BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN

Subject: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 04:49 PM

I want to be 1000 miles away when it hatches.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 05:20 PM

The photos are gorgeous. I suppose I don't want to be at Yellowstone when The Big One comes, but it sure is pretty in the meantime. The BBC video series on Yellowstone, is the most stunning video I've seen.
Once upon a time, I had to work for five weeks in the godforsaken town of Idaho Falls at the godforsaken Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. But it gave me a nice opportunity to make two one-day trips to Yellowstone.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 05:47 PM

A thousand miles from a super-volcano eruption will not be enough.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 06:09 PM

Here's a sample of the logic in the article:

"The overwhelming bulk of their magma cavities comprise scorching -- yet solid -- rock, which is hollow, like sponges, and filled with pockets of liquefied rock."

Oh really? How does that work?

Don't panic just yet.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 06:37 PM

"Oh really? How does that work?"

Imagine Cadbury Caramilk :-)


"A thousand miles from a super-volcano eruption will not be enough."

Hawaii, here I come.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 06:56 PM

Eighteen months ago I was in the Earth's other potential supervolcano, Campi Flegrei ("fiery fields") in Campania, Italy. Vesuvius is close by but isn't really part of the Campi Flegrei, which is represented today by a huge caldera which is largely underwater off Pozzuoli. There is a huge magma chamber not far under the surface, and it causes slow heaving and falling of large areas of ground ( bradiseism) as it swells and retreats. In the early 1980s the town of Pozzuoli was largely evacuated after the ground rose by about eight feet in a very short time (it was a false alarm). We went into the crater of La Solfatara, just outside Pozzuoli, which last erupted a thousand years ago. There are lots of fumaroles and several boiling mud pools and the ground in one place melted my sandals. The last serious action in the Campi Flegrei was about five hundred years ago when a new volcano suddenly appeared (Monte Nuovo). About 37000 years ago there was a massive eruption of the Campi Phlegraean volcano which covered thousands of square miles around the Bay of Naples and the Sorrentine peninsula with ash, and this eruption may have resulted in the final demise of Neanderthal Man.

Campi Flegrei was one source of the legend of the Elysian Fields, such was its beauty, but, sadly, these days it's largely covered by drab suburbia. The area, which includes Naples, has a population of about three million, all vulnerable to any future supervolcano eruption. Add the menace of Vesuvio to that, and you have what could well be the most dangerous place in the world to live in. But it's marvellous, and the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast are the loves of my life. The non-human ones at any rate.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 07:05 PM

Leeneia, magma comes from the mantle, the layer under the solid earth's crust. Although the mantle is very hot, it is not liquid because of the massive pressure of the crust above it. Only when that pressure is released locally, as in a volcano, does the magma become liquid. That's when it can escape as lava.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 09:12 PM

It's now the Idaho National Laboratory, Joe, or INL, or as it is known locally, The Site. I quite agree about Idaho Falls and I try to avoid it.

But living about 2 1/2 hours driving time from Yellowstone I know about the supervolcano all too well. But when it blows it will cripple not only the US but almost all of the world. Estimates place an ash field 10 feet deep 1,000 miles away. Air travel would cease -- the problems caused a few years ago by Eyjafjallajökull would be as nothing compared to this one.

It's also estimated that about 87,000 people would die almost instantly -- including me.

I don't see anything I can do about that because I certainly can't get a cork big enough! In the mean time, look closely at the "smile" across the land of southern Idaho -- that's the path the movement of the Yellowstone Caldera has taken over the last few million years. For a glimpse of the future, check out Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 10:11 PM

Mount Mazama in the Cascade range of Oregon blew its innards out about 5,000 years BCE and the ash is still evident for miles around.

I don't know whether it is because of that event that trees for the last 20 miles or so of the drive before one gets to the mountain but it is notable that all the trees on both sides of the road are of one size and monochromatic in color, the same shade as the ground below them.

I think the drabness of the last 20 miles is partly what makes the brilliant royal-blue of the crater so stunning to the eye.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: olddude
Date: 24 Apr 15 - 11:18 PM

Don't matter we are all going to hell anyway for hanging out here :)

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 03:51 AM

and you have what could well be the most dangerous place in the world to live in

Hmm - I would be more concerned with the the Mafia &/or the football fans (whichever is the greater). In the immediate, that is.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 07:09 AM

Yeah, Napoli is a bit rough, I can attest. But, dammit, the pizza.... But it's the Camorra there and the Mafia in Sicily (where I'm going this year, at least once, maybe twice!)

