Say Anything Blog

In part two of my continuing series on catastrophic events that could effect the US, we take a look at the Volcano that makes up most of the Yellowstone (Jellystone to you Yogi fans) national park.

The UnMuseum: Yellowstone Super-Volcano
[...] Another catastrophic eruption is also possible. The effects of such a disaster are hard to even comprehend. Bill McGuire, professor of geohazards at the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre at the University College of London told the UK Daily Express, "Magma would be flung 50 kilometers into the atmosphere. Within a thousand kilometers virtually all life would be killed by falling ash, lava flows and the sheer explosive force of the eruption. One thousand cubic kilometers of lava would pour out of the volcano, enough to coat the whole USA with a layer 5 inches thick." He adds that it would once again bring "the bitter cold of Volcanic Winter to Planet Earth. Mankind may become extinct."
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Scientists have known about Yellowstone's explosive history for quite some time, but events in the fall of 2003 suddenly had people concerned about the possibility of another massive explosion.
[...]
In August of 2003 a new high-resolution sonar map of the bottom of Yellowstone Lake showed a bulge, or "inflated plain" there that was 2000 feet long and 100 feet high. Was it being pushed up by hydrothermal or even volcanic forces?

At about the same time there were some unusual changes at Norris Geyser basin some 20 miles north of the lake. Areas formally dry suddenly had hot springs. Other hot springs dried up. A long dormant geyser became active and forced the closing of some of the trails through the basin.

Rumors also spread that the land near the center of the Yellowstone caldera has been rising, perhaps a sign that the humongous magma chamber below was about to blow.

Some amateur geologists connected these events with the history of the Yellowstone volcano and came to some troubling conclusions: The catastrophic caldera making eruptions have occurred. at 2.1 million, 1.3 million and 650,000 years ago. Was another one about to happen? Was the next explosion overdue?

We need action on this! I think that the Federal Government needs to act and soon! Think of the cost to tourism! Yellowstone is one of our most visited parks. If this Volcano erupts, very few people would visit the park!

I have a plan though, and it's a good one! We drill a large hole into the pool of magma and drop several tons of Dentine Ice in. That will cool the magma and stabilize the caldera.