://www.crawford2000.co.uk/yellblow.htm

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Yellowstone National Park happens to be on top of one of the largest "super volcanoes" in the world. Geologists claim the Yellowstone Park area has been on a regular eruption cycle of 600,000 years. The last eruption was 640,000 years ago making the next one long overdue. This next eruption could be 2,500 times the size of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. Volcanologists have been tracking the movement of magma under the park and have calculated that, in parts of Yellowstone, the ground has risen over seventy centimeters this century.

In July, 2003, Yellowstone Park rangers closed the entire Norris Geyser Basin because of deformation of the land and excessive high ground temperatures. There is an area that is 28 miles long by 7 miles wide that has bulged upward over five inches since 1996, and this year the ground temperature on that bulge has reached over 200 degrees (measured one inch below ground level).


There was no choice but to close off the entire area. Everything in this area is dying: The trees, flowers, grass and shrubs. A dead zone is developing and spreading outward. The animals are literally migrating out of the park.


Then during the last part of July one of the Park geologists discovered a huge bulge at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake. The bulge has already risen over 100 feet from the bottom of the lake and the water temperature at the surface of the bulge has reached 88 degrees and is still rising.

Keep in mind that Yellowstone Lake is a high mountain lake with very cold water temperatures. The Lake is now closed to the public. It is filled with dead fish floating everywhere. The same is true of the Yellowstone river and most of the other streams in the Park. Dead and dying fish are filling the water everywhere. Many of the picnic areas in the Park have been closed and people visiting the Park usually stay but a few hours before leaving since the stench of sulfur is so strong they literally can't stand the smell. The irony of all this is the silence by the news media and our government. Very little information is available from Yellowstone personnel or publications. What mainstream newsstories do appear underscore the likelihood of a massive volcanic eruption. Though geologists publicly admit Yellowstone is "overdue," they have been quoted as stating another massive magma release may not occur for 100,000 or 2 million years. Others close to the story are convinced that a massive eruption is imminent. A source that has demonstrated first-hand knowledge of the park's history and recent geothermal events stated the following: "The American people are not being told that the explosion of this 'super volcano' could happen at any moment. When Yellowstone does blow, some geologists predict that every living thing within six hundred miles is likely to die. The movement of magma has been detected just three-tenths of a mile below the bulging surface of the ground in Yellowstone raising concerns that this super volcano may erupt soon." This report was taken from a series of articles, emails and official information at <http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20031219.htm> "Yesterday afternoon, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake occurred just 9 miles southeast of the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park ... given the shallow depth of this quake, the volcanism model developed by Larry Park has suddenly lurched us a huge step towards a worst-case eruption event. Simply put, anyone living within 600 miles of Yellowstone could be sitting in a modern day Pompeii. In addition, for those living outside this area and West of the Mississippi River, there could be grievous consequences as well, because systemic processes are now building beneath Yellowstone that paint a very clear picture of a major eruption event in its early stages."


Did you catch this last phrase? "... a major eruption event in its early stages."


What specific signs convinced these authors that the Yellowstone Super-Volcano is about ready to blow, and may actually be in the beginning stages? While we will cover several worrisome signs, the huge land deformation in this area is the major sign that a "Slow Earthquake" of enormous size and devastation may actually now be under way. What is a "land deformation"? When a volcano is building hot magma within its crater, the magma will push against the rock from the inside; at the weakest part of the rock formation comprising the crater walls, the magma will begin to push upward and/or outward, creating a "rock or land deformation". When Mt. St. Helens blew up May, 18, 1980, that explosion was preceded by some months of a visible rock deformation that extended outward about 450 feet.


