Facinating, how did this toba event escape my curious mind... Thanks. This just re-affirms my general philosophy of humanity getting the hell off this planet in the next hundred years. At least some of us.
Where would you go? I can't really see conditions being much better elsewhere Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
It's just a gut feeling on my part, but TOBA is 'still alive' and breathing. Who is to say that another big earthquake along the sumatra fault line 'could' awaken this awesome sleeping giant one more time for another big blast. And if the Yellowstone supervolcano ever decides to blow it's top again in this century or even the next, then we get a 'Double Whammy', don't we? Something not to look forward too.
If something that big were definitely going to happen, geologists could probably give us years of warning. Enough for governments everywhere to prepare shelters, food stores, reconstruction plans etc.
Preliminary Yellowstone Hazards report released... It's 98 pages long, but there is some interesting reading in it, particularly about hydrothermal hazards. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1071/
Lol, Im just curious. Would it start the volcano off or should i just shuttup and pretend I never thought of the idea? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I've heard a shocking amount of variants on suggestions of bombing/drilling volcanoes to set them off early & prevent damage so here's my thoughts on the subject- I'm not sure of the logistics of it, but I'd imagine it would be a very difficult, expensive, dangerous & probably a hit & miss process if it's possible at all. The question is 'when could it actually be justified'? If a volcano is certain to erupt soon, it's probably too late to take action, and if it's not, then how could you convince people that it is worth doing, when the volcano may not even erupt naturally within anyone's present lifetime? I'd imagine people would be more inclined to wait it out. Another problem would be liability for damage- If a small eruption is set off with a bomb which unexpectedly causes a lahar that swamps a town (even if evacuated as a precaution), every resident will hold the organization involved responsible and they'll probably have to pay out millions if not billions to all affected.
Yes... I should think the Federal Emergency Bureau (or whatever it's called) would be afraid to evacuate anyone, block any roads or create any firebreaks these days, for fear of litigation...
kaboom if the calderea was going to blow and the gov knew it no way would they tell it would cause a panic as bad as when it blows look at affected area all those people trying to leave this area abandoning the farms that feed usa and more
They don't know...The YVO was created only in the last couple of years. Not enough time to study something as big and complex as the Yellowstone Caldera. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/ The biggest threat from Yellowstone are hydrothermal explosions...The YVO recently came out with a report on them and other hazards. Very long report, but lots of info... http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1071/
There is no known method of stopping geologists from talking. The government could not control the information.
OK, it was in the news today that the lava dome is swelling and the ground is going up. But its not gonna explode. Didn't they say the same thing about Mt St Helens before it blew up?