Explosive find, of the volcano kind.

Denver Post ^ | August 10, 2003 | Diedtra Henderson

[theDentist]

OK. Let's get the gov't to sell tickets to the next explosion! You know the tree-hugging sierra club elf wannabes will buy at least a pair of tickets! And some time, happily, they will get just what they bargained for...

[Only1choice____Freedom]

I don't know if it's just me but my wife seems to think I have computers on my brain all the time.

"the living, breathing caldera" Now known as SCO Group.

And describing thes feature of a dome I couldn't help thinking about Microsoft's famous "That's not a bug, that's a feature" memo.

Is it too late? Do I need a patch? I'm going home to crash.

It's Bill Gate's fault, I think I'll sue.

[countrydummy]

Did you all see this one? It is about Mt. Rainer!

http://www.msnbc.com/news/950829.asp?vts=081120031405

[PokeyJoe]

"There is no cause for alarm, at this point, and there may never be," said Jake Lowenstern, scientist-in-charge at USGS' Yellowstone Volcano Observatory in Menlo Park, Calif. The observatory tracks volcanic and hydrothermal unrest at Yellowstone as well as earthquakes. "

Nothing to worry about folks. Keep it moving. Nothing interesting here.

[cmsgop]

LMAO!!! No, thats my Wife!!!!

[NorseWood]

Menlo Park is a nice safe distance from Yellowstone Park. Hmmmmm.

[RightWhale]

If the dome lets go, it's going to be more humid than usual downrange.

[Focault's Pendulum]

LMAO!!! No, thats my Wife!!!!

Aww...crap..we're probably related through marriage.

[cmsgop]

You should have seen the Tounge Lashing I got for not putting my Razor in it's proper place this morning.....

[Focault's Pendulum]

It should always be next to your neck. You should know that by now.

[John H K]

I'm guessing that the lack of evidence of ash falls in Canada is only because the various Ice Age glaciers scraped them off...

Naah, prevailing winds; winds are generally NW to SE at Yellowstone, hence you're not going to get much ash in Canada.

[cmsgop]

You are so right about that. I forgot to add that when I get out of the shower I supposed to put that lil knobbie thing down so it does not blast her in the face. That really sets her off,but it is alot of fun for me!

[John H K]

Actually the USGS gets attacked far more often for warning of anything, rather than underplaying threats.

Businessmen in Long Valley Caldera in California went nuts with rage for the USGS merely mentioning the possibility of an eruptive threat there in the 80s and 90s, with far more indications of a possible eruption there than we see with Yellowstone.

[cmsgop]

So Seattle would be a mess is what you are saying?

[rwfromkansas]

bump

[Focault's Pendulum]

I forgot to add that when I get out of the shower I supposed to put that lil knobbie thing down so it does not blast her in the face. That really sets her off,but it is alot of fun for me!

You are so doomed.

[reagan_fanatic]

"a bulge that rises 100 feet from the lake floor, stretches the length of seven football fields, and has the potential to explode at any time.."

Couldn't one of the Park Rangers don some scuba gear, take a hammer and a wooden stake down to the lake bed and just punch a small hole in it to relieve the pressure? :)

[John H K]

No, no, not at all.

The usual winds from Yellowstone would blow ash southeast; towards Nebraska, Kanas, etc.

A caldera-forming eruption would end agriculture in the midwest for years.

But, what the Denver Post article is talking about is NOT THE THREAT of a caldera-forming eruption at all.

Calderas can do a lot of things other than their big blasts, such as geyers, small hydrothermal explosions, generate "regular" volcanoes, etc. Or do nothing but inflate and deflate for hundreds of years.

Of course, Seattle and its suburbs have their own problems from the threat of a massive collapse of Mt. Rainer (which does NOT require an actual eruption to happen, it could collapse 5 minutes from now with no warning.)

[cmsgop]

Thanks!

[Flying Circus]

Here is a thought:
If terrorists were able to procure a nuclear weapon, sucessfully plant it and detonate it, where would it do the most crippling damage to the US and its economy? In the middle of Manhattan, or cracking the caldera that contains the Yellowstone super volcano? I suspect the focus of our intelligence is more focused on catching the guys bombing Manhattan than the ones bombing Yellowstone. So what would a smart terrorist do?