by Bobby Akart
He carried a full trauma bag with him at all times. While patrolling Yellowstone, Jake would encounter visitors with a variety of minor injuries, including burns, sprains, cuts and scrapes. While the bag contained over three hundred commonly used items, it was only capable of treating one or two injured victims. At the Silver Tip, he purchased a backup of everything in his trauma kit.
In addition, he purchased a box of N95 particulate masks. He’d actually thought of adding this to his pack during the fire. The difficulty in breathing had not been just from the intense heat, but also the debris flying around him. If Yellowstone decided to act up, the N95 mask would be critical to prevent the noxious gases and fallout from entering his lungs.
At the gun store, Jake added to the number of rounds allotted to him for his government-issued weapons—a nine-millimeter Glock handgun, a Mossberg 590 Tactical shotgun, and the M16. He purchased five hundred rounds for the Glock and another five hundred for the M16. He only needed a couple of hundred double-ought buck for his Mossberg.
In addition to his issued weapons, Jake had a variety of rifles, which he used depending on what he was hunting. His most versatile weapon was a Remington 700 chambered in .308. It could take down animals ranging from deer to a small grizzly at two hundred yards plus. The .308 round was his number one choice when hunting.
At the camping store, he purchased a couple of dozen meals ready to eat, or MREs. This was standard fare for Jake when he camped. He didn’t always take his fishing gear when he hiked into the remote areas of Yellowstone, and the MREs were easy and lightweight to carry in his backpack.
He also purchased three dozen emergency ration bars. Each bar provided over four hundred calories in a semi-palatable lemon-vanilla flavor. They were designed to provide a balance of nutrients and were an excellent source of energy.
Then he added a couple of items from his weight-lifting days in California—vitamins and meal-replacement shakes. Many of the MREs were low in protein content. While Jake, as a survivalist, was capable of hunting and fishing to provide him adequate protein, in a catastrophic situation, that might not be available at the time. The multivitamins provided him all the basic nutrients that his diet did not; plus the shakes could give him a source of protein and energy by simply mixing the packet with water.
Jake’s last stop was the grocery store. As soon as Jake walked in, he was greeted with the smiling face of the proprietor, Jimmy Irby.
“Hey, Jake!” Irby greeted cheerfully. “What brings you out of the wilderness and into the big city?”
The two men shook hands and exchanged pats on the back. Irby had been a mainstay in West Yellowstone for generations. From the day Jake arrived, he and Irby had become friends and often hunted together. There were only two supermarkets in town, and Jake always frequented the one owned by his friend.
“Very funny, Jimmy. I’ve got a few houseguests and I needed to pick up some things to eat besides my usual crap food.”
“Are they tired of hot dogs and beer already?” Jimmy asked with a chuckle.
“Yeah, after two nights. Can you imagine?” Jake reached for a cart and glanced down the aisles of the store. “Jimmy, did the delivery truck not show up? The aisles look like they’ve been hit by locusts.”
Irby rubbed his temples and grimaced. “No, the trucks are coming like always. It’s just, um, let’s say business is brisk.”
Jake stopped and looked around to take in the entire store. Canned goods were picked over. The shelves in the cereal and cracker aisles were practically empty. Basically, any of the shelves containing nonperishable foods were decimated.
“Jimmy, what’s happened here?”
Irby looked around and pulled Jake to the side. “It’s the dang news, Jake,” he whispered. “There was a report about Yellowstone erupting, and now even the local networks have picked it up. Man, they were waiting for me when I opened the doors yesterday morning. Pickup trucks full of guys dressed in camo and totin’ rifles.”
“Who were they? Military?”
“No, preppers,” replied Irby. “You know how it is around here. All of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming are full of these guys buggin’ out from the next nuclear war or EMP or some-such.”
He and Jake looked around the store again. He got the feeling he was a couple of days late. He came to the realization what insider trading meant when they hammer some corporate CEO for selling or buying stocks on information nobody else had. Two days ago, he’d known Yellowstone could potentially erupt. The time to hit the supermarket was then, not after everybody else got the news.
