Supervolcano on Discover last night...

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EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
Hah, I watched it. Frankly, there is little/no chance of it happening in our lifetime. Keep in mind that the entire Rocky Mountain range developed in the time in which the previous events occured, and it is now, for the most part, done. Without nearly as much seismic activity to set it off anymore, eruptions will be fewer and farther between. On the other hand, IF it happens, it's totally beyond our control and response, so it isn't even worth a thought.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Originally posted by: jjoyner
Vic...you make me feel safe...;)
Heh. Oh no, I'm not trying to say that we are safe. There's no such thing as safety this side of the grave. I'm just saying that it doesn't do you any good to listen to the chicken littles.
 

jjoyner

Banned
Sep 13, 2004
583
0
0
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: jjoyner
Vic...you make me feel safe...;)
Heh. Oh no, I'm not trying to say that we are safe. There's no such thing as safety this side of the grave. I'm just saying that it doesn't do you any good to listen to the chicken littles.

They aren't chicken littles if they have scientific evidence to back them...The idea in the movie (as was mentioned SEVERAL times) was worst-case...Having said that, they compared the realistic explosion (worst-case) to 50 time that of Mt St. Helens...

I agree that we shouldn't be worried about silly stuff such as the New Madrid fault (which I basically live on)...But at the same time, we need to acknowledge potential threats and prepare to cope with them...I have been badgered to come up with Earthquake kits many times before (living in TN, KY, southern IN....New Madrid) and it has yet to happen, but I would hate to be stuck with nothing and helpless in case the situation arises...

That's my thought on this whole idea...

 

Cancer12

Senior member
Nov 30, 2001
510
0
0
I actually wrote a short story about this in my fiction writing class. PM me if you want to read it.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Originally posted by: jjoyner
They aren't chicken littles if they have scientific evidence to back them...The idea in the movie (as was mentioned SEVERAL times) was worst-case...Having said that, they compared the realistic explosion (worst-case) to 50 time that of Mt St. Helens...

I agree that we shouldn't be worried about silly stuff such as the New Madrid fault (which I basically live on)...But at the same time, we need to acknowledge potential threats and prepare to cope with them...I have been badgered to come up with Earthquake kits many times before (living in TN, KY, southern IN....New Madrid) and it has yet to happen, but I would hate to be stuck with nothing and helpless in case the situation arises...

That's my thought on this whole idea...
Supposing worst case, how do you expect to prepare for a disaster of that scale?

Sorry, I see the science as having 2 parts. The kind that is practical, factual, and observed, like engineering or medicine for example, and this kind, which I call shaman voodoo, which is based primarily on hypothesis and conjecture, and likes to generate fear among the general public by predicting worst case scenarios.
 

JoeKing

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
10,641
1
81
Originally posted by: jjoyner
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: jjoyner
Vic...you make me feel safe...;)
Heh. Oh no, I'm not trying to say that we are safe. There's no such thing as safety this side of the grave. I'm just saying that it doesn't do you any good to listen to the chicken littles.

They aren't chicken littles if they have scientific evidence to back them...The idea in the movie (as was mentioned SEVERAL times) was worst-case...Having said that, they compared the realistic explosion (worst-case) to 50 time that of Mt St. Helens...

I agree that we shouldn't be worried about silly stuff such as the New Madrid fault (which I basically live on)...But at the same time, we need to acknowledge potential threats and prepare to cope with them...I have been badgered to come up with Earthquake kits many times before (living in TN, KY, southern IN....New Madrid) and it has yet to happen, but I would hate to be stuck with nothing and helpless in case the situation arises...

That's my thought on this whole idea...

What I found funny was the last half hour. They spent 25 mins talking about if and how and possibly when the eruption would happen. But they spent 30 secs mentioning "Or nothing will happen". They also briefly mentioned "The rocky mountains might cover the magma pocket and the eruption might never happen".

When it comes down to it 2 things can happen. An eruption happens (to varying degrees) or an eruption doesn't happen. It just comes down to the fact it's more interesting to talk about what "might" happen "if" an eruption happens.

All I know is things that happen on a geological time frame take so long from our short lived perspectives the odds of truly cataclysmic events happening in our time frame is extraordinarly slim.
 

LeadMagnet

Platinum Member
Mar 26, 2003
2,348
0
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acording to the movie "The Core" the earth's molten core is going to stop spinning and will soildify, in which case a magma chamer will also cool off and could't erupt. Since moive never lie or take creative liberties with science then we must be safe.
 

RadioHead84

Platinum Member
Jan 8, 2004
2,166
0
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haha htat film was terrible. What was it that they just suddenly discovered? Unuptaninium or something?
 

squirrel dog

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
5,564
48
91
I guess just venting it is out of the question ? Maybe do a hydro / thermal power plant as an added bonus .
 

KDOG

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,525
14
81
Ya know, it could just erupt a little to vent off some pressure. It doesn't have to be all or none.
 

QuitBanningMe

Banned
Mar 2, 2005
5,038
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Originally posted by: KDOG
Ya know, it could just erupt a little to vent off some pressure. It doesn't have to be all or none.

I'm not positive but I thought a small vent was what caused a caldera eruption.
 

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
Originally posted by: squirrel dog
I guess just venting it is out of the question ? Maybe do a hydro / thermal power plant as an added bonus .

There's the VERY real possibility that that would TRIGGER an eruption.

Route to surface == OMG PRESSURE RELIEF == Blammo == Possible Goodbye Northern Hemisphere.
 

bsobel

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Dec 9, 2001
13,346
0
0
The one volcano could erup in our lifetime is the Las Palma Island in the canaries and Mt St Hellens.

Those are the only two volcano's that are going to erupt in our lifetime? Wow, you are clueless.

 

91TTZ

Lifer
Jan 31, 2005
14,374
1
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Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Originally posted by: squirrel dog
I guess just venting it is out of the question ? Maybe do a hydro / thermal power plant as an added bonus .

There's the VERY real possibility that that would TRIGGER an eruption.

Route to surface == OMG PRESSURE RELIEF == Blammo == Possible Goodbye Northern Hemisphere.

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
 

jjoyner

Banned
Sep 13, 2004
583
0
0
meh, I guess we will just have to see what happens, which is more than likely nothing, but you still must respect the possibility..
 

SarcasticDwarf

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2001
9,574
2
76
My understanding is that it is completely factual. We have no way of knowing when it will erupt (and it certainly will at some point). While there are certainly indicators of impending eruption, they are not always present. As for the effects, I think they were actually played down a bit. I would expect casualities of at least a billion or two.
 

Led Zeppelin

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2002
3,555
0
71
Thank God I live in Connecticut. Once it happens, if it happens in our lifetime, I'll have plenty of time to stock up on food and water, then I'll just sit back and wait for it to kill me. ;)
 

91TTZ

Lifer
Jan 31, 2005
14,374
1
0
Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
My understanding is that it is completely factual. We have no way of knowing when it will erupt (and it certainly will at some point). While there are certainly indicators of impending eruption, they are not always present. As for the effects, I think they were actually played down a bit. I would expect casualities of at least a billion or two.

You're out of touch with reality. People nowadays see a dramaticized documentary on TV and they start believing everything it says. The show gets good ratings because they scare people into watching.

The succeeded into suckering you into watching and believing. Wise up.