Supervolcano

[indie]

"It is little known that lying underneath one of America's areas of outstanding natural beauty - Yellowstone Park - is one of the largest supervolcanoes in the world. Scientists have revealed that it has been on a regular eruption cycle of 600,000 years. The last eruption was 640,000 years ago... so the next is overdue."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/1999/supervolcanoes.shtml

Last night there was an interesting program on Discovery Channel called "Supervolcano" (http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/supervolcano/under/under.html) and it was about the geothermal activity underneath Yellowstone National Park. It basically showed what would happen if the caldera beneath the park became unstable and erupted in a worst-case-scenario. Anyone see it?

It's interesting that there are dozens of calderas all over the world, but Yellowstone's is the only one that is not under water (the ocean) or ice.

It was kind of scary to watch the (fictional) portrayal about how the government might react and what little could actually be done to rescue people who are in the vicinity of the volcano.

Maybe it's INTP Paranoia, but I try to have a well-stocked pantry with canned food, etc and emergency supplies and a first-aid kit on hand (living near Mt. St Helens). But at the same time it seems to be a bit in vain. I don't know if *anyone* can be prepared for such a large-scale disaster or what would happen if there was a supervolcano eruption. The govt. advises having a 72 hr. kit on hand, but the "worst case scenario" would basically shut down everything and people for weeks and possibly months.

The ash emitted by volcanoes is incredibly abrasive and dangerous. To paraphrase the movie "Inhaling volcanic ash is like inhaling powdered concrete that, when mixed with the moisture in your body, can turn your lungs to cement. 15 cm of volcanic ash, when combined with any amount of moisture, can collapse roofs. Even a small amount of volcanic ash can destroy an airplane engine."

Interesting, but scary, eh?

[kuranes]

Yes, I read about it, possibly in Bill Bryson's wonderful book about the origins of our planet and other scientific lines of interest. It almost sounded to me like if that thing ever really went off, not only would the people in Wyoming and Montana be in trouble, but the whole country would be a disaster zone. Possibly the whole world, with the sun being cut off. Ourselves as the dinosaurs, with the skyscrapers being dug up one day by beings far in the future. "What were these used for?" And when they found buried parking meters . . . . "Look. These must have served as little roadside shrines, where people could deposit these pieces of metal with their deities and pharoah-types engraved on them as tribute." K

[misutii]

but at the same time i kinda wanna see what happens.....

[Warrior413]

Here's a good site on the supervolcano as well as plenty of other ways we could all DIE. (http://www.exitmundi.nl/exitmundi.htm)

[Dman]

I caught bits and pieces of the show, pretty interesting. With things like that though, it's like an asteriod coming out of nowhere and wiping us out. You can't prepare for it. If it happens, you just have to roll with it.

Smaller scale events, like earthquakes and Mt. St. Helens, you prepare just like you have. Enough stuff to keep you alive if you lose power for days (weeks) and can't get to the grocery store, clean water, etc.

BTW - I was here in the Portland area when St. Helens blew in 1980. There was a lot of ash, kind of like it snowed a few inches, but all we did was stay indoors as much as possible and wore those cheesy little masks over our faces when we went outside. Wasn't too big of a deal here (in the grand scheme of things), just a disruption in our lives for several days while it got cleaned up. Our lives weren't in any grave danger down in Portland. Of course, I thought we were going to die, but I was only 6. I wanted to play in the ash, but my Dad said no, it's dangerous. Freaked me out.

[Pedro_The_Lion]

I actually thought of a way to stop this. All we need to do is create the world's largest antacid and drop it into the volcano when it's about to burst.

[Claverhouse]

Possibly the whole world, with the sun being cut off. Ourselves as the dinosaurs, with the skyscrapers being dug up one day by beings far in the future. "What were these used for?" And when they found buried parking meters . . . . "Look. These must have served as little roadside shrines, where people could deposit these pieces of metal with their deities and pharoah-types engraved on them as tribute." K
Actually, I've looked at motorways, and considered when civilisation has disappeared and thanks to various disasters there's a much smaller population of humankind, and they'll still make great roads for the tribal horse-drawn traffic; but those overhead concrete bridges and gantries and other sign-holding stuff and wires running across the motorways will have collapsed in regular heaps, and there won't be the technology or impulse to move them, so no-one will be able to use the roads after all.

Not to mention there'd be rather a lot of rusting vehicles stuck in vast lanes rotting away. You can say they would be stripped slowly for metal, but you gonna rip out a gridlocked mass 200 miles long ? Or that they could be pushed to the side of the roads, but how many people would it take to move an 80 foot truck with rusted wheels ?

And of course, there would be other dangers, depending on the nature of the disaster(s). One of Lovecraft's most haunting stories is quite simple: a deserted plain with an old break-car on a railway, and the two people dressed in the rail-company's livery turn out to be ghouls, howling at the moon.