Irby continued. “Ten years ago, some guy wrote this book about the best parts of the country to hunker down being right here in our backyard. The next thing you know, cabins and hideouts were springing up all over the place. You know, off-grid-type stuff. Now, don’t get me wrong, I read the news and I can’t blame them. But they sure as heck got spooked by this Yellowstone eruption threat, and the result is this.”
Jake laughed, which struck Irby as odd. He patted Jimmy on the back and leaned in to him so other shoppers couldn’t hear him. “Whoever wrote that book is an idiot. They can own the entire store, but it won’t make a hill of beans’ difference when Yellowstone blows. They’re all gonna be covered in three feet of ash, and that’s after they’re burned to a crisp. Owning an off-grid bug-out location within two hundred miles of the greatest natural killer known to man is just plain stupid.”
Irby shrugged and then nodded his head. He whispered back to Jake, “Listen, do you have a list of what you need? I’ve been keeping a stash in the back for my regular customers.”
Jake thought for a moment and then thought about the preppers for a moment. Other than picking a piss-poor location to avoid a catastrophe, they seemed to be on track with respect to the food they purchased.
“Jimmy, I’ll have what they’re having—a variety of nonperishables and as much as you can spare. Also, a couple of cases of Belgian White.”
Jake had been drinking Blue Moon beer since the late nineties when he had to scrape up loose change to buy a six-pack. There was something about the taste that was smooth. Maybe it was the artesian spring water. Whatever, he’d been loyal to it for half his life.
Irby left with Jake’s shopping cart, and ten minutes later, he returned with it full. “I think you’ll be pleased with the choices, Jake. Let me get you checked out.”
Jake wandered over to the checkout counter. He picked up a handful of lighters and several packs of batteries for his flashlights. He also added a few small bottles of Purell.
After Jake paid, Irby helped him to his truck. As the tailgate was opened, revealing all of the other supplies Jake had purchased, Irby grew suddenly concerned. His body language and facial expression were obvious to Jake, so after they loaded up the food, he decided to confide in his old friend.
“Jimmy, listen to me, okay? You know me, and I’m not some doomsday guy. But something’s happening at Yellowstone. It’s out of the ordinary and might get worse. Do you have a place to go, far away from here, if necessary?”
“Jake, I gotta say you’re kinda scarin’ me here.”
“I’m not saying run, necessarily. But if you had to go, do you have a place, family, anything?”
“My wife has family in Reno. We could go there.”
Jake thought about the distance Reno was from West Yellowstone. Seven hundred miles.
“That’ll do,” said Jake as he turned to look inside the back of his truck. “This is just a suggestion. Do you see everything I’ve loaded up here? You need to do the same and have it ready to head out of Yellowstone.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really,” Jake replied. He put his hand on Irby’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Everything I’ve bought today won’t go to waste. I’ll use it eventually. But you’ve seen what it’s been like since yesterday. It will only get worse. Take care of your family, Jimmy. Don’t hesitate to leave at the first sign of trouble. You can always come back, b
ut if you wait too long, well …” Jake’s voice trailed off as he made a mental note to follow his own advice when the time came.
Irby nodded. “Okay, Jake. I trust you, man. I’ll start making the arrangements. Say, how will I know when it’s time to go?”
“Pay attention to the earthquakes. If they get stronger and more frequent, mash the gas, buddy.”
Chapter 35
FEMA
Washington, DC
The Federal Emergency Management Agency became a part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. During that time frame, numerous natural disasters had befallen the United States, with hurricanes being the most devastating. The U.S. mainland had not experienced a volcanic eruption since Mount St. Helens in 1980, and the largest earthquakes recorded were in Alaska.
FEMA department heads participated in the daily operations briefing. Topics typically covered significant weather events, solar activity, tropical disturbances, and on rare occasions, earthquake and volcanic activity. Today was one of those rare occasions.
