NationStates Jolt Archive


What if... Yellowstone Erupted

United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 15:53
Today we will be discussing what would happen if Yellowstone (National Park and Super Volcano) Were to erupt given the current politcal situation.
this is the the first in a long line of "What if?" questions.
please share ur insight.
Raven corps
17-06-2007, 15:58
This probably belongs in "general" forum. Unfortunately International incidents is based on RP not actual events and real places.
Imperial isa
17-06-2007, 15:58
wrong forum
Greston
17-06-2007, 16:04
Unless your NS nation has your own Yellowstone and your talking about your NS nation, your in the wrong forum.
Raven corps
17-06-2007, 16:06
I have already requested it be moved to General.
Barringtonia
17-06-2007, 16:08
Whatever happens, I'm betting my insurance won't cover it :)
Erastide
17-06-2007, 16:11
United Fundamentalism, I strongly suggest you read the OSRS if you plan to start topics. http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=416023

Look at *where* your topics belong, along with appropriate language for our forums.
Intangelon
17-06-2007, 16:12
If Yellowstone erupted? What's there to worry about? Enough particulate matter in the air to extinguish life as we know it? No worries. It doesn't pay to worry about things over which control or prevention is completely impossible. Those who do just like to draw attention to their own neuroses.
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 16:15
Today we will be discussing what would happen if Yellowstone (National Park and Super Volcano) Were to erupt given the current politcal situation.
this is the the first in a long line of "What if?" questions.
please share ur insight.

The political situation wouldn't come into it, the entire human race would be screwed.
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:17
thats where ur wrong my friend.

politics has everything to do with it.

besides it wouldn't wipe out the entire human race.

we survived last time.
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 16:17
If Yellowstone erupted? What's there to worry about? Enough particulate matter in the air to extinguish life as we know it? No worries. It doesn't pay to worry about things over which control or prevention is completely impossible. Those who do just like to draw attention to their own neuroses.

Well, it has been suggested that an eruption could theoretically be triggered by a large explosion. We really don't want any terrorists groups trying that...
Call to power
17-06-2007, 16:18
in the best case scenario America would be screwed, never mind the fact that I would be covered in ash and thus that horrible Grey sand will be all over beaches from now on :(
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:18
in the best case scenario America would be screwed, never mind the fact that I would be covered in ash and thus that horrible Grey sand will be all over beaches from now on :(

and the worst case scenario would be China Invading
Brutland and Norden
17-06-2007, 16:19
Today we will be discussing what would happen if Yellowstone (National Park and Super Volcano) Were to erupt given the current politcal situation.
this is the the first in a long line of "What if?" questions.
please share ur insight.
A big area of the West, from western California to central Kansas, and from central Alberta to northern Mexico, would be worst-hit by an ashfall. Prolonged ashfalls can lead to poor crops (if they grow things in the Rocky Mountains). Expect the tri-state area between Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana to be wiped off the map.

Politically, it would affect a huge chunk of Republican states and areas: Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and the Republican-voting areas of Washington, Oregon, and California (Central Valley). As for Canadians, it will touch the Tory strongholds of Alberta and Saskatchewan (God help me if I spelled that correctly...)

So politically... if FEMA sucked again and there is a Democrat at the White House, expect these areas to be more Republican (if there are still people in there). If there's a Republican when this happens... forget the Republican Party.

That is... if we are still around to bother about politics. Most likely we'd just be preoccupied foraging forests for food or killing the person next to us in a food riot.
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 16:20
thats where ur wrong my friend.

politics has everything to do with it.

besides it wouldn't wipe out the entire human race.

we survived last time.

