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http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/07/when-will-yellowstone-blow-supervolcano-threatens-to-wipe-out-much-of-north-america

Interesting article about the world's largest supervolcano. No need to actively worry, but still, interesting that something moderate to major could be on the horizon.

Yeah... we know.

A super volcano eruption is on apocalyptic proportion here...

There's several studies that I know of done in Denver, CO (I believe) to see if it can be tapped to relieve pressure. But, how do you do that without hastening the process is the $64,000 question.

Ever seen the film 'Volcano'?

Concrete road blocks and lots of water.

Toronto Sun - such legit, much fact, wow

Does anyone take this seriously? Or is this like the Ancient Aliens specials on the Discovery channel? I see talking heads going both ways on it, but where do real people fall on this one?

 iproxtaco wrote:
Ever seen the film 'Volcano'?

Concrete road blocks and lots of water.

For a small scale eruption sure...

For a catastrophic explosion like Yellowstone? Well, I believe the estimates are that folks here in St. Louis will have just enough time to know whats happening before they die a sudden and probably horrible death. Folks west of here to the Rocky's though? Instadead.

Yup... we'd be boned.

It seems like every other year, we'd hear stories about this.

The cynic in me is thinking some research scientists is trying to drum up funding support.

And if a large asteroid hit us we would be boned. These stories about potential doomsday disasters come and go every so often. Sort of like a member of dakkadakka getting the australian page by mistake and making a thread about the "new" prices.

 Jimsolo wrote:
Does anyone take this seriously? Or is this like the Ancient Aliens specials on the Discovery channel? I see talking heads going both ways on it, but where do real people fall on this one?

Its a threat for sure, but even the most pessimistic assessment puts the next eruption centuries out.

It'll be major when it does happen though. It'll effect the entire planet.

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:
Does anyone take this seriously? Or is this like the Ancient Aliens specials on the Discovery channel? I see talking heads going both ways on it, but where do real people fall on this one?

Its a threat for sure, but even the most pessimistic assessment puts the next eruption centuries out.

It'll be major when it does happen though. It'll effect the entire planet.

Hopefully by the point it does happen, we'll know how to subvert it. Otherwise we're talking a possible extinction level event.

 djones520 wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:
Does anyone take this seriously? Or is this like the Ancient Aliens specials on the Discovery channel? I see talking heads going both ways on it, but where do real people fall on this one?

Its a threat for sure, but even the most pessimistic assessment puts the next eruption centuries out.

It'll be major when it does happen though. It'll effect the entire planet.

Hopefully by the point it does happen, we'll know how to subvert it. Otherwise we're talking a possible extinction level event.

Are you being sarcastic and joking? (You said 'extinction level event,' so you have to be joking.)

No, not a joke if the caldera under Yellowstone goes off it well could be the end off human civilization.

 Jimsolo wrote:

 djones520 wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:
Does anyone take this seriously? Or is this like the Ancient Aliens specials on the Discovery channel? I see talking heads going both ways on it, but where do real people fall on this one?

Its a threat for sure, but even the most pessimistic assessment puts the next eruption centuries out.

It'll be major when it does happen though. It'll effect the entire planet.

Hopefully by the point it does happen, we'll know how to subvert it. Otherwise we're talking a possible extinction level event.

Are you being sarcastic and joking? (You said 'extinction level event,' so you have to be joking.)

Not really. There is a theory going about that the Toba eruption nearly wiped humans out, it was similar in strength to the strongest Yellowstone eruption so far.

It's all purely guess work really, who knows what could happen with the next eruption, but the possibility is there.

Yellowstone is a lot like Lex Luthor. Its big, bad, and likes to blow things up. But it's just so damn charming we forgive all that and love it anyway

I wonder if you could tap it and make it an energy generating going concern?

 djones520 wrote:

 iproxtaco wrote:
Ever seen the film 'Volcano'?

Concrete road blocks and lots of water.

For a small scale eruption sure...

For a catastrophic explosion like Yellowstone? Well, I believe the estimates are that folks here in St. Louis will have just enough time to know whats happening before they die a sudden and probably horrible death. Folks west of here to the Rocky's though? Instadead.