FEMA director Kimberly Calhoun was winding up her initial remarks when she instructed her assistant to bring up the live feed on the wall-mounted monitor behind her. Rick Younger’s image appeared from the YVO at Yellowstone.
On a second screen was the USGS seismic event map, which identified earthquake activity in the U.S. of a magnitude two-point five or greater. In the past twenty-four hours, there had been six hundred thirty-five earthquakes in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Until recently, the vast majority of them were in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, but now a swarm was indicated near Yellowstone.
“Mr. Younger, thank you for joining us at this early hour for you,” Director Calhoun greeted the Interior Department’s choice for heading up the YVO. Privately, Calhoun voiced skepticism over the choice because of Younger’s ties to the oil and gas industry. But she was reassured by her superiors at Homeland Security that Younger would perform his duties, with supervision, of course.
“Thank you, Director Calhoun, I’m glad to assist you in any way possible.”
“Good, Mr. Younger. Let me get right to the point. Anytime news reports gain traction like the one from the BBC, the White House contacts Homeland Security, and they bring in your superiors at the USGS and me. Not only do they want to formulate a response to the media for today’s daily press briefing, but they are genuinely concerned about the veracity of the reporting.”
“Yes, Director Calhoun, I understand fully. First, let me put your mind at ease and assure you that I’ll prepare a statement that corresponds with my honest assessment of this situation.”
Calhoun settled in her chair and turned to view the screen. “Proceed, please.”
“Thank you,” Younger began. “The Yellowstone region has endured three major eruptions in the past. A little over two million years ago was the first, and the most recent significant eruption took place roughly six hundred thousand years ago. Now, contrary to internet fearmongering as well as the typical conspiracy theories about government cover-ups, there’s no sign that a fourth cataclysmic event is imminent.”
One of the department heads interrupted Younger. “I’ve read that Steamboat Geyser has erupted for the ninth time in three months. This is unprecedented, is it not?”
“Make that ten based upon today’s news reporting,” interrupted one of his associates.
Younger responded, “Yes, it is. However, it’s not necessarily an indicator of a super eruption. We have the finest scientists in the world working at the YVO. The consensus among many is that, if anything, the Yellowstone Caldera is getting old and tired. Our data, and the results of Project Hydro, point to a long nap rather than a major eruption.”
“What do you mean by old and tired, Mr. Younger?” asked Calhoun.
“Look at it this way, Director Calhoun. When considering your evening meal, how many times do you want to reheat your leftovers? At some point, you’re going to look at that Tupperware container and say, I’m not going to reheat this. After being microwaved half a dozen times, it no longer looks like food. Geologists look at Yellowstone the same way. It is likely approaching the end of its evolution because so much of the upper magma chamber has recycled and remelted after previous eruptions. That is the most likely reason for it being, quote, overdue, as the doomsday predictors like to believe. Any speculation that Yellowstone is due for a catastrophic, extinction-level eruption implies that the supervolcano behaves predictably. Knowledgeable geologists disagree.”
“Are you saying it will never erupt again?” asked another department head.
“No, sir. Not necessarily. No one can say with confidence how much magma is required to trigger a caldera-forming eruption. Any future volcanic activity will most likely be small eruptions creating lava flows that can happen within the Yellowstone volcanic system, like the one from seventy thousand years ago. We believe these smaller eruptions are more likely to occur than a giant, earth-altering super eruption envisioned by doomsday theorists.”
“What about this Dr. Donovan quoted in the BBC piece? She points to Project Hydro as one of the potential causes of an eruption. Are we to disregard her theories altogether?”
Younger deflected. “Let me also add, the smaller eruptions I referenced would be manageable, along the line of Mount St. Helens. And I don’t mean to diminish the loss of life and extensive damage that occurred after that 1980 eruption. But, let’s face it, between the advanced monitoring technology we’ve developed over the last four decades and responsive agencies like FEMA, the nation is better prepared to warn and protect its citizens from a VEI 5 eruption like St. Helens.”
