Earthquakes at Yellowstone

[steph]

http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/05/07/earthquake-swarm-hits-yellowstone/
I don't know what to say about this one...In the past two days, there've been quite a few articles on this, some were quite grim, and others were rather relaxing.
Also, worth noting is that Yellowstone experienced a similar swarm of even higher intensity earthquakes, in '85. Besides these, there was the 7.5 earthquake in '59 and the 6.1 earthquake in '75. A newly added/modified paragraph in Yellowstone's wikipedia entry has eased some of the tension, by pointing the fact that such swarms of earthquakes have occured in the past, with no dire consequences.
All hopes are for no eruption, just as the scientists say, but if this blows, we're so mega-screwed.:blink:
EDIT: here's a link with the recent seismic activity in Yellowstone: http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/recenteqs/Maps/Yellowstone.html

 

[SlyCoopersButt]

I have been following this case in much interest the past few days at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website. It's impressive how shallow the depth some are occuring at. Seems it would be a bit creepy knowing something is moving within a kilometer below your feet at times! I see no reason though to believe anything is actually cooking unless something really unusual happens.

 

[Pilot7893]

that's great it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes an airplane...

 

[steph]

Let's hope that it sticks with the earthquakes. Even a major earthquake, with all the damage it would do, would be child's play compared to what this thing does if it goes boom.
However, given the fact that the area has witnessed many swarms and even violent earthquakes without any consequences except new geysers and cracks, I guess we'll be okay after all
The thought of magma moving so close to the surface is indeed unsettling though

 

[astrosammy]

Would be funny to have a year with snow in summer :lol:!

Ok, that was just a joke, a mega-eruption would mean many death people in North America and in many poor countries.
But as long as the earthquakes stays normal there's no reason to worry.

 

[Andy44]

...Lenny Bruce is not afraid.

I guess this is one of those doomsday scenarios you see on Discovery Channel that makes you glad you don't live close to Yellowstone, but uneasy wondering just how far away is far enough.

 

[Brad]

I guess this is one of those doomsday scenarios you see on Discovery Channel that makes you glad you don't live close to Yellowstone, but uneasy wondering just how far away is far enough.

If Yellowstone decides to go, anywhere in North America is going to be a bad place to be.....

 

[steph]

Given the climate change, pretty much anywhere would be a bad place to be...perhaps except safely locked up in the Mount Cheyenne Complex.

 

[SlyCoopersButt]

Indeed. Italy for example may have a Yellowstone style volcano of it's own. Don't remember it's name but that going off supervolcano style would be as bad or worse. Such events would have consequences we couldn't imagine. Especially losing crops around the world. No need for asteroids to pound civilization back to the stone age for a time.

 

[steph]

Italy has, as far as I remember at least 2-3 volcanoes: Etna , Vesuvius and Stromboli. Don't know of any supervolcano there, but I don't want to hear of it. Italy is waay too close for comfort for a supervolcano. Although I don't know what's worse: dying instantly or slowly dying due to hunger and extreme cold in a volcanic winter
After all, there are many things that can kill us. Many of them, be it eruptions or asteroids, are bound to happen in the future. It's just a question of time. Our main advantage is that our lives are short, short, when compared to the time passed between such events. Therefore, space colonies are a MUST in the long term. Earth in the long run just isn't safe enough. While something can be done about asteroids and climate change, we are powerless in the face of eruptions or other such disasters. Sometimes we just don't see the significance of that blue marble surrounded by the emptiness of space, so much that humanity comes to the verge of wiping itself out.
It would be a shame to fear asteroids and end up killed by the sleeping giant in humanity's "backyard".
Edit: Alright, that went a bit too off-topic:rofl:

 

[C3PO]

..., but uneasy wondering just how far away is far enough.

Just be careful that you don't end up like the Alaskan family that, during the cold war, were so afraid of a Soviet invasion, that they moved to the Falkland islands.:lol:

 

[Andy44]

Just be careful that you don't end up like the Alaskan family that, during the cold war, were so afraid of a Soviet invasion, that they moved to the Falkland islands.:lol:

Hehe, yeah. I don't know what you would do in a place like that to make a living, unless you grew up there.

Robert Heinlein moved out to the Rocky Mountains, IIRC, and then he and his wife moved again because the USAF built Cheyenne Mountain nearby, which was a giant nuke magnet. But I guess when you're a legendary writer you can live anywhere you want as long as there's a post office.

 

[adamb193]

Well looks like I'll be moveing into my Super Seceret Space Station. The ol' Quad X.

 

[steph]

Adam's post also raises another question: what would happen to the crew of the ISS if the volcano blew? Would they come down with the Soyuz? Wait on orbit for a few months in the hope of better conditions once back on earth? Do they have any contingency plans for such cataclismic situations?

 

[Urwumpe]

I would be more concerned, if there are suddenly no Earthquakes in Yellowstone.

 

[steph]

I would be more concerned, if there are suddenly no Earthquakes in Yellowstone.

Indeed. That would spell trouble. Earthquakes are normal in an area like Yellowstone.

 

[Omhra]

I am literally a stone throw away from Yellowstone (in geologic terms) and its I suffer from over-awareness of its activities...

 

[SlyCoopersButt]

Could ash actually reach low earth orbit objects? That would be a monster job of a sand blasting. I think I've heard such heights being possible with supervolcano eruptions.

 

[steph]

I've heard of max altitudes of the plume being somewhere around 34 km - or 43, can't remember. Probably won't reach orbit. It would be really nasty if the ash darkened the whole earth for a while...think of the psychological effects. Probably those living at high latitudes would acclimatize easier, but otherwise...
Anyway, chances are it's not gonna blow. I don't hear the scientists mentioning the danger of an eruption, and journalists hunt the sensational in detriment of truth sometimes. Remember, they've had worse swarms and earthquakes. Just saw today a documentary on NatGeo which said that the dome, even if it blew, would rather cause a hydrothermal explosion, not a mega-eruption. I mean, c'mon, besides the very low chances, there've been swarms before.

 

[Coolhand]

It would be really nasty if the ash darkened the whole earth for a while...think of the psychological effects.

Yep, i mean i'm sat here, freezing cold and drinking a cup of mud, coughing my lungs up from the particulates. Society is collapsing around me from lack of food because all the crops have failed and the cattle have died after the huge eruption.

Modern civilisation is at an end; there's no TV no internet & no beer. The few that survive will have to live in a mad max style anarchy where only the fastest and weirdest survive.

But what's really getting me down is that it's a bit gloomy out.