Calderas

Discussion in 'Earth Science' started by areasys, Aug 18, 2008.

  1. areasys Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    92
    I have a few questions about calderas, specifically, the Yellowstone and Long Valley Calderas.

    I read in this article that the Yellowstone Caldera could be dying, but may have enough juice left for one "catastrophic" eruption. What would the nature of that eruption be?

    Also, what are the odds of either the Long Valley or Yellowstone Calderas causing a catastrophic eruption in our lifetimes (say, the next 100 years)? I've heard that the Yellowstone one is on a 600,000 year cycle and its last eruption was 650,000 years ago. So does that mean we can expect another catastrophe from it soon?

    Is there any way for us to forecast when these supereruptions will come?
     
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  3. OilIsMastery Banned Banned

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    3,288
    If and or when the Yellowstone Caldera erupts, it would be a megadisaster and world changing event.

    The Yellowstone Caldera is the site of not one but two supervolcano eruptions.

    The third largest supervolcano eruption in world history ~2.2 million years ago. And the fifth largest supervolcano eruption ~640,000 years ago.

    No one knows but I'm sure you can find a few people on here crazy enough to think that they do.

    No. We can't but you can if you want.

    No.
     
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  5. doodah Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    79
    While a caldera eruption of the Yellowstone volcanic system will indeed be a global event, Yellowstone Caldera will not erupt again. The eruption will create a new caldera, probably somewhere to the NE of the 640,000 year old Yellowstone Caldera.

    The Yellowstone Caldera is the site of only one eruption. Three caldera eruptions have occurred in the Yellowstone system over the past 2.1 million years.

    Not sure where you got this information, but it is erroneous.


    There is no indication of imminent eruption.


    I agree- but we should continue to monitor the several known "supervolcano" locations around the world for possible eruptive precursors.
     
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  7. OilIsMastery Banned Banned

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    If you want to convince me, or anyone else, you are going to have to provide citation, link, or evidence.
     
  8. doodah Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    79
    Your source?

    Ancient calderas exist on all continents. In the US alone, several caldera eruptions exceed Yellowstone. At least 3 eruptions in the Heise volcanic system (Yellowstone's predecessor) are larger than the Lava Creek Tuff. Nevada has 3 tuff units that exceed 3000 km3, as does the Fish Canyon Tuff in Colorado. Several more Nevada tuff units range from 1000 to 1800 km3.
     
  9. OilIsMastery Banned Banned

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    3,288
    http://www.amazon.com/Supervolcano-Catastrophic-Changed-History-Yellowstone/dp/1564149536

    http://www.amazon.com/Super-Volcano...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220058938&sr=1-2

    And finally: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supervolcano

    Good luck editing Retardipedia. The fascists there only allow misinformation to be published.

    No kidding.

    La Garita/Fish Canyon Tuff is the only one I know of.

    Not sure how that contradicts what I've said.

    Perhaps you should try editing Retardipedia. Good luck with that.
     
  10. doodah Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    79
    Sorry, I should have given more explanation. The Lava Creek Tuff, around 1000 km3, is the erupted material from the Yellowstone Caldera. The Heise volcanic field produced at least 3 tuff units with greater volume (larger caldera eruptions). There are over 100 (some researchers suggest significantly more) calderas in the track of the Yellowstone hotspot, which reaches from McDermitt caldera in Nevada-Oregon to Yellowstone Natl Park- it is likely that several of these exceeded Yellowstone in size.
     

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