Some worrisome news from Greg Laden’s Science blog, also in the running for Best Science Blog
Note: Image below was not part of the original story
Seismic Activity at Yellowstone by Greg Laden
Anyway, I’ve got a few resources for you in case you want to explore this further. To begin with, I recommend a look at my earlier post on this matter:
As you have surely heard, the Yellowstone Caldera … the place where Old Faithful and the Geyser Basin reside … has been undergoing increased “activity” including some earthquakes and a rising up of the land. Is this a big problem? Should the evacuate? Should those of us living only a few states away start wearing earplugs?
My sister, Elizabeth, publishes a newspaper in the vicinity of Yellowstone and they’ve got a very comprehensive piece on he caldera. In fact, my sister’s nickname is Caldera Girl. So she really knows her Calderas.
Tracking Changes in Yellowstone’s Restless Volcanic System
…Since the 1970s, scientists have tracked rapid uplift and subsidence of the ground and significant changes in hydrothermal features and earthquake activity. In 2001, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory was created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Utah, and Yellowstone National Park to strengthen scientists’ ability to track activity that could result in hazardous seismic, hydrothermal, or volcanic events in the region…
Finally, we’ve got this somewhat hokey but still fun to watch movie of how we are all totally doomed (h/t Caldera Girl).
The good news is, if this sucker blows, global warming is not going to be a problem.
I am personally keeping close watch on the seismic activity in the area and if I see anything ominous I’ll let you know. As soon as I finish packing and driving about 2,000 miles to the south of here.
Only if you refuse to heed the numerous warnings given…
I watch the History Channel quite frequently. I think their title is a misnomer… it should be the Catastrophe Channel… LOL
PaulHClark (03:47:02) :
A long time ago, November 29th, 2007, as a matter of fact, I addressed this issue in a science, uh, let’s see, at http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/11/29/statistician-debunks-gores-climate-linkage-of-the-collapse-of-the-mayan-civilisation/ . I was rather unkind to the poster I was replying to, but largely because he claimed it was the best science available.
I tried to repost that, but WordPress caught it as a duplicate….
There are far more likely outcomes of an earthquake swarm at Yellowstone and the alarmist press can always find something to talk about. The last time I was the the Bozeman news paper had an article title “Is Yellostone Ready to Blow” due to uplift around the lake and very hot surface temps at the Norriss Basin.
Gotta run….
“The good news is, if this sucker blows, global warming is not going to be a problem”
No, the good news actually is global warming is not going to be a problem regardless of whether “this sucker” blows or not. The bad news is, if this sucker blows at a time when we’re cooling, such as we apparently are now, it could exacerbate the cooling significantly. It would also give the AGW believers like Greg Laden a handy “explanation” for the cooling in entirety, saying that it was just “masking” the warming, which would be sure to return in a few years. “Best Science”, my foot.
Any fool knows that it is, in fact cooling that is to be feared, not warming.
I’m more concerned about NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA.
Indonesia has a lot of big volcanoes.
Big nasty volcanoes.
Check out the past seven days
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php
Yes you can find Yellowstone at the foot of the list.
I can’t see what all the fuss is about. All we need do is fill the depression with reinforced concrete.
We will of course have to start a letter campaign urging our world leaders to fire up every available cement mixer or, every living thing on earth will be destroyed….including polar bears.
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Ric Werme
I am doubly reassured! (but would never tempt fate – not that I suggest anyone is BTW)
Rev. 8:6-7: “And the ‘SEVEN ANGELS’ which had the ‘SEVEN TRUMPETS’ prepared themselves to sound. The ‘First Angel’ sounded, and there followed HAIL and FIRE mingled with BLOOD, and they were cast upon the Earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”
I would have thought the type of volcanic ‘event’ is dependent on the quantity of gasses in the magma, a smooth flow of liquid magma means little gas is present which means that the upward flow of magma has not been constrained for a long period of time, now if the upthrusting magma at the head of the inner hotspot is prevented from reaching the surface due to an unyielding crust then the disolved gas content will increase over time changing the nature of the magma from extrusive to explosive.
