Yellowstone Road Melts

[Hum]

A popular road through Yellowstone National Park was shut down on Thursday when the asphalt started to melt. :huh:

The park says extreme heat from thermal areas is causing hot oil to bubble to the surface of Firehole Lake Drive, a scenic 3.3-mile loop that runs past Great Fountain Geyser, White Dome Geyser and Firehole Lake.

"It basically turned the asphalt into soup," park spokesman Dan Hottle told USA Today. "It turned the gravel road into oatmeal."

 

That same thermal heat melting the road is what gives the park its famous geysers, hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles. But for the moment, some of these natural wonders will be off-limits as officials ask both motorists and hikers to avoid the area.

"There are plenty of other great places to see thermal features in the park," Al Nash, another Yellowstone spokesman, told The Associated Press. "I wouldn't risk personal injury to see these during this temporary closure."

The park says the road will remain closed for several days, but no re-opening date has been announced. Visitors planning to travel to Yellowstone can call (307) 344-2117 to hear current road conditions.

source

[Raa]

They need to contact Australian road makers for their high-heat formula. :laugh:

[Dinggus]

So the road melts but the snow doesn't?

[Nashy]

So the road melts but the snow doesn't?

 

That looks like sand, not snow.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

So the road melts but the snow doesn't?

Why would it be snowing in the US at the moment?

[Torolol]

Why would it be snowing in the US at the moment?

Global Warming of course!

 

sorry couldn't resist.

[Hum]

Looks like this is the end ... Yellowstone is going to blow.

[Dinggus]

Why would it be snowing in the US at the moment?

 

I didn't say it was still snowing. There's snow in the photo, and I was just near Yellowstone a week ago and yes there was still snow.

[Crisp]

Aliens

[kawasabi]

Aliens

[adrynalyne]

So the road melts but the snow doesn't?

 

Asphalt absorbs and holds onto heat, and seeing how its just the road that is closed, I'd say its localized.  They would cordon off the entire area if it was a matter of the entire ground becoming too hot.

[Boo Berry]

I wouldn't go anywhere near the Yellowstone supervolcano.

[DocM]

If it goes anything within 2,000 miles will be too "near."

[sava700]

This is why its best to use cement to do the road in for these area's...it has been suggested to them before from what I remember when there. They keep refusing to do it and would rather keep wasting the money on the pavement and work.

[HawkMan]

This is why its best to use cement to do the road in for these area's...it has been suggested to them before from what I remember when there. They keep refusing to do it and would rather keep wasting the money on the pavement and work.

 

Suggested by actual road engineers or Joe plumber?

 

Cause while cement works great on areas of the autobahn in geologically stable Germany. My layman opinion is that it would be a terrible idea on a geologically unstable area like Yellowstone where I imagine the ground can move a lot, on top of the high difference in summer and winter temperatures causing terrain shifts.

[_dandy_]

I wouldn't go anywhere near the Yellowstone supervolcano.

 

No worries, you won't need to be anywhere it to feel the effect when it goes off.

[DocM]

Suggested by actual road engineers or Joe plumber?

Cause while cement works great on areas of the autobahn in geologically stable Germany. My layman opinion is that it would be a terrible idea on a geologically unstable area like Yellowstone where I imagine the ground can move a lot, on top of the high difference in summer and winter temperatures causing terrain shifts.

Agreed, not to mention that even if you install a high heat resistance road passing vehicles tires may still melt or otherwise decompose.

[McKay]

I wouldn't go anywhere near the Yellowstone supervolcano.

 

The eruption will be so cataclysmic your options are slow death or immediate death.

[JustGeorge]

If it goes anything within 2,000 miles will be too "near."

I thought that a Yellowstone eruption would mean an "extinction event" for the entire planet?

[HawkMan]

I thought that a Yellowstone eruption would mean an "extinction event" for the entire planet?

 

Extinction level event rarely means what it says. It has never truly happened and killing all hums especially is nearly impossible without blowing up the planet at this point.

[TDT]

Extinction level event rarely means what it says. It has never truly happened and killing all hums especially is nearly impossible without blowing up the planet at this point.

You mean killing all at once. Even if people survive, like those in Europe, they'll probably meet their end because of the drop in temperature and all the effects that follow...

[Boo Berry]

Better off heading to South Africa if... when it happens.

[adrynalyne]

Suggested by actual road engineers or Joe plumber?

 

Cause while cement works great on areas of the autobahn in geologically stable Germany. My layman opinion is that it would be a terrible idea on a geologically unstable area like Yellowstone where I imagine the ground can move a lot, on top of the high difference in summer and winter temperatures causing terrain shifts.

Expansion joints?

 

 

Asphalt doesn't fare any better to shifting terrain and it melts.

 

Extinction level event rarely means what it says. It has never truly happened and killing all hums especially is nearly impossible without blowing up the planet at this point.

Of course it has never truly happened...we wouldn't be discussing this, heh.

[TruckWEB]

She's gonna blow Captain!  She's gonna blow!

[HawkMan]

You mean killing all at once. Even if people survive, like those in Europe, they'll probably meet their end because of the drop in temperature and all the effects that follow...

 

Really... except human kind even thousands of years ago in the last ice age managed to survive. modern people have modern ways to stay warm and protect ourselves we're harder to kill than cockroaches. 

 

You need something a LOT bigger than Yellowstone to kill humans.