Life's gonna suck in the new millenium.



Claverhouse :ph34r:

[Sackanaka]

Sometimes I wonder what it looks like to stare into oblivion- whether it be a supervolcano's ashen column spewing into the air, an oncoming car at 20+ mph, being held at point blank and hearing white noise, or sputtering to death on a white linen bed-
will I be able to muster a final smile? I should hope so..

["InsertNameHere"]

yeah, i read about that while i was making my "safest place to live" list...

[misutii]

Not to mention there'd be rather a lot of rusting vehicles stuck in vast lanes rotting away. You can say they would be stripped slowly for metal, but you gonna rip out a gridlocked mass 200 miles long ? Or that they could be pushed to the side of the roads, but how many people would it take to move an 80 foot truck with rusted wheels ?




i don't know.... they did a good number getting the iron out of the colloseum back in da day

[garak]

Maybe it's INTP Paranoia, but I try to have a well-stocked pantry with canned food, etc and emergency supplies and a first-aid kit on hand (living near Mt. St Helens).

Do you have a gas mask? That seems like it would be the most important thing.

I watched the first eh, 10-20 minutes of the movie, but it seemed so phony and cheesy that I had to turn it.

[ApeTheDog]

Yeah, I heard about that on television too. I think the specialist said that it would result in an explosion that would launch rocks around in a perimeter of 1000 km, and would spew ashes in the air that would remain for 15 days.

Fortunately, yellowstone park is across the ocean from where I live, and that's about 20.000 km.

*chills and whistles a tune*

[indie]

Do you have a gas mask? That seems like it would be the most important thing.

I watched the first eh, 10-20 minutes of the movie, but it seemed so phony and cheesy that I had to turn it.

Of course the movie was phony and cheesy, but the *principle* behind it was quite interesting, was it not? Doesn't it make you think about the virtual plethora of scenarios RE the unstability of the planet?

OR. . . or, are you using your previously mentioned and patented "sly and underhanded" method of insulting me and my ideas, mr. mac? ;)

[garak]

Of course the movie was phony and cheesy, but the *principle* behind it was quite interesting, was it not? Doesn't it make you think about the virtual plethora of scenarios RE the unstability of the planet?

Oh yeah, the ideas are very fascinating; I just couldn't put up with the movie enough to enjoy them. And hey it's not like it takes much watching to get the jist of it anyways.


OR. . . or, are you using your previously mentioned and patented "sly and underhanded" method of insulting me and my ideas, mr. mac? ;)
Haha hey wait, where did I mention that? Sure you're not confusing me for someone else? And in any case, you are far too innocent for me to try and insult. :P

[indie]

Haha hey wait, where did I mention that? Sure you're not confusing me for someone else? And in any case, you are far too innocent for me to try and insult. :P

Innocent, eh? :rofl:

That is the funniest thing I've heard all day. . . You've obviously not the same garak who "reads and remembers everything he reads" on INTP Central.

EDIT: sorry, I was kidding, garak . . . I just find it humorous how people perceive my online persona sometimes.

[garak]

Innocent, eh? :rofl:

That is the funniest thing I've heard all day. . . You've obviously not the same garak who "reads and remembers everything he reads" on INTP Central. ;)
You're in denial! Denial of your chronic niceness!

[garak]

Hahahaha see you even apologized for something that required no apology!

p.s. 1983

p.s.s. edit-er

[indie]

Chronic "niceness" !?! Now you're "really" trying to insult me, aren't you?

ROAR

Anyway, about those supervolcanoes. . ..

[Bugeater]

I remember seeing a similar program (or maybe it was the same one) a year or two ago while I was on vacation somewhere. I was in the hotel room one night watching it and it freaked me out. I was like, "There's a supervolcano under Yellowstone? No way!" It would be interesting to see what would really happen if it blew, though...wouldn't it?

[Miss Anthropic]

I don't worry about stuff like that, if its my time to go it won't matter if I have bottled water and some extra canned goods stashed. It is interesting to think about though. We are actually very vulnerable to nature, but nobody likes to admit it.

[Dman]

I was at a neighbor’s house a while back and noticed they had a “bomb shelter” dug into their back yard (they’re also very religious; there’s definitely some irony there). I kind of chuckled, thinking what purpose could that possibly serve? What event could occur where a pantry in a hole in your back yard would save you? Nuclear bomb? No. Earthquake? No. Tornado? Maybe, but I think the last time Oregon saw an actual tornado was about 100,000 years ago. Volcanic eruption? No, just stay in your house. It just seemed like a lot of work and hassle for minimal benefit to me.

Of course if there was some catastrophe, you can bet I’ll be banging on their door begging them to let me in. But that’s beside the point.