East Tenessee storms

[CougTek]

Sudden shift of magnetic poles,...

The least of our problems. Magnetic field's strenght has already started to decrease significantly (more than 10% in the last century). When it will become unstable, it will be more of an inconvenience than a life-threatening event.

...gamma-ray burst from undetected celestial object,...

I read that one should hit Earth in approximately 7000 years. I hope our solar system will move enough on a galactic scalle to avoid it by then.

Yellowstone's epochal mega-eruption,...

That one will probably happen, but no one knows when. What we know is that the magma chamber is completly full and it's due to blow any time, according to its hstorical timescale.

Tunguska-like event, ...

We should detect potential asteroid/comet threats before they hit Earth from now on.

Of all the above, I believe Yellowstone's supervolcano is the most serious reason to worry, mainly because it's more of a when than an if.

 

[LunarMist]

Lunar, why do you presume the only bad scenario is the worst scenario.

I thought that was how the high percentages were calculated, assuming that disasters occurred in all pants, which I think is ridiculous.

 

[LunarMist]

Of all the above, I believe Yellowstone's supervolcano is the most serious reason to worry, mainly because it's more of a when than an if.

That would be terrible for the park and those nearby, but would not wipe out the world to any major degree.

 

[LunarMist]

The loss of magnetic poles might weaken the magnetosphere and allow more radiatons to blast the humans, but who among us will be alive by then?

 

[Howell]

I thought that was how the high percentages were calculated, assuming that disasters occurred in all pants, which I think is ridiculous.

Well, the numbers given may be an indication of who needs to be concerned about the possibility for the purposes of insurance etc. (which is what we were talking about in Japan) but it is very unlikely that all of the plants and therefor all of the people will be affected by a single event.

 

[CougTek]

That would be terrible for the park and those nearby, but would not wipe out the world to any major degree.

Check out the size of the ash cloud of the last three eruptions. It would wipe out the western part of the United States. It wouldn't only be a local event. Also, remember the flight restriction that the small Iceland volcano did to Europe last year? Imagine how long and how large would be the flight restriction with an eruption two or three orders of magnitude greater. Not the end of the world, but an absolute knockout to the worldwide economy.

I maintain that Yellowstone's supervolcano is a lot more serious issue than a pole inversion. I don't expect either to happen within my lifetime.

 

[Mercutio]

Not being shielded from the full spectrum of solar radiation for some period of time would pretty much suck, Coug.

 

[CougTek]

It would increase the occurance of cancers, but no one will suddently die from a magnetic shield re-organisation. As I said, an inconvenience but not a cataclysm. I'm not aware of any mass extinction related to pole inversion and it happened relatively often in the past.

 

[Chewy509]

It would increase the occurance of cancers, but no one will suddently die from a magnetic shield re-organisation. As I said, an inconvenience but not a cataclysm. I'm not aware of any mass extinction related to pole inversion and it happened relatively often in the past.

The only issue I may see, is that some birds use the magnetic field for navigation, so may see some decline in their population, but overall I don't see any mass effect on the ecosystem.

 

[Mercutio]

You don't think it would have any sort of deleterious effect on the electronic systems we depend on every day?

 

[LunarMist]

Now they have flooding. Crazy weather year.

 

[Howell]

Yeah except that's west TN. Lots of weather all at once.

 

[LunarMist]

Well at least it is in the same state.

 

[ddrueding]

And it's a small state.

 

[LunarMist]

They have nice park on the border with the North Carolina.

 

[jtr1962]

You don't think it would have any sort of deleterious effect on the electronic systems we depend on every day?

If cell phones no longer work I'll consider that a positive effect.

 

[Mercutio]

And it's a small state.

It's not nearly so small when you're driving through it.

 

[LunarMist]

It's not nearly so small when you're driving through it.

South to North or West to East?

 

[CougTek]

Anyone heard news about Howell since the tornadoes from last week? It was quite windy in his neck of the woods last year. I hope he's alright.

 

[Howell]

Thanks Coug. I was actually out of town this weekend and barely saw rain but several parts around the city were hit once again.