Activity discovered at Yellowstone supervolcano

[IDemo]

Caldera bulged and deflated significantly during study period

By Sara Goudarzi
Staff Writer
Updated: 16 minutes ago

One of the largest supervolcanoes in the world lies beneath Yellowstone National Park and scientists say activity there is increasing.

Though the Yellowstone system, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, is active and expected to eventually blow its top, scientists don’t think it will erupt any time soon. Supervolcanoes can sleep for centuries or millennia before producing incredibly massive eruptions that can drop ash across an entire continent.

Yet significant activity continues beneath the surface. And the activity has been increasing lately, scientists have discovered. In addition, the nearby Teton Range, in a total surprise, is getting shorter.

The findings, reported this month in the Journal of Geophysical Research — Solid Earth, suggest that a slow and gradual movement caused by a giant hotspot of molten rock beneath a volcano can shape a landscape more than sudden ground movements caused by the volcano’s frequent earthquakes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17629668/

[Virginia Dare]

1. Scientists don't "think" it will erupt any time soon...

well, that's comforting. :scared:

Note to self: Cancel the life insurance policy and book that trip to Tahiti you've always wanted to take...

[Dead_Parrot]

8. The trick is, to find out where the scientists are.

If they live in Idaho Falls or Bozeman, they're probably pretty confident. If they're writing from an underground bunker in Nome, start packing.

[tandot]

2. I saw a docudrama about it just last week. It scared the shit out of me!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/supervolcano/programme.shtml

"Annihilation breathes

The last super-eruption plunged the world into a freezing, volcanic winter that lasted a decade, and threatened the human population with extinction. Based on the predictions of top volcano experts and the detailed planning and evacuation strategies of government agencies, this explosive factual drama examines what would happen if this catastrophic event were to occur again.

State-of-the-art computer graphics integrated with mock-factual sources make for a horrifyingly realistic build-up to the eruption and the climax itself. Then the devastating aftermath across the globe is revealed – environmentally, politically, economically and socially – as viewers glimpse the future and a post-apocalyptic world."

[phantom power]

6. I saw that. Well, up to day five of the eruption anyway.

I learned a few things about volcanic ash. None of them good.

[tandot]

7. I switched channel after a while. It got too scary and depressing.

[fed-up]

3. mother nature is p*ssed off nt

[liberal N proud]

4. The Teton's are getting shorter

Typically, when a big earthquake takes place on a normal fault such as Teton, the ground is pulled apart. This kind of extension or stretching causes valleys to drop downward and mountains to rise upwards. Thousands of earthquakes over millions of years built the mountains that comprise the Teton Range today.

But recent measurements showed a different trend. Researchers found that just the opposite is happening with Jackson Hole — the valley below the Teton. The valley is rising up slowly and the mountains are dropping down.

[Iwasthere]

5. sssshhhhhhhh

Keep this quiet. They might see this news item and then behind closed doors, "Hey, what would happen if we put a large device way down there underground near the volcano in yellowstone?" Hmmm, what a major event that would be, huh? Would this, perhaps be a enough of a distraction for the country, the world?