Posted on 11/08/2007 1:47:04 PM PST by blam
Magma surge causes record rise at Yellowstone
19:00 08 November 2007
NewScientist.com news service
Catherine Brahic
The remains of the Yellowstone supervolcano in the US is huffing and puffing and rising by up to 7 centimetres a year, say researchers. They speculate this rise is caused by a mass of molten rock the size of Los Angeles being forced from the Earths mantle into the magma chamber beneath the ancient volcano.
But the researchers, led by Wu-Lung Chang of the University of Utah in the US, caution that the movement does not mean an explosion is imminent. Calderas the massive craters that are left behind when a volcano collapses all over the world go up and down over decades.
The Yellowstone caldera was formed during the huge volcano's last massive eruption 642,000 years ago, which released enough ash to cover half of the US with tens of centimetres of ash. As the magma chamber was emptied out during the eruption, the volcano collapsed, creating the massive crater.
The area remains North America's largest volcanic field, fuelled by a gigantic plume of hot, molten rock which begins at least 400 miles beneath the surface. Blobs of magma occasionally break off and bubble up, resupplying the Caldera's magma chamber. The heat generated by this chamber powers Yellowstone's famous geysers.
Fastest rate From mid-2004 to late 2006, Chang and colleagues measured deformations at the surface of the caldera using GPS stations and radar measurements made from the European satellite Envisat.
Earlier in 2007, another team used similar measurements to detect bulges in the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, which has helped them determine where the next eruption of the volcano is likely to happen.
(Excerpt) Read more at environment.newscientist.com ...
IIRC the las one was what made our plains states so fertile. The heavy ash fallout went nearly to the Mississippi and that is farther away than 350 miles.
It would be spectacular and would make half the US super fertile.. after it was rained on for a half a century or so. Yeah it would probably kill all the fish in the rivers to the east of it, but eventually it would be better.
The earth and nature are fantastic when viewed on time scales we can only imagine.
You must have seen my post #25 on this thread.
Guess we don’t have to worry about Global Warming any more.
The ash was six feet deep in Nebraska.
Do what the Islanders do...Use all that volcanic activity for winter heat and turning turbines..
Only temporarily.. like a 1000 years or so. Remember the Yellowstone caldera helped create our bread basket. After the ash has landed and nature and weather work on it it is terrific farming soil.
But only like a 200 or more generations after the event.
LOL. Yeah and after it that happened they would not need ice roads to get to the diamond mines up north.
Hmm. Looks just like one of those squares with the red X.
You just never know what’s right around the corner...
Yeah but did you stay at a Holiday Inn?
“The ash was six feet deep in Nebraska”
That would be really heavy when it rains.
Did somebody say, "Liquid, Hot, Magma?"
the ultimate eruption of this caldera, on a scale that happened 600,000years ago would END any real, perceived , natural or man made global warming and give us a huge ice age. At least for those who survive the conflagration.
That should help balance out our global warming.
I've been to Rotorua, NZ. They dump soap into a geyser to set it off for the tourists. (Of course, they said it was first found by convict labor washing clothes in a hot spring, the soap breaking the surface tension holding the water back, "...tossing the clothes into the trees for automatic wash and dry.")
The envirowackos don't even like humans being in, other than them, naturally, National Parks.
So any use other than just existing, is a non-starter.
Didn't I read somewhere that one of the Yellowstone super-eruptions had ash ten's of feet deep all the way to Texas? Lemme see if I can find a source for that...
I don’t know
I don’t know
I dunno where I’m gonna go when the volcano blows
Ground she’s moving under me
Tidal waves out on the sea
Sluphur smoke up in the sky
Parrotheads know how to fly
I don’t know
I don’t know
I dunno where I’m gonna go when the volcano blows
Now my girl quickly said to me
Man you better watch your feet
Lava come down soft and hot
You better love-a me or love-a me not
I don’t know
I don’t know
I dunno where I’m gonna go when the volcano blows
No time to count what I’m worth
Cause I just left the planet earth
Where I go I hope there’s rum
Not to worry man soon come
I don’t know
I don’t know
I dunno where I’m gonna go when the volcano blows
But I don’t want to land in New York City
I don’t want to land in Mexico
I don’t want want to land on no 3 mile island
don’t want to see my skin aglow
I don’t want to land in commanchiesky park
or Nashville, Tn.
I don’t want to land in no San Juan airport
or Yukon Territory
I don’t want to land in no San Diego
I don’t want to land in Buzzard’s Bay
I don’t want to land on no Iatolah
I got nothing more to say
I don’t know
I don’t know
I dunno where I’m gonna go when the volcano blows
Jimmy Buffett
Fortunately, I live on the second floor, so I'll be ok.
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