Super Volcano Will Challenge Civilization, Geologists Warn

It's worth mentioning that Indonesia, home to a super volcano, had another sizable quake today. I think 6.8... Not as massive as the last 2, but it shows how geologically active the region is lately.

For those of you who wanted to see the show Supervolcano...


it is on the Discovery Channel TONIGHT at 8pm eastern time and again at 11pm eastern time.

I am not quite sure why St. Helens was included in that list. As impressive as the explosion was in 1980 it is dwarfed by more significant events like Kracatoa, Tambora, Pinatubo, etc. St. Helens was nothing. Yellowstone is a threat but it probably ranks up there with an asteroid impact as being something that could happen but no likely to in our lifetime. The greatest and more immediate threat comes from Toba. The Toba event from 70k years ago was bigger than the largest known Yellowstone event. Toba is also a stones throw away from where all these massive quakes have been happening. This region of the planet is known historically for being explosive. Now you add this kind of activity in the area. It is definately something of concern. Ask yourself this: What would you be thinking if all these quakes were happening in Wyoming?

Originally posted by Indy
Yellowstone is a threat but it probably ranks up there with an asteroid impact as being something that could happen but no likely to in our lifetime. The greatest and more immediate threat comes from Toba. The Toba event from 70k years ago was bigger than the largest known Yellowstone event. Toba is also a stones throw away from where all these massive quakes have been happening. This region of the planet is known historically for being explosive. Now you add this kind of activity in the area. It is definately something of concern. Ask yourself this: What would you be thinking if all these quakes were happening in Wyoming?

Although Yellowstone is around 40,000 years overdue on it's 600,000 year cycle.

www.bbc.co.uk...

Good point about Toba though. Given the kind of activity happening there, it is quite worrisome.

Originally posted by Hajduk
Although Yellowstone is around 40,000 years overdue on it's 600,000 year cycle.

Toba sets off Yellowstone. Toba and Yellowstone going off together. Now how would that be? A scenario seen predicted anywhere?

I watched Supervolcano tonight. It was very well done. The writers obviously have done their homework. But the movie brings something up that may have been overlooked by most. That fact is how the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act will be used in the event of a growing danger at Yellowstone. Any scientist with direct knowledge would be considered to have information that our government could EASILY view as a threat to national security and basically through force or intimidation silence the scientists. That is the kind of thing tha happens when you allow a government to set up an office and a law with such broad and vague powers. It is open to abuse and there would be absolutely no better time to abuse this than if Yellowstone were in the verge of blowing up.

Theres a BBC documentary/drama on this called 'True Story: It just hasnt happened yet'.

Many people haveb een aware fo this threat for many years, its just most people live in this perpetual state of security, and assume it wont happen in our lifetimes, and if it does it wont affect them... Those people need to wake up and smell the lava.

I think its the same thing. Because that is what it says at the beginning of this movie. Was it hosted by Dan Rather as well? He may have been a Discovery Channel addition to the program.

Here is more things to think about after watching that program tonight. It was talked about how there would be warning signs. What if the warning signs are already here and we just don't know it because of the scope of this thing? For example you would expect a great deal of uplift. Really? What if you are already at the top? Who says there has to be more? There is already a 2000 foot dome in the lake that should really concern people. There may be no additional bulging left before the area blows. They also talk about an increase in geothermal activity. Same goes again. What we see today as "normal" may indeed be the increased activity. Knowledge about this park is so very limited. It has been several hundred thousand years since the last event. Who is to say we aren't already at the end? It is as if everyone assumes things will move along at the pace of Mount St. Helens when the time has come.

There have been earthquake swarms at the park for years now. There have been ground deformations, increased ground temperatures, animal and tree kills, a 2000 foot dome in the lake and now..... calm. The earthquake activity in the park was heavy for quite a while and now it has nearly stopped. Why?

Indy,

It may well be the same program. I havent seen it yet, it airs in Australia this weekend.

I also think the supervolcano on sumatra is something needed to be watched... especially since there have been quite alot of earthquakes in the region of late. i think its Mt Toba in indonesia... i could be wrong though...

Toba is basically right at the point where all the quakes are. It is barely east. I'm guessing 50 miles.