http://www.qando.net/ - Journalism, Calderas and AGW

Something is stirring deep below the legendary hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone, the first and most famous national park in America — and home to a huge volcanic cauldron.

The central region of the park has been rising the last three years at a rate never before observed by scientists. They believe that magma — molten rock — is filling pores in the Earth's crust and causing a large swath of Yellowstone to rise like a pie in the oven.

OMG!! You can feel it even before you read it. You know that somehow, somewhere Joe Achenbach is going to get the obligatory AGW reference in this even if it does raise his carbon footprint. And finally, he wedges it in:

That said, the scientists are watching Yellowstone very closely. This latest glimpse of Yellowstone's unsettled nature offers a reminder that human-driven climate change is taking place on a planet that isn't an inert bystander.

Ahhhh ... the converted slowly nod their heads in unison, because they knew why this was happening, even if we won't admit it. They knew.

Of course, in a fit of journalism, Achenbach is compelled to drop a little factoid into the story near the end just to assuage his conscience:

Although the "rapid period of ground uplift," as the report puts it, has elevated portions of the Yellowstone plateau by roughly three inches in a single year, such activity pretty much goes with the territory when it comes to calderas. They go up and then they go down. Yellowstone rose about three feet between 1924 and 1985, then fell for a decade, then rose for a few years, then fell again, and, finally in 2004, surged upward once more.

1924? You mean the planet wasn't an inert bystander in 1924 either? You mean this is an observed cyclic phenomenon which is something which "pretty much goes with the territory" and most likely not caused by human activity?

Wow.

Bummer.

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If this author thinks the reason for this is global warming then he is a huge idiot. The real reason for this sort of behavour is realted to yellowstone being a super volcano.

Written By: capt joe
URL: http://

Actually, I read This latest glimpse of Yellowstone’s unsettled nature offers a reminder that human-driven climate change is taking place on a planet that isn’t an inert bystander. to acknowledge the fact that climate change takes place even without human intervention. Although how anyone could claim magma levels could change because of human intervention escapes me. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has made that claim.

Written By: kishnevi
URL: http://

It’s all the oil we’ve pumped out of the ground.

Duh!

Always look for the double pander.

Written By: Ryan
URL: http://

Actually, I read This latest glimpse of Yellowstone’s unsettled nature offers a reminder that human-driven climate change is taking place on a planet that isn’t an inert bystander. to acknowledge the fact that climate change takes place even without human intervention. Although how anyone could claim magma levels could change because of human intervention escapes me.

That’s the point. His reference to AGW was forced and really had no place in the article. It is totally incidental and irrelevant to the event at Yellowstone. But the inference was made and left in there ... those 3 levels of editors, don’t you know?

Written By: McQ
URL: http://www.qando.net/blog

Wait, wait, are you sh*tting me? Climate change? My goodness, these climahysterics are truly insane. Round the bend. Bats in the belfrey.

They have been watching Yellowstone for decades, as pointed out. Like the New Madrid Sciesmic Zone, if it goes off, we cannot do a damned thing.

However, if something does happen, I am sure Bush will be blamed somehow.

Written By: William Teach
URL: http://www.thepiratescove.us

I am sure Bush will be blamed somehow

We should probably preposition some arguments about his handling of the National Forestry budgets, allowing mining companies to mine, logging companies to cut timber, and ice cube companies to continue to use refrigerants to manufacture ice cubes while continuing to refuse to purchase carbon offset credits from Al Gore. This will bolster historical arguments used later when the JellyStone super volcano blows up, instantly flash fries beloved American cartoon characters Mr. Ranger, Yogi, and Booboo in a pyroclastic cloud, blankets the US in a 10 foot drift of volcanic ash, knocks air craft out of the sky and destroys our electronic and communications infra structure with a mysterious EMP burst and releases Megatron from his long sleep, recycled from the deep Atlantic tectonic trench.
The result will be the Mormons taking over new America, Texas seceding (again) and the Holnists occupying Washington & Oregon and forcing Kevin Costner to work for the US Postal Service to save us.

All because of that d@mned George W. Bush who’ll be lounging in his king sized bed on Air Force 1 wearing red socks and waiting for his Ding Dongs .
(Hey, the screen writers are on strike, I’m just trying to keep things movin....)

Written By: looker
URL: http://

However, if something does happen, I am sure Bush will be blamed somehow.

Or some other Republican, provided there is a Republican President at the time. I note that Carter escaped all blame for Mt. Saint Helens :)

Written By: Steverino
URL: http://

if it goes off, we cannot do a damned thing.

If the yellowstone supervolcano goes off, we will all be dead (with the collateral effects and millions in the direct blast area). I would rather the worse of AGW than the worse of that event.

those 3 levels of editors, don’t you know?

Politics seem to render integrity null and void in the media.

Written By: capt joe
URL: http://

those 3 levels of editors, don’t you know?
Politics seem to render integrity null and void in the media.

I agree with Kishnevi

Actually, I read This latest glimpse of Yellowstone’s unsettled nature offers a reminder that human-driven climate change is taking place on a planet that isn’t an inert bystander. to acknowledge the fact that climate change takes place even without human intervention

This is just an awkward piece of writing that should’ve been redlined out. Very strange to link Volcanos and climate change together

Written By: shark
URL: http://

Apparently using the word "climate change" has now become some kind of five-alarm fire in some circles. That’s going to make it hard to discuss events occuring in the real world that involve the climate... changing.

I mean, this is really out to lunch. Achenbach doesn’t mention global warming and doesn’t insinuate *anywhere* that humans were involved in this swelling. He’s using an accurate phrase to describe a geological phoenomenon. The worst that could be said is some kind of non-specificity in not using the phrase "geological change" instead of "climate change", but talk about mountains and molehills.

Liberal Media Derangement Syndrome...

Written By: glasnost
URL: http://

Apparently using the word "climate change" has now become some kind of five-alarm fire in some circles.

Oh man, how disingenuous can one person be.

The quote in question is "human-driven climate change".

How’d you miss the first part of that ’nost? Only have your right eye open?

Written By: McQ
URL: http://www.qando.net/blog

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