California Supervolcano: Caltech's 'Chilling' Discovery In Long Valley Caldera (scitechdaily.com) 26
An anonymous reader shared this report from SciTechDaily:
Since the 1980s, researchers have observed significant periods of unrest in a region of California's Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains characterized by swarms of earthquakes as well as the ground inflating and rising by almost half an inch per year during these periods. The activity is concerning because the area, called the Long Valley Caldera, sits atop a massive dormant supervolcano... What is behind the increased activity in the last few decades? Could it be that the area is preparing to erupt again? Or could the uptick in activity actually be a sign that the risk of a massive eruption is decreasing?
To answer these questions, Caltech researchers have created the most detailed underground images to date of the Long Valley Caldera, reaching depths up to 10 kilometers within the Earth's crust. These high-resolution images reveal the structure of the earth beneath the caldera and show that the recent seismic activity is a result of fluids and gases being released as the area cools off and settles down.
The work was conducted in the laboratory of Zhongwen Zhan (PhD '14), professor of geophysics. A paper describing the research was published on October 18 in the journal Science Advances. "We don't think the region is gearing up for another supervolcanic eruption, but the cooling process may release enough gas and liquid to cause earthquakes and small eruptions," says Zhan. "For example, in May 1980, there were four magnitude 6 earthquakes in the region alone."
To answer these questions, Caltech researchers have created the most detailed underground images to date of the Long Valley Caldera, reaching depths up to 10 kilometers within the Earth's crust. These high-resolution images reveal the structure of the earth beneath the caldera and show that the recent seismic activity is a result of fluids and gases being released as the area cools off and settles down.
The work was conducted in the laboratory of Zhongwen Zhan (PhD '14), professor of geophysics. A paper describing the research was published on October 18 in the journal Science Advances. "We don't think the region is gearing up for another supervolcanic eruption, but the cooling process may release enough gas and liquid to cause earthquakes and small eruptions," says Zhan. "For example, in May 1980, there were four magnitude 6 earthquakes in the region alone."
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Biblical punishment is it? So when God freezes some people in Texas or sends a hurricane to Florida, he just has what, bad aim?
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Biblical punishment is it? So when God freezes some people in Texas or sends a hurricane to Florida, he just has what, bad aim?
It was more in jest, but given the amount of people still hosting hurricane parties in certain parts of Florida ignorantly daring Mother Nature to break that 100-year long stretch of dodgeball, I'd call it more drunk-blind luck. Must be some value to all them southerners prayin' all the time.
Not sure that God froze people in Texas in the Twenty-First Century. We learn-ded a thing or two 'bout human survival since we started counting centuries in unison. I'd more say greed in the Devil froze people, by ta
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It's still Americans getting hit.
Long Valley Caldera is even on Google Maps (Score:2)
I was wondering where this is, a very rough estimate is 10 miles ENE of Mammoth Mountain Skiing area and a bit north of Mammoth Yosemite Airport.
So according to this article, "dormant" means "substantially dormant, minor eruptions possible".
Re: Long Valley Caldera is even on Google Maps (Score:2)
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Which, depending on the definition of "species" you choose to use, could be between 300,000 and 700,000 years.
Headlines (Score:5, Funny)
Long Valley Caldera Erupts - California Wiped Out
Women, Children and Migrants Hit Hardest
Some say the end is near... (Score:2)
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon
Certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this...
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And if it blows...
You mean if Fucky McFuckface blows?
You ah, kinda forget the step when they poll for a name.
Been there (Score:5, Interesting)
Mountains are pretty, peaceful, entrancing (Score:2)
Makes you want to settle among the hills and live the simple life, at one with God's creation.
Then you remember what that creation actually entails, and maybe settle down on the opposite side of the continent, away from the plate boundary.
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Have you heard of Harry Truman of Mt. Saint Helen's fame?
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Did he even merit a DA? Or did he have surviving offspring or grand-offspring? He's not important enough to be worth remembering, and if he does have surviving descendents, they're probably wanting to drop him from their pedigrees.
Five biggest geohazards for the Continental US (Score:4, Informative)
Some geologist was saying, forget about a meteor wiping us out, there are more likely Earth-based hazards.
For the Continental US 1) The Big One (earthquake) where Los Angeles falls into the ocean, 2) The Big One where Seattle falls into Puget Sound, 3) The Big One (along the New Madrid fault) where Memphis falls into the Mississippi River, 4) the Yellowstone Caldera, which will bury Chicago under feet of ash, and 5) the Big One in the Canary Islands that will send a tsunami taking out the East Coast of Florida.
So I don't know this opposite side of the continent that avoids one of these events that will take place, eventually.
Re: Five biggest geohazards for the Continental US (Score:2)
That's if you don't get squashed flat by any of the other things likely to kill you in any given year: automobile accidents, disease, cancer, the occasional physical altercation, etc.
Don't take life so seriously, you'll never make it out alive.
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You're right, and it makes me want to move to a more central state. East and south of the Yellowstone Caldera, of course. I'd rather take my chances with tornadoes.
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Hmm, probably not the best of choices. The last (or last but one, I forget ; barely worth noticing) Yellowstone eruption spread most of it's tephra to it's south and west. Maybe half the thickness to the north. But that was probably an effect of the local weather, before the eruption column took over the weather for the week or two of evacuation of the magma chamber.
But you don't really need to worry over-much about that, yet. Yellowstone has a half-km or so of in
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Should an eruption occur, (Score:3)
it'll be interesting to see how the powers that be handle it.
I used to live in California (something it's taken decades to live down) and my home was a few miles from a levee. During a particularly wet year, the levee filled to the top, and one bend started to show signs of collapse. There was a town there, but instead of evacuating, the order was "stay in your homes".
Then, the levee broke, everyone tried to get out at once, and the water washed over the fleeing cars.
So, given signs of an impending eruption, I'd expect a similar "stay in your homes" order. It's apparently what government does.
Oh, during the aftermath, when the water had receded a bit, I drove the jeep around and took photos (I'm a photographer by trade) and listened to the townspeople giving interviews. One fact that came to light was that most the emergency services were being concentrated in the wealthy districts. Which, again, is pretty much how government works.
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Very good point. So a smart person would either read the signs and leave before the lockdown, or figure out a way through the cordon.