Originally posted by Shirakawa
Before an eruption I think we would first have to see very evident changes in geyser patterns/temperatures and ground deformation.
Yeah well, that's what they say, but in Yellowstone's case I am not so sure- as with any supervolcano. The fact of the matter is, humanity does not have the benefit of hindsight when it comes volcanoes this large. For all they know eruptions may not exhibit the same signs as with smaller volcanoes. The volumes of magma are so large that when they give, they could very well do so without any further warning. Because we have had plenty of warnings already, for years.
Stress meter rock tests, while potentially applicable to smaller volcanoes, may not be so applicable way down deep where the majority of this magma is. What appeared to have held for a smaller volcano could give way under the staggering pressure of something this big.
You have mentioned the extra water discharge, and I just wanted to point out that if there is that much excess above ground, don't you think the same would apply immediately under the area due to seepage? And if that's the case, then you know what happens when a lot of water reaches a lot of magma. Steam to the max, and consequently, a lot more pressure.
Did you see the depth of that 2.5? 5.2 kilometers. Now that, as you know, is a particularly dangerous depth as it concerns the huge magma plume under that thing.
I wanna believe there is nothing wrong here and it is just another hiccup. But damn, one of these days we are going to run out of luck. Let's just hope it is not in our lifetimes.
