so let me get this straight. there’s a very
non-zero probability that

yellowstone could erupt

, obliterate everything within 650 miles and make things extremely
unsavory over the entire planet? nice.

“On August 10, the Denver Post reported that Liz
Morgan, a U.S. Geological Survey research geologist had discovered
a huge bulge underneath Yellowstone Lake that had risen 100 feet
from the lake floor. The bulge is two thousand feet long and has
the potential to explode at any time. Morgan was quoted as saying
that “The inflated plain is a potential and serious hazard and
possible precursor to a large hydrothermal explosion event.””

“”The impact of a Yellowstone eruption is terrifying to
comprehend.” says Professor McGuire. “Magma would be flung 50
kilometres into the atmosphere. Within a thousand kilometres
virtually all life would be killed by falling ash, lava flows and
the sheer explosive force of the eruption. One thousand cubic
kilometres of lava would pour out of the volcano, enough to coat
the whole of the USA with a layer 5 inches thick. The explosion
would be the loudest noise heard by man for 75,000
years.””

update: o.k. i’ll admit it. i didn’t really fully investigate the author of the article. via a metafilter thread i discover that the the author is a apocalyptic crack-pot. the usgs answers a few questions about what’s going on at yellowstone:

“Do any of the features beneath the lake relate to possible volcanic eruptions?

It is very unlikely. All active features are related to faults and hot water (hydrothermal) vents. Identified craters were formed by collapse or as a result of old hydrothermal explosions. Many of the rocks beneath the lake are lava flows more than 100,000 years old. ”