yellowstone (Page 5)

The U.S. Geological Service and the media have been super-conservative with their warnings about the Yellowstone supervolcano. But evidence is accumulating that the park is in big trouble because the vast volcanic region beneath its surface could be on a fast track to eruption. One source says, “The American people are not being told that the explosion of this ‘super volcano’ could happen at any moment. When Yellowstone does blow, some geologists predict that every living thing within six hundred miles is likely to die.” The Idaho Observer reports that recent eruptions, 200 degree ground temperatures, bulging magma and 84 degree water temperatures are worrying scientists who are studying the area.read more

Lisa Morgan, the geologist leading a US Geological Survey team studying a bulge beneath Yellowstone Lake says, “it could be the precursor to a hydrothermal explosion.” Hydrothermal explosions take place when water is superheated by lava and they can be extremely violent.

Geothermal activity and earth movements have been increasing in Yellowstone in recent months. In August, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the area, and in July parts of a trail that passes the Norris Geyser Basin were shut because ground temperatures reached 200 degrees.
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The Casper (WY) Star Tribune reports that there’s a 100-foot-high bulge in the bottom of Yellowstone Lake that’s getting ready to explode. The bulge, about 2,100 feet long, formed within the last few years, and the lake’s water is getting hotter. An explosion would create 10-foot waves and shoot out rocks and poisonous gas. U.S. Geological Survey scientist Lisa Morgan has been using sonar to map the lake bottom. The water temperature 60 feet down is now around 85 degrees, while the lake usually stays around 66 degrees. Morgan says, ”We’re thinking this structure could be a precursor to a hydrothermal explosive event. But we don’t think this is a volcano.” Volcanoes in the area once shot debris all the way across North America.
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