Southern California Hot Spot Hits 812 Degrees, Baffles Experts

Fox News ^ | August 06, 2008 | Unattributed

[Ben Mugged]

The ground is so hot in one part of Southern California it can melt the shoes right off your feet.

An unexplained "thermal anomaly" caused a patch of land in Ventura County, just north of Los Angeles, to reach a temperature of over 800 degrees on Friday, baffling experts who have been monitoring the area for weeks.

The anomaly was discovered after the land got so hot that it started a brush fire and burned three acres last month.

Firefighters were brought to the scene after reports of a blaze, but by the time they arrived only smoldering dirt and brush remained.

~snip~ One theory is that natural hydrocarbons, such as oil or gas, are burning deep in the earth and seeping out through cracks in the area, causing the surface to rapidly heat and generate smoke.

According to the Star, Allen King, a former geologist with the U.S. Forest Service recently stuck a thermometer into the ground and got a reading of 550 degrees — so hot that it melted the glue holding the sole of his boots together.

"After that we were more cautious about standing in one place for too long," he said.

[Ben Mugged]

Imagine that.... hydrocarbons burning beneath the surface of the planet..... The planet is obviously destroying itself so we need to protect the planet from itself.....

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I feel so bad for the poor polar bears...

[SuziQ]

Have they checked to see if the area sits over some previously undiscovered vent from magma chamber?

[clamper1797]

Now that’s global warming ...

[TexasCajun]

Kalifornia causing Global Warming!

[clamper1797]

natural hydrocarbons, such as oil or gas, are burning deep in the earth

Wouldn't that mean that we should remove these hydrocarbons from the ground before something bad happens

[MarineBrat]

How many movies and books and short stories have been written about volcanos coming up in Los Angeles?

[polymuser]

Can't imagine why...

[ushr435]

Yes, as Dr. Evil would say, it could be “liquid hot MAG-MA.”

[Wiseghy]

Underground fire is actually kind of a bad thing. This isn’t the last we’ve heard of this one. Enviros will undoubtably blame additional pumping or extraction techniques soon.

Amazing that there is so much energy down there that it just ignites on its own.

[A CA Guy]

Mother earth voting that we drill for more oil IMO.

[reagan_fanatic]

"Did you say .. magma?"

[Red Badger]

That's how this movie started...........

[Heatseeker]

Ya beat me!

[theDentist]

Have they checked to see if the area sits over some previously undiscovered vent from magma chamber?

I was about to ask the same. Learned one or two things from that movie "Volcano".... and History Channel. :)

[RckyRaCoCo]

Heat killed the Pope...according to The Weather Channel gal

[dragonblustar]

It's Helen's fault.

[savedbygrace]

Ah, they found the spot where Paris Hilton videotaped her McCain Rebuttal video.

(Well, she said she was hot.)

[Kevmo]

This seems right up your respective alleys...