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 09:10 AM

I want to be on the banks of the Firehole River when it blows, casting to it's PHD brown trout. What a way to go.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 09:29 AM

Forgot to mention "at the age of 106 if it can be arranged".

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 01:30 PM

I had that one on the line and he'd just re-entered the water.

Unfortunately, I'm standing behind the splash so you can't see me. I used a chain saw to filet that one. Took a come along to load it on the flatbed.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 02:10 PM

I'm not sure how good an angler you are,#, but you seem to have one of fishing's most important aspects down cold.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: olddude
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 02:22 PM

He sure does and it's almost as big as my dick

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 02:32 PM

Are you saying he's a master of the short story, Dan?

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: olddude
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 02:42 PM

Lol that's awesome can't stop laughing

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 03:05 PM

Even photographic evidence is never enough for those of little faith.

I caught this lake trout on a ten pound test line. Best half hour of the trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Don Firth
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 06:55 PM

The eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883 was a real whooper-do, killing some 40,000 people and creating one of the largest tsunamis on record. But it pales compared to the eruption of Tambora, also in Indonesia, in 1815. The eruption of Tambora lofted some 38 cubic miles of matter into the upper atmosphere, which drifted around the world and engendered "the year without a summer" in 1816, when a June snow storm dumped six to twelve inches (15 to 30 centimeters) on northern New England and snow drifts of two feet (60 centimeters) in the ville de Quebec. It also effect farm crops around the world.

In 1816, a small group of writers and poets planned to spend a pleasant summer romping and playing in the meadows in Switzerland. The group included Lord Byron, his friend John Polidori, Percy Shelley, and his mistress, later his wife, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. But that summer it rained incessantly.

Housebound and bored out of their sconces, they took turns reading to each other from a book of ghost stories. Then John Polidori suggested that they try their hands at writing ghost or horror stories of their own.

Young (18 years old) Mary Godwin (later, Mary Shelley) had been reading some material about experiments with "galvanism" and how, among other things, if one applied an electric current to a dead frog, its legs would jump. Between her speculations about this, and remembering a tour of the Frankenstein Castle on the Rhine River they had taken on their way to Switzerland, where years before an alchemist had conducted bizarre experiments, one night she had a strange dream. The following morning she began writing her story.

Later, she polished it up, and it was published in 1820 under the name Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus.

The protagonist—sort of—is Victor Frankenstein, who assembled the "creature" from spare parts gathered from morgues and hospitals (not grave robbing), and applied "galvanism" to it, imbuing it with life. Then he collapses in exhaustion. When he awakes the following morning, the "creature" is no longer in his laboratory. Gone!

Some of the most beautiful, lyrical writing I have ever read comes when, later, the "creature" describes his wakening moments as he wanders in the forest and sees flowers and hears birds sing for the first time, and feels an indescribable joy at simply being alive.   

Then, he encounters humans!   The creature is eight feet tall, and despite Dr. Frankenstein's attempts at careful assembly, things have "slumped" a bit.

Contrary to popular belief, the protagonist of the story is the creature, who starts out all wonder and love. The real villain of the story is Victor Frankenstein, who "begets," then horrified by his "offspring," forsakes. Then later, he makes a promise to the creature, then betrays him.

The movies are interesting, but none of them has really done justice to the story. Get a copy of the book and read it. It's amazing how a book can be a beautiful, heart-rending story, and at the same time have all the elements of a Gothic horror story.

Sorry about the thread drift, but you can never tell what might come gushing out of a volcano!

Don Firth

P. S. Science fiction writer Brian Aldiss credits Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with being the first genuine science fiction novel. Earlier stories rest on fantasy elements, but Frankenstein was based on actual scientific experiments at the time ("galvanism"), then extrapolating from there.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 07:13 PM

1816: The Year Without a Summer

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Apr 15 - 09:18 PM

Yep, it was a few years back, in January iffen I remember aright, when we decided to call it "The Summer Without A Year." 'Course, it wasn't just one year, it was a whole bunch of them in a row.

