Men charged with damaging geyser in Yellowstone National Park

[Wonk]

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) Ñ Charges have been filed against a second man for allegedly aiding a companion in damaging the area around a geyser, Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis said.

Austin B. Olsen, 19, of Battle Ground, Wash., was charged with aiding and abetting Adam R. Elford, 22, of Vancouver, Wash., in operating a vehicle off-road; aiding and abetting injury of mineral resources; and aiding and abetting improper food storage.

Investigators allege that on Oct. 10, Elford, accompanied by Olsen, drove his pickup truck around a locked barrier and along a path reserved for pedestrians and bicyclists, then through a second barrier.

He then allegedly began driving on fragile soil known as sinter surrounding Lone Star Geyser, spinning ÔÔdoughnuts'' near the geyser before eventually getting stuck.

more...

[Maple]

1. Perhaps these fools

should be made to read up on the 'Yellowstone Caldera'

Then left there.

[soothsayer]

2. will the charges be dropped if the whole thing blows up---

yellowstone i mean---by volcanic eruption---as many are predicting?

Supposedly large portions of the park are closed to the public right now due to instability. The ground is bulging, etc. And the Hopi are petitioning to enter the park to do prayers and rituals that are desperately needed to stave off a looming volcanic catastrophe. Animals leaving the area in large numbers. Strong smell of sulphur in the air (moreso than usual).

[1a2b3c]

4. ???

Where did you hear this? What parts of the park are closed?

[Kolesar]

5. I heard the Yellowstone Lake shoreline is changing, the land is rising

Land is rising in one part of the lake causing a rising shoreline elsewhere that is swamping trees. I recall this from a tv show a few years ago.

[1a2b3c]

7. Yeah ive seen that show

but i didnt know they closed down parts of the park because of it.

[HawkerHurricane]

8. They didn't.

My Dad works in the park every Summer as a Ranger/Naturalist. This whole 'Yellowstone's going to erupt' thing is totally blown out of proportion. I won't say it will never happen, but there's no sign of it happening in the near future.

The first sign of increased volcanic activity will be thousands of geology majors, looking for disertion material.

The last warning will be those same geology majors, fleeing for thier lives. "Last one out of the park is a archeological find!"

[HawkerTyphoon]

9. Reports of the Yellowstone disaster...

...are greatly exaggerated. (to paraphrase Mark Twain)

1. A small part of the Norris Geyser Basin (about 5 acres? Out of a 2,200,000 acre park) were closed when a new mud feature appeared and the park geologist discovered that the ground around it was 200 F -- the temperature of boiling water at that altitude. They closed it in case there might be a STEAM explosion. There have been numerous STEAM explosions in the recent past, but no volcanic eruptions in 70,000 years, and no major volcanic explosions in over 600,000 years.

There are over 10,000 thermal features in the park. A few appear (re-appear?) and a few die out every year. It's no big deal. The size of the possible explosion was estimated to be small enough that 5 or so acres would be enough safety factor to prevent injuries from flying debris, etc.

The closure was not because they EXPECTED an explosion, but just in case, they didn't want another *^%$#! law-suit. BTW, that area re-opened last fall.

2. A new feature also appeared near the Norris Basin, in sight of the road. Steam was visible from the road, and the park geologist found the concentration of hydrogen sulfide at the new vent to be dangerous. There was no danger at the road (1/2 mile away?) just if you got too close. Again, this is no big deal, similar things have happened in the past.

3. In a new (more thorough) survey, they found a high spot(the infamous "bulge") on the bottom of Yellowstone lake. No one knows how long it has been there, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of years. The bulge didn't suddenly appear, we just discovered it.

All the other reports about the trees dying, the lake shoreline changing, the animals leaving the park are pure BS. Some A**hole added 2+2 and came up with 999. I'm surprised the BS is still being circulated around the net.

"Actually," I'm not surprised... Homo Sap is such a credulous creature. Witness flying saucer freaks, government conspiracy advocates, republicans in general and the right wing in particular.

As Hawker Hurricane said, I work in Yellowstone every summer. I was there from May to the end of September. I am in e-mail contact with people who are there right now.

Yes, Yellowstone probably will blow again. Yes, it will be a disaster such as has never been seen by Homo Sap.

When? Nobody knows. Thousands/millions of years? Maybe. Next year? Probably not. Will I go back to Yellowstone to live there all next summer? Hell yes.

If it does come, we will have lots of warning signs. Stop worrying about it.

[LibLabUK]

6. Hmm

"And the Hopi are petitioning to enter the park to do prayers and rituals that are desperately needed to stave off a looming volcanic catastrophe."

Surely you missed out a "they claim" from that statement?

[Syncronaut Seven]

3. Crap

Local boys too. Would have made a killer Darwin. Gotta wonder how the race has survived so long.

[LostInTheMaise]

10. Why wish death on their stupid act?

Do you support the death penalty too?

[LostInTheMaise]

11. I thought only snowmobilers destroyed Yellowstone

Why not ban all people instead of just snowmobilers?