Monday, February 1, 2010

The Yellowstone Caldera 2

I decided to look up the topography around the Yellowstone Caldera. I was able to get it b clicking on "topography" in the upper right corner of Google maps after typing in "Yellowstone".

I suppose if the Caldera ever went off like they expect it to eventually, the lava flow would basically do what the local water does as it moves. However, after living in Mt. Shasta, California and having gone into many lava tubes what usually happens is that the air cools the lava as it moves but the hot center part still travels forward and leaves the empty lava tubes.

If you ever want to see lava tubes there is Lava Beds National Monument on the back side of Mt. Shasta which is easily reached in the spring, summer and fall and sometimes even in the winter depending upon whether there is snow there or not. In the summer there is often ice at the bottom of Lava tubes even if it is 115 degrees Fahrenheit outside and in the winter it can be 70 degrees Fahrenheit in some of the lava tubes even if it is way below freezing there outside.

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