Yellowstone earthquake swarm continues into third day, intensifies

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D

darkxshade

Lifer
Mar 31, 2001
13,749
6
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I wouldn't worry just yet, we still have plenty of time till 2012 to build giant submarines to save all mankind. You can get a headstart by securing a spot on said submarine by looking for a limo driver position now though.

It also will help if you moonlight as a failed bookwriter.
 
SunnyD

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,675
146
106
www.neftastic.com
Isn't the Yellowstone caldera big enough to take out about an alternator-sized chunk of the US of A? And also large enough to potentially put us into a volcanic winter for a couple years?
 
CrackRabbit

CrackRabbit

Lifer
Mar 30, 2001
16,642
62
91
SunnyD said:
Isn't the Yellowstone caldera big enough to take out about an alternator-sized chunk of the US of A? And also large enough to potentially put us into a volcanic winter for a couple years?
Click to expand...

Yes, and Yes.


I think the chunk would be large enough to be called bulk.
 
FoBoT

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
no worries
So far scientists monitoring the swarm say the tremors seem to be normal tectonic activity, and is "not an indication" that some sort of volcanic activity will occur. However, they continue to monitor the situation.
Click to expand...
 
calvinbiss

calvinbiss

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
1,745
0
0
There was just a swarm about a year ago....

Most that will happen is a change in the geyser patterns.
 
geno

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
4
0
SunnyD said:
Isn't the Yellowstone caldera big enough to take out about an alternator-sized chunk of the US of A? And also large enough to potentially put us into a volcanic winter for a couple years?
Click to expand...

Pfff, no, it's just a volcano.
 
SunnyD

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,675
146
106
www.neftastic.com
rivan said:
Lots of little quakes > one big one, I thought?

Little quakes are relieving pressure that would otherwise be far worse if allowed to build up. Right?
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Yes, but in terms of volcanic activity it could also mean bad things - changes in the magma pool and magma chambers, basically shit moving around. When it comes to volcanoes, think indigestion. When you get too much pressure/gas built up, something is gonna go boom.
 
Nitemare

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
4
81
rivan said:
Lots of little quakes > one big one, I thought?

Little quakes are relieving pressure that would otherwise be far worse if allowed to build up. Right?
Click to expand...

Hopefully instead of it being a pre-cursor to something much larger...

Yellowstone Caldera goes and so does most plant life due to the ash clouds and years of no sun that would follow
 
Pheran

Pheran

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2001
5,740
35
91
geno said:
Pfff, no, it's just a volcano.
Click to expand...

No, it's a supervolcano. Huge difference, and an all-out supervolcanic eruption of Yellowstone would be absolutely devastating for the US. Fortunately this isn't very likely since the period between past eruptions has been about 650,000 years. The last one was about 640,000 years ago, but the long period still means that an eruption in our lifetimes is very unlikely.
 
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AMDZen

AMDZen

Lifer
Apr 15, 2004
12,589
0
76
SunnyD said:
Isn't the Yellowstone caldera big enough to take out about an alternator-sized chunk of the US of A? And also large enough to potentially put us into a volcanic winter for a couple years?
Click to expand...

Couple years? If its the super-eruption thats already happened twice in the last 2 million years, and which the next eruption is already overdue - it would take out every living thing within a 1000 or more mile radius and plunge the ENTIRE WORLD into a volcanic winter, that could potentially last 100's maybe even 1000's of years.
 
Nik

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
3
56
Damn Dirty Ape said:
I've been watching this, interesting. Isn't there a volcano of sorts underneath?
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No, Old Faithful is just a big underground pool of cold water that likes to turn rebellious every 15 minutes. "Surface tension? Taking the shape of my container? Fuck you, science!" SPOOOOOOOOOOOSH
 
M

MotF Bane

No Lifer
Dec 22, 2006
60,801
10
0
Pheran said:
No, it's a supervolcano. Huge difference, and an all-out supervolcanic eruption of Yellowstone would be absolutely devastating for the US. Fortunately this isn't very likely since the period between past eruptions has been about 600 million years. The last one was over 600 million years ago, but the long period still means that an eruption in our lifetimes is very unlikely.
Click to expand...

600,000, not 600 million.
 
geno

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
4
0
Pheran said:
No, it's a supervolcano. Huge difference, and an all-out supervolcanic eruption of Yellowstone would be absolutely devastating for the US. Fortunately this isn't very likely since the period between past eruptions has been about 600 million years. The last one was over 600 million years ago, but the long period still means that an eruption in our lifetimes is very unlikely.
Click to expand...

fyi I was being really, really sarcastic :p
 
zinfamous

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,866
31,364
146
calvinbiss said:
Time to start collecting ammo....
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Ammo won't do anyone living in N America any good, as we're all toast if this happens.

I say this, b/c it's probably the easiest place to get a stockpile of ammo, no?

I'm moving to Switzerland, by the way.
 
D

Damn Dirty Ape

Diamond Member
Nov 1, 1999
3,310
0
76
zinfamous said:
I thought, technically, Yellowstone is essentially one massive Caldera. So like, the park itself is one giant volcano of earth-ending doom.

USA! USA! USA!

Fuck yeah!
Click to expand...

I've never been there but from what I've seen that is where the superheated water comes from (most know this I guess), but would like to see the place before something blows it into a trillion pieces floating around the earth as dust.
 
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