Super Volcanoes

[KMurphy]

I was just watching a program on TDC or TLC about the caldera developing under Yellowstone. It has upended one side of a lake by 750mm since the last elevation survey and they estimated the size of the magma dome by seismic sensors. It seems quite large. My postulation is this:
Can't an oil company drill into it to relieve the pressure? I don't mean straight down into the magma chamber, but drill down adjacent to the chamber, then come in from the side like they do oil reservoirs. This seems like a way to mitigate an eruption and burying half the US in 3 feet of ash by circumventing the pressure buildup.

An analogy would be putting a piece of tape on a filled balloon and sticking a needle through the tape. Instead of the balloon popping, it just leaks air once the needle is removed.

There could also be fringe benefits to tapping this massive pressure by harnessing it into electricity by using steam turbines. Does this sound like a feasible idea?

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: KMurphy
I was just watching a program on TDC or TLC about the caldera developing under Yellowstone. It has upended one side of a lake by 750mm since the last elevation survey and they estimated the size of the magma dome by seismic sensors. It seems quite large. My postulation is this:
Can't an oil company drill into it to relieve the pressure? I don't mean straight down into the magma chamber, but drill down adjacent to the chamber, then come in from the side like they do oil reservoirs. This seems like a way to mitigate an eruption and burying half the US in 3 feet of ash by circumventing the pressure buildup.

An analogy would be putting a piece of tape on a filled balloon and sticking a needle through the tape. Instead of the balloon popping, it just leaks air once the needle is removed.

There could also be fringe benefits to tapping this massive pressure by harnessing it into electricity by using steam turbines. Does this sound like a feasible idea?

Great idea! Just drill on the west side of it at a 45 degree angle, and aim the blast at California where it won't bother anybody.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: KMurphy
I was just watching a program on TDC or TLC about the caldera developing under Yellowstone. It has upended one side of a lake by 750mm since the last elevation survey and they estimated the size of the magma dome by seismic sensors. It seems quite large. My postulation is this: Can't an oil company drill into it to relieve the pressure? I don't mean straight down into the magma chamber, but drill down adjacent to the chamber, then come in from the side like they do oil reservoirs. This seems like a way to mitigate an eruption and burying half the US in 3 feet of ash by circumventing the pressure buildup. An analogy would be putting a piece of tape on a filled balloon and sticking a needle through the tape. Instead of the balloon popping, it just leaks air once the needle is removed. There could also be fringe benefits to tapping this massive pressure by harnessing it into electricity by using steam turbines. Does this sound like a feasible idea?

No drill material known could deal with this. If I recall correctly, the dome is quite deep. Also remember that any hole would be self sealing, and it would have to be pretty damn big. One further point, assuming you could accomplish what is an impossible engineering feat, where would you vent it to? Releasing magma and gas into the atmosphere probably would not go well. Fact is, we are going to wait for this, and when (not if) this blows, we are going to have to deal with it.

 

[rgwalt]

Any speculation on when we'll see an erruption?

Ryan

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
Any speculation on when we'll see an erruption? Ryan

No, but probably not in your lifetime. Likely in the next thousand years though, which is really not too far off, and considering this will have more power than all the nuclear weapons that exist and have ever existed, will be a significant event.

 

[KMurphy]

The depth is not an issue. Current technology can get us down around 30,000 feet. I didn't catch how deep this magma dome was. An eruption date was not commented on, but a cycle of 600,000 - 800,000 years. It has been 600,000 years since the last eruption. I seems there would be a lot of gas in the header of the dome, but I guess there needs to be a 3D seismic survey done to verify. If the gas could be bled off and pressure reduced, the magma chamber would cool and harden over time. It would be scary to tap into that much energy at once though.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: rgwalt
Any speculation on when we'll see an erruption? Ryan

No, but probably not in your lifetime. Likely in the next thousand years though, which is really not too far off, and considering this will have more power than all the nuclear weapons that exist and have ever existed, will be a significant event.

Um, if that statement is true, then North America, including Canada will be one bigass pothole when this goes off.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Sounds like a planet killer from what you guys describe...

 

[KMurphy]

Just a Western Hemisphere killer. The other side would have to adapt to darkness for a while though.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: KMurphy
Just a Western Hemisphere killer. The other side would have to adapt to darkness for a while though.

Pretty much.
If you Google on Crater lake, you will find out what one of these super eruptions can be like.

 

[etech]

Found an interesting site on it for those that want more info.

Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming


Some of you might want to look up the New Madrid Fault also.

Me, I'm fatalistic about it. If it goes there isn't much I can do about it.

 

[DanFungus]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: rgwalt
Any speculation on when we'll see an erruption? Ryan

No, but probably not in your lifetime. Likely in the next thousand years though, which is really not too far off, and considering this will have more power than all the nuclear weapons that exist and have ever existed, will be a significant event.

Um, if that statement is true, then North America, including Canada will be one bigass pothole when this goes off.

at least we'd be taking Canada down with us

 

[etech]

I forgot to add this, from the link I posted earlier

"At the heart of Yellowstone's past, present, and future lies volcanism. Catastrophic er uptions occurred here about 2 million years ago, then 1.2 million years ago, and then 600,000 years a go. "

If I am doing the math correctly it looks like it is due anytime. Of course that may still be a thousand or more years away from now.