Ladiesand Gentlemen, for some time now I have had a question on my mind that I can’tseem to answer. Can we save the world form Yellowstone? I am not a volcanologistnor am I a geologist. So please, pardon my ignorance.
I am aware that Yellowstone is a super volcano and if it erupts it can cause aglobal catastrophe that will threaten our very existence as a species. Which inthe near future may even happen sooner then we hope. So with that I proposethis theory.
The Balloon Theory: Using the tools that have made us the predominant specieson this planet, we reduce the pressure with in the volcano gradually to eitherbuy humanity time and/or freeze the pressure with in it at current rates justlike you would a balloon with out it popping. How is this done you ask? Well,the technology dose exist, at least in theory with modifications, however it isnot yet used in this application. If one wanted to bleed the air from a balloonwith out it bursting, one might take a pin and pierce the rubber of the balloonat its base where it is thickest and less stressed from the stretch of airpressure. Thus, allowing it to bleed slowly resulting in a controlled reductionof pressure. Now, if this concept is applied to a volcano on a much largerscale, in theory this just might work. A tunnel boring machine (TBM) also known as a"mole", like the one used to dig the orlovski tunnel, inSt.Petersburg could be used to dig several tunnels close to the base of Yellowstone’smagma chamber. Then allow smaller boring machines like the ones used in oildrilling to drill pilot holes for explosive charges to create brake away walls.Since a mechanical valve can not be used these walls act as a means of control.These walls are then used to release more lava flow if needed, say the flow in tunnelone decreases due to age or flow rate tunnel two could then be blown to allowfor more release of magma and ultimately a reduction of pressure with in the volcano.This however, brings up another issue thus, were will the magma go? Well thereare a few options 1000miles west is the Pacific Ocean, or hundreds of milessouth there are several desert areas with not human population. Crazy as this may sound the question thenbecomes; well consider the alternative. Several minor releases of a low flow magnitudeand the minor issues that fallow, or the massive release of catastrophicenergy/destruction and major issues that fallow. That’s a no brainer. On a massivescale such as this it may only seem like a pin prick to the volcano but itcould be the time we need to find a better solution. Yes it may seem like anact of god, but we aren’t talking that are we? We have put a man on the moon,and a computer in our hands; we are coming up with ways to defect asteroids andmeteorites, but all we can do for this is give us a warning when it’s going tohappen; we have got to have something on this! Maybe its time for us to try andfind a solution to this. All problems can be fixed if pool our resources as aworld organization and this is only one of the many we have. Let me know what you think.