Listen to the historic record:


"By May 17, more than 10,000 earthquakes had shaken the volcano and the north flank had grown outward at least 450 feet to form a noticeable bulge. Such dramatic deformation of the volcano was strong evidence that molten rock (magma) had risen high into the volcano." ["Mount St. Helens - From the 1980 Eruption to 2000", USGS, http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/fs036-00/>


From this USGS document, you can see them admit that the rock deformation on the crater "was strong evidence that molten rock (magma) had risen high into the volcano." Indeed, this is the opinion of a professor of Geology. Listen:


"Volcanos are an awesome display of Nature's power ... It is, therefore, necessary to closely monitor the volcanoes in order to mitigate the hazards arising from an eruption. Ground surface deformation can give clues to magmatic processes at depth and is a reliable indicator of an impending eruption." ["GPS On The Web: GPS Volcano Deformation Monitoring", Volker Janssen, School of Surveying and Information Systems, The University of South Wales ]


Once again, the key point: "Ground surface deformation ... is a reliable indicator of an impending eruption."


Now, let us turn toward the rock deformation of the Yellowstone Super-Volcano to see how large the rock deformation is in Yellowstone Park.


NEWS BRIEF: "Park lake hints at buildup to huge blast', DenverPost.com, Sunday, August 10, 2003.


"YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - The mystery of the deep at picturesque Yellowstone Lake is a bulge that rises 100 feet from the lake floor, stretches the length of seven football fields, and has the potential to explode at any time. Of all the life-threatening events that could happen at Yellowstone - from volcanic eruptions to massive earthquakes - this type of hydrothermal explosion is likely the most immediate, serious hazard in the park ... Denver-based geologists have discovered a towering mound that has swollen to the size of seven football fields at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake."


Thus, we have a rock deformation that absolutely dwarfs the maximum deformation at Mt. St. Helens (450 feet). The dimensions of this rock deformation at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake are 100 feet high by 2,100 feet wide! But, this is not the only rock deformation bulging upward and outward in the Yellowstone Park Super-Volcano! Going back to our Denver Post article, we learn:


"Just south of Norris basin is a bulge in the earth about 28 miles across and 7 miles deep that has pushed the ground up more than 5 inches since 1996, according to research by Chuck Wicks, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California ... This summer already has shown signs that the caldera remains wide awake. Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest thermal area in Yellowstone, sprouted new mud pots. Ground temperature on the trail soared to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, too hot to touch. Porkchop Geyser, dormant since 1989, erupted on July 16. Park officials responded by barring access to half of the 2 miles of Norris Geyser trails." [Ibid.] These two "mud pots" are approximately 70 feet high and 2,300 feet long!


Thus, these two huge rock deformations are clear indications that a potentially massive movement of magma that will cause a Super-Volcano explosion is already underway! Remember the insight from this professor: "Ground surface deformation ... is a reliable indicator of an impending eruption."

click link for rest

[Galax Steeler]

I don't think I won't to see this one but I might catch the next eruption in another 600,000 years.I will see if I can get a bus ticket.

[fansince'76]

Some more about it. Scary stuff, as there doesn't seem to be any scientific consensus about when this might happen.

Yellowstone supervolcano is only lukewarm

08 August 2008

by Catherine Brahic

How hot is the Yellowstone hotspot? At 80 kilometres beneath the Earth's surface it's about 1450°C, say researchers - which, for a supervolcano, is only lukewarm.

That doesn't mean we won't get another eruption. The last explosion, some 642,000 years ago, created the Yellowstone caldera and blanketed half of the present day US in ash.

But Derek Schutt of Colorado State University believes the relatively tepid temperature means the supervolcano could be on its last legs.

Yellowstone National Park in the US is one of a few dozen volcanic hotspots around the world, along with the likes of Hawaii and Iceland.

Delving deeper

What causes it to periodically erupt is not clear. Some researchers think it is disturbances in the top 200 kilometres of the Earth's interior, but increasingly the evidence is pointing to a large plume of hot mantle rising up from much deeper, melting its way through the crust.

Schutt has just added to that evidence. He and his colleague Ken Dueker of the University of Wyoming have estimated the temperature of the plume beneath the Snake River Plain, south-west of the Yellowstone caldera, using the knowledge that temperature affects how seismic waves travel through rocks.