We're talking nuclear winter in the event of a large-scale eruption. Society would collapse, crops would fail, we'd be fucked.
Brutland and Norden
17-06-2007, 16:20
--snip--
Tone it down, my friend. We don't want you to... never mind. Let's just be polite next time, OK? ;)
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 16:21
and the worst case scenario would be China Invading

WTF?
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:22
Yes very true.
but don't forget that most of our trade depends on those crops.
and if we stop trading with China they'll consider an act of war.
Barringtonia
17-06-2007, 16:24
and the worst case scenario would be China Invading

Oh good lord - is this the point of your thread? China is a big threat, one that's intent on invading the USA given the chance and Yellowstone is a viable pretext for that? Perhaps China will place a bomb under Yellowstone just to precipitate it. Yet wait, perhaps James Bond will save the day at the last second.

What planet from the constellation Conspiracy Theory are you from
Forsakia
17-06-2007, 16:25
Yes very true.
but don't forget that most of our trade depends on those crops.
and if we stop trading with China they'll consider an act of war.

Worst case scenario is life on the entire planet being extinguished, and that's not exactly far from the most probable scenario.
Ifreann
17-06-2007, 16:25
no they have lots food and money



the real question is: will the jolt server crash?!

I certainly hope not. In the event of a nuclear winter my survival plan heavily involves posting on NSG.
Call to power
17-06-2007, 16:26
and the worst case scenario would be China Invading

no they have lots food and money

SNIP

the real question is: will the jolt server crash?!

don't forget that most of our trade depends on those crops.

not really, we buy your gizmo's and dollars more

and if we stop trading with China they'll consider an act of war.

thats just silly:

1) it doesn't follow any international law or anything
2) why on Earth would you invade ash-land?
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 16:28
Given that the US would be covered in ask and poisonous gases in the aftermath of a major eruption, why would China want to invade? And how would they establish supply lines? The whole idea is absurd.
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:28
Worst case scenario is life on the entire planet being extinguished, and that's not exactly far from the most probable scenario.

actually,
yellowstone has erupted several times in the past.
we've survived every1.
yes there will be mass extinction but we will survive
:)
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:31
no they have lots food and money



the real question is: will the jolt server crash?!



not really, we buy your gizmo's and dollars more



thats just silly:

1) it doesn't follow any international law or anything
2) why on Earth would you invade ash-land?

what i meant by "Trade depends on those crops" is that if we're unable to feed our country then we will be unable to feed others and we will be completely devestated economically and enviromentally. we would be unable to create anything in a factory.
thats all i meant.
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 16:32
actually,
yellowstone has erupted several times in the past.
we've survived every1.
yes there will be mass extinction but we will survive
:)

A few people probably will, but civilisation and the majority of the human race won't.
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:34
A few people probably will, but civilisation and the majority of the human race won't.

true.
but survival is the only thing that counts.
Brutland and Norden
17-06-2007, 16:35
the real question is: will the jolt server crash?!
Duh.
2) why on Earth would you invade ash-land?
because Ashland is in Ohio, and Ohio...
Call to power
17-06-2007, 16:37
SNIP

the last one nearly wiped the human race off the face of the Earth down to the last 10,000 or so

never mind the fact that volcanic eruptions can't be predicted for there force and this one has been building up in particular (course it won't kill all life, thats quite impossible because fungus etc is awesome)
Turquoise Days
17-06-2007, 16:38
Shouldn't this be 'What happens when Yellowstone erupts?'
Neo-Erusea
17-06-2007, 16:39
**Yellowstone erupts, a small geyser and a bit of dust is kicked upwards and the park is closed for a day**

Seriously though, China would even bother invading due to the fact that whatever if left of the USA isn't even worth touching...

Civilization will survive because people naturally succumb to it. Even if what is established now dies, people will re-establish their own Nations. Probably alot of wars will start, but civilization will most definately survive.
Nouvelle Wallonochia
17-06-2007, 16:40
We discussed this in an environmental geology course a couple of years ago, and the consensus that most geologists have come to is that my entire state would be blanketed with over a foot of ash and I'm not exactly close to Yellowstone.

