Yellowstone's plumbing exposed (supervolcano)

[ensho]

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/12/13/yellowstones.plumbing.exposed


The most detailed seismic images yet published of the plumbing that feeds the Yellowstone supervolcano shows a plume of hot and molten rock rising at an angle from the northwest at a depth of at least 410 miles, contradicting claims that there is no deep plume, only shallow hot rock moving like slowly boiling soup. A related University of Utah study used gravity measurements to indicate the banana-shaped magma chamber of hot and molten rock a few miles beneath Yellowstone is 20 percent larger than previously believed, so a future cataclysmic eruption could be even larger than thought.

-snip-

The plume angles downward 150 miles to the west-northwest of Yellowstone and reaches a depth of at least 410 miles, Smith says. The study estimates the plume is mostly hot rock, with 1 percent to 2 percent molten rock in sponge-like voids within the hot rock.

-long snip detailing what was found-

here is one of the charts:





so now we know what's really under the dome

[RC]

1. Well, when's the next eruption?

[Renew Deal]

2. Hopefully not in anyones lifetime

:hide:

[shadowknows69]

3. Yeah, because it will be the end of everything's lifetime.

Or at least us "higher" species. The cockroaches won't mind doing without the sun for about a hundred years.

[phasma ex machina]

4. Wiki says, "Old Faithful will erupt 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2.5 minutes

or 91 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2.5 minutes."

[begin_within]

7. Well, the last three were

2,100,000 years ago
1,300,000 years ago
640,000 years ago

So assuming the average time between eruptions is about 730,000 years, we've got about 90,000 years until the next one. Wait, did I do that right? Who knows though, what the schedule is these days. I don't think any human can predict with any accuracy when the next one will be. It's sure to make the news though!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. Say goodbye to North America when this goes. I saw a show on

either the History or Discovery channel that scared the pants off me. That's when I learned the word caldera.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Well, there's your answer to global warming and healthcare.

[petronius]

8. Interesting! Thanks for the link

There's a lot of good stuff at that website...