To: RightWhale
The problem is that the Yellowstone magma chamber is like a rubber balloon with a weight on top of it (the top of the caldera). If you try to releave the pressure, the weight on top, pushing down, causes so much pressure that you have a high risk of losing control of the pressure valve and thus creating a full scale eruption of the caldera itself.
To: Paul C. Jesup
There has to be an engineering solution. If pressure relief pipes would get blown out at considerable speed, then perhaps something that would bleed off heat and perhaps generate power at the same time would do it. The project could pay for itself by feeding the power grid.
473 posted on
01/02/2004 4:23:38 PM PST by
RightWhale
(Repeal the Law of the Excluded Middle)
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