Yellowstone National Park is a treasure that inspires awe in travelers from around the world. New Zealand and Iceland are know for their geysers, but nowhere are there as many as in Yellowstone. Scenery, wildlife, and history were contributing factors influencing Congress to establish Yellowstone as the world's first national park in 1872. At the heart of Yellowstone's past, present, and future lies volcanism. Catastrophic volcanic eruptions occurred there.
In college for nine years, and in the fields for ten, a group of student geologists are excited to be going on an exploration of the famous volcano that is being rumored to be erupting. "Geologists! I mean...what are...geologists?" Screamed a young man at the screen, knowing his answer wouldn't be counted, but still reveled in the glory of his own knowledge. “What are...geologists?" A player asked as a smile spread across her face. She'd just won 300 dollars. "That's a tank of gas..." Another student remarked from across the room. The entire group broke out into laughter and applause for him. He knew just as well as young man who spoke first, and the rest of the people at this years Christmas party that knowing the answer, was nothing special. They all had been through it. The courses the rigorous training the whole bit and all came out at the top of their game. They all knew how to fly a helicopter, Scale Mountains, scuba dive and survive in extreme temperatures. None ever thought they'd have to use it though. It was standard procedure, for a non standard place. Yellowstone national park sat on one of the largest lava holes in the world. To put it in scientific terms, if it erupted, it would blast rock and magma creating pyroclastic flows that would kill them all, hence the helicopter. Problem was, there were ten of them and one helicopter. Ernestly, not one of them was all that worried that this behemoth was going to explode. But deep in the magma chamber, the pressure is getting high, and the earths crust is weakening. When it blows, it will carry ash all the way across the US, literally making it fall from the sky. Volcanic ash is heavy, and collapses rooftops easily. And when it gets into your lungs, it mixes with the water in there to create certain cement. Needless to say, you suffocate. This group of people is talented to say the least, but are the good enough too not only witnessed, but to survive one of the largest explosions in Earth's history?
In college for nine years, and in the fields for ten, a group of student geologists are excited to be going on an exploration of the famous volcano that is being rumored to be erupting. "Geologists! I mean...what are...geologists?" Screamed a young man at the screen, knowing his answer wouldn't be counted, but still reveled in the glory of his own knowledge. “What are...geologists?" A player asked as a smile spread across her face. She'd just won 300 dollars. "That's a tank of gas..." Another student remarked from across the room. The entire group broke out into laughter and applause for him. He knew just as well as young man who spoke first, and the rest of the people at this years Christmas party that knowing the answer, was nothing special. They all had been through it. The courses the rigorous training the whole bit and all came out at the top of their game. They all knew how to fly a helicopter, Scale Mountains, scuba dive and survive in extreme temperatures. None ever thought they'd have to use it though. It was standard procedure, for a non standard place. Yellowstone national park sat on one of the largest lava holes in the world. To put it in scientific terms, if it erupted, it would blast rock and magma creating pyroclastic flows that would kill them all, hence the helicopter. Problem was, there were ten of them and one helicopter. Ernestly, not one of them was all that worried that this behemoth was going to explode. But deep in the magma chamber, the pressure is getting high, and the earths crust is weakening. When it blows, it will carry ash all the way across the US, literally making it fall from the sky. Volcanic ash is heavy, and collapses rooftops easily. And when it gets into your lungs, it mixes with the water in there to create certain cement. Needless to say, you suffocate. This group of people is talented to say the least, but are the good enough too not only witnessed, but to survive one of the largest explosions in Earth's history?
