American time bomb.

[Buddha12]

I'm not trying to be difficult... but big huge super volcano... what do you suggest?

As Killjoy said, find a way to relieve the pressure building up somehow. By drilling wells to certain depths that could then release the pressure that is building up in that area they could release enough of the buildup to reduce the chance for an eruption. Draw a circle then place about 30 points in that circle as the wells then release the pressure through those wells a little at a time using a computer to calculate where, when and how much should be released.

I'm just presenting a theory but I'm sure others have their own ideas just like mine but a different approach perhaps. We should discuss ways that might help us in overcoming this problem no matter how far fetched or stupid they may seem, at least we can try.

 

[KilljoyKlown]

As Killjoy said, find a way to relieve the pressure building up somehow. By drilling wells to certain depths that could then release the pressure that is building up in that area they could release enough of the buildup to reduce the chance for an eruption. Draw a circle then place about 30 points in that circle as the wells then release the pressure through those wells a little at a time using a computer to calculate where, when and how much should be released.

I'm just presenting a theory but I'm sure others have their own ideas just like mine but a different approach perhaps. We should discuss ways that might help us in overcoming this problem no matter how far fetched or stupid they may seem, at least we can try.

Part of the problem with relieving the pressure is you might actually start the eruption. Once the trapped gas gets released the pressure increases by orders of magnitude. Something like what happens when you shake up a warm coke and then pop the top. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that type of operation.

 

[Buddha12]

Part of the problem with relieving the pressure is you might actually start the eruption. Once the trapped gas gets released the pressure increases by orders of magnitude. Something like what happens when you shake up a warm coke and then pop the top. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that type of operation.

But by using a sort of pressure relief valve that only lets some of the pressure escape, not all of it at once, they could bleed off enough pressure to not create an eruption but just gradually allow for the release of the pressure. Again a computer would control such a valve. It is only a theory. :shrug:

 

[KilljoyKlown]

But by using a sort of pressure relief valve that only lets some of the pressure escape, not all of it at once, they could bleed off enough pressure to not create an eruption but just gradually allow for the release of the pressure. Again a computer would control such a valve. It is only a theory. :shrug:

When you consider the size of the magma chamber. Even 1000's of bleed off outlets wouldn't get the job done. But if they could be done safely and maybe controlled to produce geothermal energy, they might just pay for themselves and delay the big blast.

 

[Trippy]

When you consider the size of the magma chamber. Even 1000's of bleed off outlets wouldn't get the job done. But if they could be done safely and maybe controlled to produce geothermal energy, they might just pay for themselves and delay the big blast.

It really is a simple matter of extracting enough geothermal energy from an appropriate depth.

The flip side of the coin is... Wouldn't it be easier just to abandon North America, and turn it into a nature reserve?

 

[AlexG]

If (when) the supervolcano blows, there's not going to be much nature to reserve.

 

[KilljoyKlown]

It really is a simple matter of extracting enough geothermal energy from an appropriate depth.

The flip side of the coin is... Wouldn't it be easier just to abandon North America, and turn it into a nature reserve?

I'd have to say, not really. How would you convince over 300,000,000 people to relocate to somewhere else in the world? If that could be done, how would convince all those other place to let them in? Last, if that supervolcano erupts the whole world is going to suffer for many years to come and they sure as hell won't want anymore mouths to feed.

 

[Trippy]

I'd have to say, not really. How would you convince over 300,000,000 people to relocate to somewhere else in the world? If that could be done, how would convince all those other place to let them in? Last, if that supervolcano erupts the whole world is going to suffer for many years to come and they sure as hell won't want anymore mouths to feed.

I still think that convincing most of the population of North America to leave would be a simpler solution than trying to drill through the earths crust and vent sufficient quantities of NO[sub]x[/sub] SO[sub]x[/sub] and greenhouse gasses to mitigate an eruption - if, indeed, an eruption can be prevented by such a method.

 

[KilljoyKlown]

I still think that convincing most of the population of North America to leave would be a simpler solution than trying to drill through the earths crust and vent sufficient quantities of NO[sub]x[/sub] SO[sub]x[/sub] and greenhouse gasses to mitigate an eruption - if, indeed, an eruption can be prevented by such a method.

Those sulfer compounds you mention actually counter the greenhouse effect of the CO2 and methane gases. Might be a way of also slowing down the global warming along with generating power and delaying the super eruption. Also if we still fear this option we could practice on smaller volcano's in remote areas.

