Controversial study suggests vast magma pool under Washington state

McClatchy and Yahoo ^ | Monday, October 26, 2009 | Les Blumenthal

[SunkenCiv]

A vast pool of molten rock in the continental crust that underlies southwestern Washington state could supply magma to three active volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains -- Mount St. Helens , Mount Rainier and Mount Adams... Other scientists dismiss the existence... Rather than magma heated to 1,300 to 1,400 degrees, some think it could be water... Seth Moran , a volcano seismologist with the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash... said the most telling evidence that the theory was wrong was the lack of any surface evidence, such as geothermal vents or hot springs, among the mountains that would indicate the presence of a super-heated underground magma pool... Steve Malone , a professor emeritus at the University of Washington's earth and space science department... agrees... Yet... Olivier Bachmann , a geochemist at the University of Washington , said the data in the study were "pretty solid." ... The lack of surface evidence is no reason to discount the possibility of a southwest Washington magma pool, Bachmann said, adding that the geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone, Iceland and New Zealand are over much shallower magma pools than the Southern Washington Cascades Conductor. Bachmann called the Southern Washington Cascades Conductor a "mush zone," about 20 to 50 percent magma and the rest crystalline rock. The magma extruded at Mount St. Helens was filled with crystals, he said... The Yellowstone super volcano is one of the largest on Earth, with a caldera, or depression, in the surface that covers 1,500 square miles. During its last eruption, 640,000 years ago, it released 8,000 times more lava and ash than the 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens did.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Domestic Church! Good stuff here, gleeaikin.

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[cmsgop]

Thanks for posting this,ABC News (radio)covered this for about 5 sec. We were like WTF ??????

[JoeProBono]

[wastedyears]

Heads up, or, down if you will.

[smokingfrog]

Hot diggity!

They oughta tap into that.

[guitarplayer1953]

Isn't Yellowstone park sitting on a giant pool of molten rock and the ground is heating up and rising too?

[SunkenCiv]

“I’m still going to melt every city on the planet with liquid hot magma.” — Dr. Evil

[puppypusher]

I guess Seattle will find out how much magma there is when those volcanoes blow their tops.

I just hope they’re able to evacuate all of those peope when the volcanoes start to erupt.

[Robwin]

ping

[SunkenCiv]

I remember when Mt St Helens started to perk again, after long quiesence, volcanologists reassessed their earlier stance — that the Cascade range was mostly made up of extinct volcanoes. :’)

[guitarplayer1953]

You must be God then that is what Peter said that heavens and the earth would pass away by fire to make way for a new heaven and a new earth.

[Pavegunner72]

Lots of piping hot MAG-MA below our feet here.

We also have Sharks off the coast with frickin laser beams on their frikin heads.

[Bellflower]

Are there efforts to use heat like this for energy or is it too deep down to be feasible?

[martin_fierro]

You know the last guy in the world who would line up to see this turkey? I'm in line behind him.

[JRios1968]

“I’m still going to melt every city on the planet with liquid hot magma.” — Dr. Evil

[sionnsar]

Thanks to Robwin for the ping.

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

Quick link: WA State Board

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[Grunthor]

“Controversial study suggests vast magma pool under Washington state”

There ought to be a way to tap into things like that for geo-thermal heatting of homes/businesses.

[rockrr]

Maybe this explains why there are so many lunatics in this state...

[calex59]

That’s nothing, another study by conservatives has uncovered a vast cess pool in the middle of Washington, D.C.. Although the pool has been there for about 100 years it is just now drawing lots of attention and efforts to drain it have been stepped up.