# Is there a way to prevent the Yellowstone Caldera from having a super eruption?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 3, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090 "2012-07-03T13:06:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 4

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### Author: ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090/61 "2012-07-07T18:51:14Z")

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> [@Darth\_Panda](#):
>
> That only works with regular volcanos, for Yellowstone you’d need super-virgins.

So we’d need to hold a gamer convention on top of it? :dubious:

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### Author: ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090/62 "2012-07-07T20:23:12Z")

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> [@Chimera](#):
>
> So we’d need to hold a gamer convention on top of it? :dubious:

See now, that right there is funny!  
🙂

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### Author: ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090/63 "2012-07-08T01:10:16Z")

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> [@coremelt](#):
>
> magma is 700-1300 C commonly while tungsten carbide commonly used in drill bits melts at 2870 C  
> [Tungsten carbide - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide)

First, the act of drilling actually heats up the drill bit significantly. Part of the reason that they use tungsten carbide is that it has a high melting point. Second, the drill bit does not need to actually liquefy in order to stop the drill from being effective. At higher temperatures, the drill bit will dull very quickly.

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### Author: ![szabrocki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@szabrocki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/szabrocki)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090/64 "2012-07-08T02:52:19Z")

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I know this is just mud , but…  
[http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/indonesias-infamous-mud-volcano-.html](http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/indonesias-infamous-mud-volcano-.html)

Drilling holes can still cause catastrophic results.

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### Author: ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-prevent-the-yellowstone-caldera-from-having-a-super-eruption/627090/65 "2012-07-08T03:38:12Z")

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> [@Chimera](#):
>
> So we’d need to hold a gamer convention on top of it? :dubious:

> [@zoid](#):
>
> See now, that right there is funny!  
> 🙂

BlizzCon 2050, here we come!

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