"80 km beneath the Snake River Plain, seismic waves travel slower than just about anywhere on Earth at this depth," says Schutt.

The team determined that the temperature at this depth was likely to be between 50 °C and 200 °C hotter than the surrounding rock - at least 1450 °C.

According to Schutt, there is no way to reach these temperatures without a plume of magma rising up from deep inside the Earth. Yet, "this is much colder than other presumed mantle plumes, such as Hawaii," he says.

Broken link

This adds to suggestions that the plume has disconnected from its heat source in the Earth's core. If this is true, it means the plume could be dying - and that the sequence of mega-eruptions could come to an end. "If it doesn't have clear source, as it rises eventually the plume will die out," says Schutt.

That doesn't mean there won't be another eruption, however, says Jacob Lowenstern of the US Geological Survey's Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. "Regardless of the ultimate origin of the plume, the volcanic hazard remains about the same," he told New Scientist.

Rhodri Davies of Imperial College London agrees. If Schutt and Dueker's temperature estimates are correct, he says, there is still enough heat there to trigger eruptions.

"I would suspect there is life in the Yellowstone hotspot. To me, ruling out a future catastrophic eruption would be foolish," he says.

Journal references: Geology (DOI: 10.1130/G24809A.1)

Journal of Geophysical Research (DOI: 10.1029/2007JB005109)

Yellowstone Volcano "Lukewarm"

[tony hipchest]

yeah in the terms of epochs being off by .0001% can be thousands of years.

my daughter has really gotten into volcanoes lately (i have no idea why) so ive been showing her different websites and youtube clips.

looks like theres tons of tracking an research on this yellowstone hotspot.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/public...psanddowns.php (cool satelite imagery to chart the changes)

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/ (this one has a monthly update of the changes there)

[Galax Steeler]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

yeah in the terms of epochs being off by .0001% can be thousands of years.

my daughter has really gotten into volcanoes lately (i have no idea why) so ive been showing her different websites and youtube clips.

looks like theres tons of tracking an research on this yellowstone hotspot.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/public...psanddowns.php (cool satelite imagery to chart the changes)

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/ (this one has a monthly update of the changes there)

That is some interesting stuff.I never knew they was a volcano of that magnitude in the us.

[MACH1]

Sweet. I have a front row seat.

How old is this article? Haven't heard of anything being closed to the public in Jellystone, its business as usual. They just opened up the roads for bike travel last week.

We only live about a 3 hour drive from the west entrance of the park, West Yellowstone. We were there year before last and felt a 5.6 quake that was centered out of Butte, MT.

If you look at the map of Idaho you can see the path of eruptions over the millions of years. From where Yellowstone is now to almost Boise, there's a swath of flat looking area right through the state. The plates move so far over the years, then it blows, leveling everything.



Must be another panic article.

[MasterOfPuppets]

it's the apocolypse...we're doomed...we're doomed..... ......oh wait...i'm on the east coast.....

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by MACH1

How old is this article? Haven't heard of anything being closed to the public in Jellystone, its business as usual.

the website says Gore wrote it in early 2004

Must be another panic article.

shhhhhh... i didnt think anyone would notice.

i had meant to put a question mark in the title. so you were there, huh? ive never been but would really like to go before it is wiped off the map. one of the articles states activity picked up in 2007 and slowed down in 08. im curious how big that bubble is at the bottom of the lake, now.

closest ive been to there is boise and lake cascade. very nice country.

[Dino 6 Rings]

maybe if Congress threatens to Tax it the Volcano won't go off until the economy comes back around.

[TeeJay]

If it was Jellystone Park I wouldn't be worried - at least Yogi would come up with a plan - He is after all, smarter than the average Bear!

But it's not...so now I am.......Oh well.

2009 - Why get out of bed - We're all doomed!!!