Imminent Yellowstone 'Supervolcano' Now 'Unlikely'

cbs ^ | 1/2/09 | cbs

[Flavius]

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

[Click to zoom.] Click to enlarge Yellowstone remains very geologically active — and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground. (File)

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* Yellowstone Earthquakes May Be 'Precursory' Events (12/30/2008) * Author: Yellowstone Park A Ticking Bomb (7/28/2008) * Wolves Of Yellowstone Spur Love And Hate (7/18/2007) * Yellowstone Bulge May Cause Thermal Unrest (3/2/2006)

Related Links

* Lowenstern Interview With Blogger * Yellowstone Earthquake Map

The recent "swarm" of small earthquake tremors happening in Yellowstone National Park are not likely to be a sign of a pending "supervolcano" eruption as some fear, according to a top scientist at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

Dr. Jacob Lowenstern of the U.S. Geological Survey said Monday that the earthquake activity in Yellowstone most likely will continue for weeks, "and then will end without any other related activity."

Lowenstern's comments were reported by money and politics blogger James Pethokoukis of U.S. News & World Report, who chatted with the scientist via e-mail.

Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes this week, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come

[Zevonismymuse]

Whew! I was buying up rice and beans, Y2K style.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Whew. We sure dodged that bullet in the nick of time. Now all we have to do is dodge the incoming Obama bullet.

[GauchoUSA]

God forbid anything bad happens during “The One’s” presidential term, obviously it will be Bush’s fault if we blow.

[null and void]

Try not to get worried
Try not to turn on to
Problems that upset you
oh Don’t you know
Everything’s alright
Yes everything’s fine
And we want you to sleep well tonight

[CindyDawg]

I hope not but what does he base this on?

[Lazamataz]

When the experts proclaim something, the exact opposite usually happens.

O s**t.

[Lazamataz]

When the experts proclaim something, the exact opposite usually happens.

O s**t.

[CaptainMorgantown]

It’s fascinating to read about the seismic activity Yellowstone, because we know what this caldera is capable of. However, the chances that any given swarm of small earthquakes is a precursor to the ‘the big event’ is extremely small. Just to give perspective, there was a 7.4 earthquake in Yellowstone in 1959 and that didn’t lead to any notable volcanic activity.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah but what has changed between yesterday and today? Yesterday it was “it’s happened in the past...we don’t know..we are watching.

[dangus]

Barrack Obama, Superstar?

Hill’ry, your appointment
brand new and expensive
could haaave been saved for Al Gore...
Why has it been wasted?
We could have raised maybe
three hundred million offshore!

[Flavius]

if you did not see it

there is a nice bbc show about the whole thing

its worth watching if you like some science with entertainment

http://www.earthmountainview.com/yellowstone/yellowstone.htm

[Nahanni]

Uh huh....

A report from the MSM citing a government geologist. This is like the officers and crew of the Titanic telling the passengers that putting the women and children off in the lifeboats is just a "precautionary measure".

I do understand it, though. There is a very fine line between instilling concern combined with positive action and creating a panic. Especially now with so many who have seen all those "Yellowstone supervolcano pr0n" shows on Discovery and Nat Geo. Want to find the heart of the matter? If any of you know first responders in Idaho, (especially) Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and the Dakotas play "Go Fish" with them. See if they have received any out of the ordinary "instructions" or things of that nature.

[onedoug]

Likely. Unlikely. Likely. Unlikely. Likely. Unlikely.

Volcanologists. Can’t live with ‘em. Can’t live without ‘em.

[HerrBlucher]

"There have been 80 volcanic eruptions at Yellowstone since the last 'supervolcano' eruption 640,000 years ago and hundreds of large steam explosions," said Lowenstern. "The last time a volcanic eruption occurred at Yellowstone was 70,000 years ago."

We need to keep this in mind just in case some sort of explosive event does occur soon at Yellowstone. Yellowstone farts a lot but only kills en masse on rare special occassions.

[Blackhawk]

Are these the same people that said Global Warming is Man made? If so, then I am now really scared. They only seem to be right about 5% of the time. So if they say it won’t blow......?????

[LiberConservative]

Are they using computer “models”? We all know what “scientists” can do with computer models.

[wku man]

Always a good idea, regardless of circumstances. I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[reagan_fanatic]

Whoops - better get that mortgage payment in the mail.

[mewzilla]

Meanwhile....

YML - 01/02/2009

Don't s'pose the eggheads know that means.....