An intensive seismic survey of the chamber might help determine the character of the magma chamber or an analysis of the gasses emeging from the lake bed/geysers?
If there has been a recent extrusion of liquid magma then the chances of an ‘explosive event’ is reduced I think.
Personally I think the world will be destroyed by mutant hamsters…. Rustling and scurrying, little beady eyes, watching….. always watching…. 😉
Jeff Alberts
“Only if you refuse to heed the numerous warnings given…”
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The signal will be the mass exodus from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
King Of Cool –
The Sun gets its energy from fusion, not fission. It will also stay in the main sequence producing approximately the same amount of energy and luminosity for another 4 Billion years.
Of course, if Yellowstone does go Kablooie! then I hope, before your power goes out, come on here and post a “We were wrong” apology!
Sure you will. We on this site have integrity.
Although there apparently is no need to brush snow off the top of an Anderson screen as it does not effect the readings, what is the recommendation if the covering is ten metres of ash?
Ahh, panic. The only person who ever benefited from it was Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat – “I permitted myself one instant of panic, to promote the flow of adrenalin, then clamped down hard with my mental control. No panic, Jim! You’ve been in tight spots before. Think – don’t react blindly.”
O/T
From the “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again” depatment…
SWPC has just identified the newest sunspot. This one looks more promising than the last speck that failed to take off. And in the southern hemisphere there’s a new plage area which may bear watching to see if it further develops (it’s following on the heels of the previous failed spot/speck).
“It will also stay in the main sequence producing approximately the same amount of energy and luminosity for another 4 Billion years.”
But the earth will likely be long dead by then anyway. First of all, the sun’s output increases as it ages even in the main sequence. It is currently hotter than it was when life first appeared on the planet. This increase in output will continue as it ages. At the same time as the Earth cools, volcanism will slow. This will reduce the gasses pumped into the atmosphere and reduce the action of plate tectonics.
Any significant decrease in subduction would be a substantial decrease in CO2 entering the atmosphere. CO2 will be scrubbed out of the atmosphere and plants will begin to die which will then result in the animals dying. The atmosphere gradually “outgasses” into space, the oceans evaporate away and we are left with a planet looking much like Mars with only a thin CO2 atmosphere left. All of this while the Sun is still in the main sequence. We probably have less that 125 to 250 million years of Earth supporting life as we know it today.
Nah, guinea pigs. Don’t you watch South Park? 😉
K-Of-Cool
Also, I don’t know where you are getting your information on mantle cooling.
The mantle cools about 50-75 degrees Kelvin/Billion Years*
*http://www.the-conference.com/JConfAbs/5/1037.pdf
Current temp of the Mantle ranges between 900 degrees F and 1700 degrees F at the mantle/crust boundary — to over 6000 degrees at the mantle/core boundary.
Obviously we need to reconsider human sacrifice……….
http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/ seems to be quite comprehensive. In a quick scan of these comments I did not see a cite to this website.
Well…from a reading of the ‘general consensus’ if Jellystone, excuse me, Yellowstone decides to blow we’re in serious trouble. In fact, those of us farthest away – say, like here in South Florida, will most likely starve to death. On the other hand we could probably subsist on chicken-littles. There seem to be a bunch of them around down here discussing global warming.
new rumbles today
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/43.45.-111.-109.php
hotrod (04:39:26) :
“typo correction should read — volcanic ash injection into the atmosphere.”
Thanks for the update. I was getting some disturbing mental pictures.
Climatefanboy-not sure that verse makes much sense here. Yes, hot lava will be spewing from the Caldera, but the main effect the world has to worry about is the giant ash cloud that will spread around the world-the world wouldn’t burn, it would freeze. Unless, you meant that AGW was going to burn the world-which is frankly impossible. Even at the massive levels of CO2 in the Earth’s past, it didn’t get ~that~ hot. I personally think that refers to when the will expand and set nuclear fire to the atmosphere
I hardly think there is any good news if Yellowstone rips us a new one. But just goes to show how AGW religion twists ones thinking.
That should be the sun will expand.