So my answer is that I would most likely die a horrible, painful death. However, at least my death would be quick, unlike all the poor bastards who would starve to death when the crops failed.
Intangelon
17-06-2007, 16:50
Well, it has been suggested that an eruption could theoretically be triggered by a large explosion. We really don't want any terrorists groups trying that...

Yes, sir, and what size of tinfoil hat would you like today?
Vetalia
17-06-2007, 16:53
I guess if it erupts before we've moved off planet, we're boned.
Intangelon
17-06-2007, 16:53
Duh.

because Ashland is in Ohio, and Ohio...

No, Ashland (at least the only burg of that name worth living in) is in Oregon.
Brutland and Norden
17-06-2007, 16:54
No, Ashland (at least the only burg of that name worth living in) is in Oregon.
Bah. The original Ashland is in Kentucky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashland%2C_Oregon). And Kentucky...
United Fundamentalism
17-06-2007, 16:59
Shouldn't this be 'What happens when Yellowstone erupts?'

true.:headbang:
my bad
Intangelon
17-06-2007, 17:00
Bah. The original Ashland is in Kentucky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashland%2C_Oregon). And Kentucky...

Since when has a namesake been automatically better than a clearly superior city with the same name? Surely New Orleans (pre-Katrina) was a more interesting place than France's version.

Sorry, but Ashland, Oregon for the win over both Ohio and Kentucky, regardless of etymology.

By the way, you did read that part of my post that said "the only burg of that name worth living in", didn't you? That kinda pre-emptively scuttled your retort.

Besides, the "ash" in Ashland names has more to do with the tree than the volcano effluvium, surely?
Brutland and Norden
17-06-2007, 17:02
Since when has a namesake been automatically better than a clearly superior city with the same name? Surely New Orleans (pre-Katrina) was a more interesting place than France's version.

Sorry, but Ashland, Oregon for the win over both Ohio and Kentucky, regardless of etymology.
Then if Oregon is teh win, expect them Chinese to invade that city!!! :eek:
They won't go to OH or KY...
[/silly]
Intangelon
17-06-2007, 17:07
Then if Oregon is teh win, expect them Chinese to invade that city!!! :eek:
They won't go to OH or KY...
[/silly]

Oh, hell!

Hadn't thought of that.

*Busies himself writing to the legislators in Salem about building a seawall of chow mein.* [/just as silly] :p
Regressica
17-06-2007, 17:12
Though it would kill many millions of people and fuck up the weather and thus farming world-wide, depending on just how big it is I'm confident Australia would emerge as new hegemony. :p
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 17:19
Yes, sir, and what size of tinfoil hat would you like today?

It's not so far fetched as it sounds. :p

IIRC, we don't currently understand exactly how an eruption is triggered in the caldera. A study was set up to examine the possibility of blowing a hole in the caldera to release some of the gas and avoid a major eruption, but the final report suggested that such an attempt could actually have the opposite effect.

This is all going from memory so I could be completely wrong/delusional.
Turquoise Days
17-06-2007, 17:26
It's not so far fetched as it sounds. :p

IIRC, we don't currently understand exactly how an eruption is triggered in the caldera. A study was set up to examine the possibility of blowing a hole in the caldera to release some of the gas and avoid a major eruption, but the final report suggested that such an attempt could actually have the opposite effect.

This is all going from memory so I could be completely wrong/delusional.

Hmm, I'd imagine it would have to be a sodding huge explosion - excavating a hole several hundred meters deep?
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 17:33
Hmm, I'd imagine it would have to be a sodding huge explosion - excavating a hole several hundred meters deep?

Mole bomb? :p
Turquoise Days
17-06-2007, 17:37
Mole bomb? :p

The latest toy from the MOBRA weapons lab...

EDIT: Yay! I shine JoltBots shoes no more.
RLI Rides Again
17-06-2007, 17:39
The latest toy from the MOBRA weapons lab...

EDIT: Yay! I shine JoltBots shoes no more.

*offers congratulatory cookie*