Life was tough back then, what with the average yearly temperatures running 60.8 F. Yessiree, back then it was hot, lemme tell ya. That was during what the long-hair types call the "Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum". Good thing it eneded about 55.8 million BCE and that it only lasted about 170,000 years or things'd be hot yet today.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 06:46 AM

The Campanian Ignimbrite eruption of the Campi Flegrei volcano about 37000 years ago was much bigger than Tambora. About 48 cu mi of magma was ejected and the bulk volume of the material was much greater than that. There were two further phases in more recent times and what's left is a large caldera, mostly under the sea off the town of Pozzuoli. It's an easy journey from Naples to see some action. Catch the Metropolitana train to Pozzuoli, 20 minutes (watch your wallet - the opportunists can spot tourists a mile off!), and walk up the road to the Solfatara crater. There's a lovely cafe on the road just outside. It's €6 to go into the crater and it's all level. Stinks, bubbling mud, hissing fumaroles - brilliant! I did it on Trip Advisor.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Rapparee
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 09:26 AM

Or visit Hawai'i.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 09:34 AM

Must be something to do with living on a boringly non-seismic island, but I find meself irresistibly attracted to volcanoes. I've dragged Mrs Steve up and into three Italian jobs in the last two years, Vesuvius, La Solfatara and Vulcano, and we're off up Etna in a few weeks' time. We went up Teide on Tenerife on our honeymoon. I suspect she's getting impatient with it. Damn. I love vulcanicity.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 09:35 AM

Can't afford Hawai'i.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 09:45 AM

Steve, you'd probably enjoy
Yellowstone National Park (maybe not so much when it blows) in Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho, U.S.A. with it's many geothermal features.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 09:48 AM

Yebbut I can't afford that! I'm skint (ish) don't you know!

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 09:53 AM

Steve, you wrote "Damn. I love vulcanicity." Did you by any chance mean Vulcani City, being in Italy and all . . . ?

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Rapparee
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 11:14 PM

All the really good volcanoes are underwater.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 03:37 AM

But some lovely ones manage to stick their heads just above. I was in the Aeolian Islands last summer and visited Vulcano and Stromboli. A fantastically beautiful archipelago, entirely volcanic in origin. The Campi Flegrei caldera is mostly underwater, but not quite all.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Mr Red
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 05:09 AM

I thought mountains were "she".
That would make it Volcanii?

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 08:37 AM

11 years ago on a trip to Rwanda I spent 3 magical days in Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga Mountains visiting mountain gorillas and hiking up
Mt. Bisoke , a dormant volcano. The trek yielded beautiful views of 2 active volcanoes in The Republic of Congo.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 09:48 AM

Why is the beautiful always also dangerous?

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 10:07 AM

Are we talking about my first wife?

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 10:49 AM

"Why is the beautiful always also dangerous?"

So true, when a hurricane hits here in SWFL, which doesn't happen too often, I love to go down to the beach and watch the wild surf, at least until unattached work sheds dismantle and start flying around.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Don Firth
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 04:53 PM

The largest known volcano in the Solar System:   Olympus Mons on Mars.

Scroll down and note overlay on a map of France. Three times as tall as Mount Everest.

Extinct? Or just dormant?

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 05:05 PM

The volcano overlaid on map of France.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 05:06 PM

Sorry about that Don.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Don Firth
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 05:40 PM

No sweat, Guest,#.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 05:47 PM

That is one BIG area. Looks to be about 150,000 sq mi which means it's larger in area than Alaska, Texas or California. Must have made one heckuva noise when it went off.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 05:49 PM

I think I need a nap. It is larger in area than any state except Alaska, Texas or California.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 06:52 PM

Wouldn't have been that much noise. You need an atmosphere for noise and Mars hasn't got much of one.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 07:18 PM

Maybe that's what happened to it.

Is that possible?

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 07:28 PM

I doubt that the atmosphere of Mars was dispatched into outer space by a volcanic eruption. Might have made it somewhat smelly for a while. There are theories to look up.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 08:25 PM

Well, this sure shoots down my hopes of one day meeting Dejah Thoris. Barsoom will never be the same and this is the last time I trust Edgar Rice Burroughs for historical accuracy.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Don Firth
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 08:42 PM

I dunno if Mars has a strong enough gravity to retain an atmosphere dense enough to be breathable by us Earthlings. That's something that any potential colonists will have to contend with. Can't go out of the igloo without some sort of pressure suit.

I don't know if the many thousands of people who have eagerly volunteered to join the proposed "Mars colony" have the foggiest notion of that. And that it is proposed to be a one way trip....

As wild and hairy an adventure as it would be, I'd have to have a long and serious think about that!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 09:05 PM

I'd go but my wife wouldn't let me, and I do what women tell me because it's easier that way.

Subject: RE: BS: Magma and Yellowstone on CNN
From: Donuel
Date: 28 Apr 15 - 12:02 AM

I daresay 1000 miles is still too close