Calhoun addressed the earthquake swarm. “Mr. Younger, based upon your analysis of the recent geyser activity and the accompanying earthquake swarm, do you see any reason to raise the Yellowstone threat level to yellow?”
Younger nodded and appeared to be preparing a thoughtful response. “Director Calhoun, the increased geyser activity happens from time to time here and is certainly within recorded norms. Also, there is not necessarily a correlation between the geysers and the earthquake swarm, which by the way, pales in comparison to the fifteen hundred recorded earthquakes that occurred several years ago. I honestly don’t see a reason to disrupt the height of tourist season at Yellowstone because of a few anomalies and fearmongering.”
Director Calhoun spun around in her chair and looked to the attendees of the daily operations briefing. “Any other questions for Mr. Younger?”
Nobody spoke up.
Chapter 36
Norris Area
Yellowstone
“I’ll be honest, with all joking aside,” said Dusty as he continued to unpack the van for a full day of testing. “I enjoy our trips to Hawaii and other parts of the world. But Yellowstone’s the best. Nature has given us the most ecologically diverse, unique laboratory on the planet to study right here. No matter what your field of study is—geology, volcanology, zoology, etcetera—Yellowstone has it in spades.”
“I agree with Dusty, for once,” added Rita with a wink and a smile.
Ashby studied the two and noticed their relationship had changed since their arrival. She wondered if it were possible the two had slipped off together to relieve their tensions, or perhaps a newfound respect had been achieved. Either way, the dynamic had changed.
“I’ve always had my eye on the Norris Geyser Basin,” began Ashby as she attached the NASA satellite antenna to a tripod and made the necessary line-of-sight adjustments based upon the coordinates provided on her laptop. “Starting in 2003, there were several notable changes, including the formation of new hot springs and fumaroles. Ground temperatures in this area began to rise, and geysers that had been dormant for decades suddenly exploded with activity, like Porkchop Geyser, for example.”
Fumaroles, or steam vents, were located throughout the park. The most famous was known as the Black Growler in the Norris Area. It had been active for over a hundred and thirty years, but in 2003, Black Growler started to shift its
location. Superheated steam with temperatures as high as two hundred eighty degrees emerged from the vents, roaring, in a constant stream of hot vapor.
Rita approached Ashby. “Do you think the NASA satellites can help?”
Ashby was satisfied with her adjustments and set up the link to the agency’s newest Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite, designed to supplement the previously launched OCO-2. “I’m hoping the new OCO-3 can help. Before eruptions, there are a number of warning signs, as we all know, but the emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are important indicators. Jake has told us about parts of the forest where many acres of trees and plant life have died off. Also, there’s the death of the frogs. He said they reeked of sulfur.”
“It’s difficult and dangerous to monitor these emissions from the ground,” added Rita. “Plus, think of the number of false alarms that have been generated by the misreading of ground-based data.”
“Trust me, Rita, I know. That’s why I was excited when the Jet Propulsion Laboratory launched OCO-3 to help. Space satellite detection of localized spikes in carbon dioxide helps us differentiate from anthropogenic, or human originated, and natural carbon dioxide sources. As you know, when light passes through carbon dioxide, some is absorbed by the gas itself while the remaining amounts bounce off the planet’s surface.”
Dusty joined the conversation. “Volcanoes, without a doubt, are the strongest generators of natural carbon dioxide emissions.”
“Exactly, Dusty,” said Ashby. “I addressed this issue with the JPL, and they were on board with creating a satellite to be used as a routine monitoring tool. The problem was that OCO-3 wasn’t in a fixed orbit over Yellowstone. It simply didn’t pass over the same place frequently enough to get consistent measurements.”
“Has that changed?” asked Rita.
“We’ll see,” Ashby responded. “I called in a favor from an old friend. If my uplink worked, we’ll have an eye in the sky monitoring Yellowstone nonstop for the next seventy-two hours before its trajectory has to return to normal.”