 

[Trippy]

Those sulfer compounds you mention actually counter the greenhouse effect of the CO2 and methane gases. Might be a way of also slowing down the global warming along with generating power and delaying the super eruption. Also if we still fear this option we could practice on smaller volcano's in remote areas.

They can at any rate (sulfate aerosols). But, they also cause other problems in the process by doing silly things like dissolving in rainwater.

 

[KilljoyKlown]

They can at any rate (sulfate aerosols). But, they also cause other problems in the process by doing silly things like dissolving in rainwater.

The point I was trying to make is if we have access to geothermic gases, I'm sure someone can figure out how to put them to good use or filter them out for deep sea storage or some other plan that would work.

 

[R1D2]

Hmm a big hole or several is the same as all those geysers right?? So if we set this off at one end or collapse this plate. Would any of that help....... :shrug:

 

[KilljoyKlown]

Hmm a big hole or several is the same as all those geysers right?? So if we set this off at one end or collapse this plate. Would any of that help....... :shrug:

Not much, geysers are very shallow compared to how far down the magma chamber is. Also, if you open up any eruption access the whole thing will likely blow up.

 

[R1D2]

:shy:
Like you said earlier we would need to experiment with a smaller volcano. Otherwise we won't know if it is likely. Maybe we could drill a medium depth hole an fill it with refuse. As much as we use. Maybe we will make that plate too heavy the magma can't push it up.

 

[madanthonywayne]

The flip side of the coin is... Wouldn't it be easier just to abandon North America, and turn it into a nature reserve?

Abandon North America? Seriously? Just abandon all the infrastructure of what is still the largest economy on earth because a volcano might erupt at some point in the next couple of hundred thousand years?

 

[KilljoyKlown]

:shy:
Like you said earlier we would need to experiment with a smaller volcano. Otherwise we won't know if it is likely. Maybe we could drill a medium depth hole an fill it with refuse. As much as we use. Maybe we will make that plate too heavy the magma can't push it up.

I wouldn't want to count on that. Also, did you happen to notice how deep that magma chamber was? I'm not sure we could even drill down that deep.

 

[KilljoyKlown]

Abandon North America? Seriously? Just abandon all the infrastructure of what is still the largest economy on earth because a volcano might erupt at some point in the next couple of hundred thousand years?

Not going to happen, even if it was proved that it was going to erupt within a couple of months. People might leave the immediate area but they wouldn't leave the country at least most of them wouldn't. Those that have relatives outside the country might leave for awhile.

 

[Trippy]

Abandon North America? Seriously? Just abandon all the infrastructure of what is still the largest economy on earth because a volcano might erupt at some point in the next couple of hundred thousand years?

I think somebody missed the point I was making, and yet, ironicaly, managed to demonstrate it perfectly.

 

[Neverfly]

The flip side of the coin is... Wouldn't it be easier just to abandon North America, and turn it into a nature reserve?

YES.

And some of us may need to stay behind to guard it... preferably Native Americans...

Part of the problem with relieving the pressure is you might actually start the eruption. Once the trapped gas gets released the pressure increases by orders of magnitude. Something like what happens when you shake up a warm coke and then pop the top. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that type of operation.

Exactly, even with technology a hundred years in the future, we cannot "relieve the pressure."
The pressure is, in fact, a constant. What we would need to do is somehow put something large enough and heavy enough over the top of the plume to cap it off.

There's just two small problems:

One, we lack the materials or the means to make anything that large and heavy. I mean, we'd have to make a crustal plate!

Two, it's already been done.

Yeah... that North American Plate slid over the top of it.

Now, that's a big plume. The pressure is intense and that's a lot of energy. Some of it is still going sideways and working its way up through fissures and the like, the outer edges of the fault zone.
But the plate is still sliding along, covering more and more of it, inch by inch. All we really need to do is wait.

Admittedly, if there was a blow out with a massive quake, it has the potential to spread the faultlines, opening things up for the Plume beneath Jellystone.
Geologists cannot readily predict that behavior easily, to a narrow view. But what they can do is test for tension in the fault to determine if it's under a lot of tension and may snap or under slight tension and not likely to.

 

[madanthonywayne]

I think somebody missed the point I was making, and yet, ironicaly, managed to demonstrate it perfectly.

Ah, well, I'll put it down to the imprecision of Internet communication. However, If I had taken a moment to recall that you're not an idiot, your point should have been obvious.