Been reading this Independent article this morning, called
The time bomb under
America which has some interesting stats. Like some have mentioned on this page, the numbers show a 10,000 year different, although, should
some of you want to do some stats/estimates w/ the numbers, I'm all ears.
Every 650,000 years it goes off, we're at year 640,000. There's been 140 events over 16 million years. Now, I obviously wonder what's the give and
take as per years with those numbers. Should it be spot on, we're not overdue, maybe it just releases magma energy every so often, I don't know.
...we have no idea how long this process goes on before there either is an eruption or the inflow of molten rock stops and the caldera deflates
again." In other words, something is afoot, but no techniques exist to forecast what comes next. The prediction is easier for single-channel, cone
volcanoes. At a caldera such as Yellowstone, the magma could suddenly blow through at any number of locations. "We use the term 'restless' to
describe these systems," Prof Smith said.
Also, checking out this
Science Daily article, these are some facts that are
a little fearful. Plus, one of the scientists goes on to talk about needing "independent research" into YS's activity.
The upward movement of the Yellowstone caldera floor -- almost 3 inches per year for the past 3 years -- is more than 3 times greater than ever
observed since such measurements began in 1923, says the study in the Nov. 9 issue of Science, geophysics postdoctoral associate Chang....
Yellowstone is North America's largest volcanic field, produced by a "hotspot" -- a gigantic plume of hot and molten rock -- that begins at least
400 miles beneath Earth's surface and rises to 30 miles underground, where it widens to about 300 miles across.
He says that Yellowstone's recent upward motion may seem small, but is twice as fast as the average rate of horizontal movement along California's
San Andreas fault.
Conventional surveying of Yellowstone began in 1923. Measurements showed the caldera floor rose 40 inches during 1923-1984, and then fell 8 inches
during 1985-1995.
Seems like there isn't much as per separate studies into this area of the U.S. One of those articles mentioned the parke itself is 925 miles in
size.
[edit on 10-11-2007 by anhinga]
But this is not new news. The BBC did a superb drama documentary last year called Supervolcano and it was looking at the impact of
Yellowstone blowing up. 
Hopefully not in the next 100
years. Mind you with all the whoo haa about 2012 it would kinda spoil the 2012 party if it were to blow then.... 
