Yellowstone National Park

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:07 am

Seems the caldera beneath Yellowstone is waking up. The last time it erupted 640 000 years ago it left a 10 feet deep ash layer over Eastern Nebraska - 1000 miles away.

The story is here:

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/20 ... .html#more

Kyra · Post by **Kyra** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:51 am

That thing is so big, it's practically in my back yard...and I'm in Colorado!

SilverLady(SO) · Post by **SilverLady(SO)** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:07 am

Ah, Yellowstone NP . . . a truly beautiful place to visit in all its natural glory . . . one needs to spend at least 3 weeks there to really see what it has to offer, and then you still wouldn't see all of it!

I'd love to go back there, with Virginia this time, get off the 'drive tour' and do some light hiking . . . maybe someday!!

- SL

Kyra · Post by **Kyra** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:25 am

Heh, funny I live so close and have yet to venture up there. Maybe this summer when it's a bit warmer.

Ralitsa · Post by **Ralitsa** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:11 pm

this is fascinating. It seems like it erupts every 600,000 years, and we've only been collecting data on it for less than 100. It makes you really wonder about how much we know, and what we only think we know. Every time the subject of astronomy or geology comes up I'm awed by how much of the universe is out there that we know nothing about. And it's amusing to me when some people pretend to have all the answers, but the guys who know the most about it admit they know almost nothing.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:39 pm

Astronomy has been a life long hobby for me. I just love exploring the universe with my telescope.

We live in an amazing universe - Astronomy is a hobby that amateur astronomers like me have as important a role as professional astronomers do. There are at least one hundred thousand million stars in our galaxy and at least the same number of galaxies in the visible universe. You need plenty of eyes to scan that.

Rikki · Post by **Rikki** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:56 pm

From what I've read and heard, if that baby blows, humans and most other critters better kiss their behinds goodbye.

So for now, I'll pouf my petticoats and be happy!!

Rikki

Davita · Post by **Davita** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:50 pm

Kiss my tushy goodbye? After all my effort to make it look decent? No way!

Let the darn park blow! This diva refuses to be boiled, baked, or broiled.

Joan · Post by **Joan** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:15 pm

There is a Super Caldera in Naples, Italy as well. Obviously not far from Vesuvius.

There again once every hundred years we have a meteorite airburst that could annihilate a large city. The most well known was Siberia at the beginning of the last century, the most recent being Namibia in 2009, luckily over barren desert.

Joan

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:19 am

There are calderas all over world, only one has erupted in human historical times (year 180 AD) and this was what is now Lake Taupo in New Zealand. Chinese and Roman records report the effect on the sky and sunsets. The last big volcanic event on the scale we are talking about was that of Lake Toba on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia around 70000 years ago. That was the biggest eruption in the last 25 million years.

For a list, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldera, even the boring old UK has one

Not all calderas are explosive, the Hawaiian Islands and the Canary Island sit on one, both are active but not explosively so.

Fascinating

Carol Ann · Post by **Carol Ann** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:11 am

Why worry and get all upset about it as there isn't a thing anyone on this earth can do about it, heck we can't even keep our air clean

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:58 am

If it blows it will solve all our problems in a few minutes, but Carol is right, there is nothing we can do about it so why worry about it.

SL I'd love to go back to Yellowstone. It's a wonderful place and a couple of weeks is just enough to barely scratch the surface.

I remember my first time there, it was late June and still huge amounts of snow as they'd had a hard winter. I climbed up Mt Washburn and misplaced the trail in the snow. Seeing another pair of tracks I figured I'd just follow them in the hopes that the other person knew where they were going. Imagine my disappointment when they turned out to be bear tracks!

Eventually at the top there was a lookout station with a phone that only called one number, the number you used to call for help. Also a road down, which had been my reason for continuing to the top rather than retracing my tracks.

Joan · Post by **Joan** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:12 pm

Hi all

The presence of calderas and super calderas are known phenomena, a scientific fact.

The eruption at Santorini in the Meditarranean may be a scientific explanation of the Egyptian affictions described in 'Exodus' and the parting of the reed sea (not red!) which allowed the Israelites to flea form the Egtian Chariots. OK for some if not most of you faith is enough.

I agree there is no point worrying about them or other potential catastrophies but i have to drive to understand and keep abreast of facts about our universe, galaxy, solar system and earth. Not sure I am always up to that challenge though.

Joan

Tara M · Post by **Tara M** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:40 pm

SilverLady(SO) wrote:Ah, Yellowstone NP . . . a truly beautiful place to visit in all its natural glory . . . one needs to spend at least 3 weeks there to really see what it has to offer, and then you still wouldn't see all of it!

I'd love to go back there, with Virginia this time, get off the 'drive tour' and do some light hiking . . . maybe someday!!

- SL

Looks like it might be coming to you soon...