Can't we just nuke it, then? That worked in The Core.

 djones520 wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:

 djones520 wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:
Does anyone take this seriously? Or is this like the Ancient Aliens specials on the Discovery channel? I see talking heads going both ways on it, but where do real people fall on this one?

Its a threat for sure, but even the most pessimistic assessment puts the next eruption centuries out.

It'll be major when it does happen though. It'll effect the entire planet.

Hopefully by the point it does happen, we'll know how to subvert it. Otherwise we're talking a possible extinction level event.

Are you being sarcastic and joking? (You said 'extinction level event,' so you have to be joking.)

Not really. There is a theory going about that the Toba eruption nearly wiped humans out, it was similar in strength to the strongest Yellowstone eruption so far.

It's all purely guess work really, who knows what could happen with the next eruption, but the possibility is there.

Toba was during the time of our early ancestors however, and mankind as a race still managed to survive with nothing but furs, flint weapons & caves with a fire pit.
While a super eruption at Yellowstone would be a civilization altering event, with our current level of technology it would in no way be an ELE type scenario. Sure North America is pretty much fethed, as they've found fragments & volcanic deposits from Yellowstone as far away as the Gulf of Mexico! But mankind would easily survive this time.

The bigger concern would be the ecological impact. While we have the seed vault over in Europe, the animal life would take a massive dive and we'd probably see the extinction of a fair few species because nothing says screwed like the potential for a decade long volcanic winter! (Those damn Starks are always right in the end!)

 Frazzled wrote:
I wonder if you could tap it and make it an energy generating going concern?

You probably could drill into it and generate some hydrothermal power. Maybe even extract some precious metals from the fluids. But, any drilling could also upset the equilibrium of the system and cause unforseen consquences. It's a truly massive and deep structure. We're just seeing the zit on the skin of the planet.

Ages from now when the hotspot dies down, it'll be a sweet mineral deposit!

I've often wondered why our culture is so preoccupied with the end of the world, we seem to take a morbid fascination in anything relating to our downfall.

Have Tommy Lee Jones on speed dial. Problem solved

Pretty much the only natural disaster that could wipe us out at this point is an asteroid or our sun going nova on us. Other things would just kill a bunch of people but we'd survive.

I disagree. A few more Twilight movies and that may be all she wrote for the species.

I said "natural" disaster

 Grey Templar wrote:
Pretty much the only natural disaster that could wipe us out at this point is an asteroid or our sun going nova on us. Other things would just kill a bunch of people but we'd survive.

Yellowstone blowing would have huge effects on the entire world, it wouldn't kill off humanity but it would certainly send us back a few centuries.

So you agree its not an extinction level event.

The simultaneous extinction of a globally distributed species due to natural disaster is extremely difficult to achieve, I doubt even an asteroid similar to the one that hit earth 65 million years ago would succeed in fully wiping humanity out in one fell swoop.

The total destruction of the earth (take your pick as to the method), thorough nuclear annihilation and time are the only things that I think could cause total extinction.

 Corpsesarefun wrote:

The total destruction of the earth (take your pick as to the method), thorough nuclear annihilation and time are the only things that I think could cause total extinction.

Nope... not even then. Earth is such a large place.

But the 'umies afterwards would probably look like Orks due to radiation poisoning.

By "thorough" nuclear annihilation I mean nuking every square mile of the planet.

 Corpsesarefun wrote:
By "thorough" nuclear annihilation I mean nuking every square mile of the planet.

I know... not enough nukes. There ARE enough nukes to glass just about every major city on the planet though.

Well, I guess its up to Dakka's senior member to ask the most important question:

*Will this start the Zombie games?

Zombie apocalypse: Phrase used by nonTexans to denote the end of the world by ravenous undead/super rabies.

Zombie Games: Phrase used by Texans to denote the annual roundup of zombies after the end of the world.

Tuesday: Phrase used by Australians to denote the Zombie Apocalypse and associated end of the world events.