Thread: Molten Carbon discovered under USA

These scientists made an estimate as noted below on the amount of this molten carbon liquid. It's related to the supervolcano.

Oh no! Mr. Biiiilll!

A massive lake of molten carbon the size of Mexico is discovered under the US, and it could cause climate CHAOS

Situated under western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface
Scientists used world's largest array of seismic sensors to map area
Melting carbon covers an area of 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km)
Upper mantle could contain up to 100 trillion metric tonnes of melted carbon
Its discovery challenges what researchers have assumed about how much carbon is trapped inside the planet

By Tim Collins For Mailonline

A huge well of molten carbon that would spell disaster for the planet if released has been found under the US.

Scientists using the world's largest array of seismic sensors have mapped a deep-Earth area, covering 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km).

This is around the size of Mexico, and researchers say it has the potential to cause untold environmental damage.

The discovery could change our understanding of how much carbon the Earth contains, suggesting it is much more than we previously believed.

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A huge well of molten carbon that would spell disaster for the planet if released has been found under the US (stock image)



Scientists uncovered a huge reservoir of molten carbon situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface

Scientists uncovered a huge reservoir of molten carbon situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface

WHY COULD IT SPELL DISASTER?

If just a fraction of the carbon found by the Royal Holloway team were released into the atmosphere, it could have grave implications for the planet.

Just one per cent of the CO2 stored would be equivalent to burning 2.3 trillion barrels of oil.

If a substantial amount was released all at once, it could bring about an environmental disaster on the scale of nuclear warfare.

One scenario in which this could happen is through the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano.

The volcano at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana last erupted 640,000 years ago.

If it were to erupt, it would be one thousand times as powerful as the 1980 Mount St Helens eruption and have the potential to blanket the US in a 'nuclear winter'.

It would be impossible to drill far enough down to physically 'see' the Earth's mantle, so a team of researchers used a massive group of sensors to paint a picture of it, using mathematical equations to interpret their results.

The study, conducted by geologists at Royal Holloway University in London, used a huge network of 583 seismic sensors that measure the Earth's vibrations, to create a picture of the area's deep sub surface.

Known as the upper mantle, this section of the Earth's interior is known for by its high temperatures where solid carbonates melt, creating distinctive seismic patterns.

What they found was a vast buried deposit of molten carbon, which produces carbon dioxide and other gases, situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface.

As a result of this study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists now believe the amount of CO2 in the Earth's upper mantle may be up to 100 trillion metric tons.

In comparison, the US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the global carbon emission in 2011 was nearly 10 billion metric tons – a tiny amount in comparison.

The deep carbon reservoir discovered will eventually make its way to the surface through volcanic eruptions and contribute to climate change albeit very slowly, but a sudden release could have dire consequences.



Read more: Scientists discover massive reservoir of greenhouse gases | Daily Mail Online
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A fact free article. Well done.

When will those Russians stop!

They must have lost that huge lake of molten death for a while then because that's been known about for a very long time, how very careless, but I'm glad they found it again.

Heh...It's all in the timing...Takes our minds off Trumpet, for a moment...

I've read posters' comments.

They have a point.

Not really any facts in this article, OP.

I find this interesting (at a shallow level) and I'd never heard of it.

This is not a good, pithy, interesting OP.


I stand corrected.

I'll up my game.

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

I find this interesting (at a shallow level).

You have others?




In the highly unlikely event that you 'up your game', avoiding The Daily Mail will be essential.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

I find this interesting (at a shallow level).

You have others?

Other what? You make no sense.

In the highly unlikely event that you 'up your game', avoiding The Daily Mail will be essential.

OK, I'll take a break fron The Daily Mail.

Originally Posted by Begbie

This is not a bad thing and linking it with global warming is ridiculous. But that's the Daily Mail.

Yep and the science deniers over in the climate change thread love to post up links from the Daily Mail.

Actually, they need to devise a funnel system like a "nuclear silo" to harness the massive force and point it at North Kim-Land...

Our AI team of brains led by the Musk Ox, Elon, can surely fix it up...

You "herd" it first on the Buffalo Board...

No surprise this article is in the Mail.

In truth, the Yellowstone eruption, of 640,000 years ago, was much less than the Toba eruption, well over half the strength, which blew only 74,000 years ago and failed then to bring about anything approaching an extinction event.

More's the pity.

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/abou...ng-carbon.aspx




Scientists uncover huge 1.8 million km2 reservoir of melting carbon

Discovery of 350km deep carbon reservoir in the mantle has important
implications for understanding the carbon cycle.
New research published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters describes how scientists have used the world’s largest array of seismic sensors to map a deep-Earth area of melting carbon covering 1.8 million square kilometres. Situated under the Western US, 350km beneath the Earth’s surface, the discovered melting region challenges accepted understanding of how much carbon the Earth contains – much more than previously understood.
The study, conducted by geologist at Royal Holloway, University of London’s Department of Earth Sciences used a huge network of 583 seismic sensors that measure the Earth’s vibrations, to create a picture of the area’s deep sub surface. Known as the upper mantle, this section of the Earth’s interior is recognised by its high temperatures where solid carbonates melt, creating very particular seismic patterns.
“It would be impossible for us to drill far enough down to physically ‘see’ the Earth’s mantle, so using this massive group of sensors we have to paint a picture of it using mathematical equations to interpret what is beneath us,” said Dr Sash Hier-Majumder of Royal Holloway.
He continued, “Under the western US is a huge underground partially-molten reservoir of liquid carbonate. It is a result of one of the tectonic plates of the Pacific Ocean forced underneath the western USA, undergoing partial melting thanks to gasses like CO2 and H2O contained in the minerals dissolved in it.”
As a result of this study, scientists now understand the amount of CO2 in the Earth’s upper mantle may be up to 100 trillion metric tons. In comparison, the US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the global carbon emission in 2011 was nearly 10 billion metric tons – a tiny amount in comparison. The deep carbon reservoir discovered by Dr. Hier-Majumder will eventually make its way to the surface through volcanic eruptions, and contribute to climate change albeit very slowly.
“We might not think of the deep structure of the Earth as linked to climate change above us, but this discovery not only has implications for subterranean mapping but also for our future atmosphere,” concluded Dr Hier-Majumder, “For example, releasing only 1% of this CO2 into the atmosphere will be the equivalent of burning 2.3 trillion barrels of oil. The existence of such deep reservoirs show how important is the role of deep Earth in the global carbon cycle.”
Read the full paper at Pervasive upper mantle melting beneath the western US or learn more about courses in the Department of Earth Sciences.

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

If a substantial amount was released all at once, it could bring about an environmental disaster on the scale of nuclear warfare.

About as likely as our solar system being swallowed up by a black hole and me entering an alternative universe where Donald Trump was President of the USA and the UK was pressing the Brexit button....

...ummmm....hang on a sec....

Only massive budget allocations for further research and all expenses paid trips to interesting locations can stave off potential disaster.