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"Any potential “Siberian Traps” Super volcanoes out there?" Topic


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742 hits since 19 Sep 2018
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Comments or corrections?

Winston Smith19 Sep 2018 1:57 p.m. PST

The Yellowstone caldera will annoy a lot of people if it erupted again.

But what about volcanic incidents in the past, like the Siberian Traps or Deccan Traps that almost wiped out all life on Earth?
Siberian, more so.

Are there any potential fields still left on Earth with that potential?
Some theorize that both were set off by massive asteroid or comet hits that did not have to be right on target. The vibration of the earth was enough to destabilize them.

Anything out there to keep me up at night worrying? .grin

As a corollary to this, would they be a good target for an alien race wanting to cut off any potential rivals?

Cacique Caribe19 Sep 2018 2:14 p.m. PST

Are the Siberian traps really dead?

Also, someone crazy enough, looking to wipe out most of the US, might try to nuke the Yellowstone Supervolcano Caldera into finally blowing up which would layer everything with lethal glass fibers in the ash.

Dan
link

picture

Winston Smith19 Sep 2018 2:38 p.m. PST

Yeah, that'll wipe out most of the USA.
Maybe cause a few famines elsewhere.
But wipe out life on Earth?
Not in that league.

Personal logo Parzival Supporting Member of TMP19 Sep 2018 4:16 p.m. PST

Hmm. Time to retire to Key West.

mandt219 Sep 2018 8:16 p.m. PST

Ok. But you asked for it.

link

Martin From Canada19 Sep 2018 8:22 p.m. PST

Are the Siberian traps really dead?

Very likely yes. As for Large igneous provinces (The larger family in which traps exist), we don't know for sure why large plumes of basalt lava push their way onto the surface over the course of a million or so years. But they don't appear to have repeat events.

link

As with many cataclysmic geological events, sit back and enjoy a cold one with the knowledge that human lifetimes are too fleeting for us to experience geological phenomena. I wish I could say the same thing with regards to climate related events, but I fear that we have consummated ourselves on that one with our collective inaction.

Bowman20 Sep 2018 5:02 a.m. PST

Here's a nice and simple article from the US Parks Service.

"Will Yellowstone's volcano erupt again? Over the next thousands to millions of years? Probably. In the next few hundred years? Not likely.

The most likely activity would be lava flows, such as those that occurred after the last major eruption. A lava flow would ooze slowly over months and years, allowing plenty of time for park managers to evaluate the situation and protect people. No scientific evidence indicates such a lava flow will occur soon."

link

Bowman20 Sep 2018 5:40 a.m. PST

mandt2's article makes a good point.

The title is, "Concern Grows After Yellowstone's Largest Geyser Erupts For 8th Time Since March". Reading the article, from a geologist no less, I don't get the same feeling. He remarks that scientists aren't exactly sure why the geyser is going off with the frequency seen. The more provocative heading would be written by an editor, usually without the author's input. It has to be eye catching to entice the reader, but absolute accuracy to the contents of the article is of secondary concern.

Cacique Caribe20 Sep 2018 11:53 a.m. PST

Bowman

Lol. If Winston/John is looking for something to panic and have sleepless nights about, something that might never happen in our lifetime, I say he has every right to do so.

He did say:

"Anything out there to keep me up at night worrying? :)"

Who are we to stand in the way?

Dan

Winston Smith20 Sep 2018 1:18 p.m. PST

There's a story about a slightly deaf man at a lecture on the current state of cosmology.
The learned professor said he predicted the heat death of the Universe within 50 Billion years.
The deaf man leapt up. "How many years?"
"50 Billion."
"Whew! I thought you said Million!"

Cacique Caribe20 Sep 2018 4:18 p.m. PST

LOL. I've gotta steal that one.

Dan

Gunfreak Supporting Member of TMP21 Sep 2018 9:17 a.m. PST

How exactly is the universe going to suffer heat death in only 50 billion years, when it's estimated that red dwarf stars will live for mabye as much as 10 trillion!! Years.

Bowman21 Sep 2018 9:52 a.m. PST

50 billion years? You mean 10^100 years (ten to the power of 100 years). That a bit more time for you.

Personal logo StoneMtnMinis Supporting Member of TMP21 Sep 2018 11:02 a.m. PST

The universe ends when He decides.

Martin From Canada21 Sep 2018 12:55 p.m. PST

With apologies to Laplace, Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse.

Winston Smith21 Sep 2018 2:11 p.m. PST

Holy Smokes!
I can still understand French!
At least when it's written. grin
Sometimes.

There are many theories on the Death of the Universe.
Most depend on whether or not there is enough mass to slow down expansion since the Big Bang, and then collapse. (That's where History becomes a palindrome, I guess.)
There used to be, that's where the 50 Billion comes from. But equations change, as do the "constants" needed to make the numbers come out right. grin
Then it was found to be expanding too quickly, and At the End of Time, all the stars will be so far away that they will not be seen. That added a few more Zeros.
Now they're bringing in Dark Matter and Dark Dnergy, and I don't know what to think.
Holy Crap! Now they're seeing black holes and galaxies left over from before the Big Bang! But they're billions of years old, and may or may not be there any more.
Whatever the case, my understanding and ability to explain it properly will have absolutely no effect, unless I am God in my own universe. I doubt that.
I blame all this confusion on my daily news feed, which is Google News, Science.

But anyway, will someone please answer my OP?
I just want to know if there are any potential "Congo Traps", or Australian Traps, or Florida Traps just waiting for an asteroid hit to wipe us out.

Bowman21 Sep 2018 2:51 p.m. PST

Then it was found to be expanding too quickly, and At the End of Time, all the stars will be so far away that they will not be seen. That added a few more Zeros.
Now they're bringing in Dark Matter and Dark Energy

The Dark Energy is the explanation of the acceleration of the expansion. That would remove zeros, would it not?

I think you have it the other way around. The "oscillating" Universe with alternating Big Bangs and Big Crunches were never taken seriously because there didn't seem to be enough mass to gravitationally begin the contraction process. Then dark matter was discovered. Oh, now there may be enough mass. But then the accelerating expansion was discovered. So the Universe is now known to be hurtling towards latent heat death even quicker.

But not 50 billion years quicker.

I just want to know if there are any potential "Congo Traps", or Australian Traps, or Florida Traps just waiting for an asteroid hit to wipe us out.

Well if the asteroid is big enough we don't need no traps!

Winston Smith21 Sep 2018 6:29 p.m. PST

The Universe will continue to do whatever it intends to do, with or without my belief and understanding. grin
Nor does my happiness in life depend on getting it right.
I won't get burned at the stake if I get it wrong. Ridiculed by perfect strangers? Sure. I can live with that.
I wonder what the scientific orthodoxy will be 10 years from now.

Winston Smith21 Sep 2018 6:32 p.m. PST

But the joke about the deaf guy is still as valid as ever. grin. Even though pedants might quibble over the numbers.

Bowman22 Sep 2018 6:57 a.m. PST

I won't get burned at the stake if I get it wrong. Ridiculed by perfect strangers?

Wow, where did you get that from?

Winston Smith22 Sep 2018 7:04 a.m. PST

Lighten up Francis. I'm being facetious.

Bowman22 Sep 2018 11:38 a.m. PST

Not easy to tell all the time, Francis.

Ed Mohrmann Supporting Member of TMP25 Sep 2018 2:57 p.m. PST

I marvel that each of you has (apparently) seen the same
film ! (Stripes)

Personal logo Saber6 Supporting Member of TMP Fezian25 Sep 2018 3:48 p.m. PST

Winston, I'm pretty sure Florida has Tourist traps

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