Caldera

by Larry LaVoie

The helicopter dipped low and Carlene read the Co-spec. “All the gas levels are down.” She glanced over at Jason.

  “When’s the last time Old Faithful erupted?” Jason asked.

  “I don’t think it stopped since the last time we were there.”

  Jason tapped the pilot on the shoulder and told him to circle the park. The chopper banked sharply and headed northeast. Jason motioned for him to drop lower. He wanted to see what was happening on the ground. Jason pointed to an area on the map and the pilot nodded.

  Carlene slugged Jason on the shoulder. “Okay mister, where were you yesterday?”

  “I met with the government.”

  She looked surprised. It wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “Were you planning on keeping that a secret?”

  As they headed for the Lamar River Jason filled her in on what had happened.

  “What are they doing besides evacuating the park?”

  “They’re sending in a team of volcanologists to work with us. I’ll be in charge. As of now, you work for me.”

  Carlene studied him to see if he was lying. “I quit?”

  “I told them I needed you.”

  “What good is it going to do to get more opinions? Are they going to evacuate the surrounding areas?”

  Jason shook his head. “They won’t do it. They’re going to try and keep the volcano from erupting.”

  “What!”

  He ignored her shocked expression. “We’re going to meet with them tonight. They’re also bringing in a thousand Army Corps engineers to do some tunneling. Jason pointed to at least fifty solders on Sour Creek dome. They looked like ants milling around in their camouflage fatigues.

  Carlene looked out the window as they passed over. “What are they doing?”

  “Measuring the integrity of the rock layers. Another team will be sending shock waves through the crust to measure the depth and size of the magma pool.”

  “A little late, aren’t they? Is it going to erupt or not?”

  Jason put his hand on her shoulder. “Sooner than they want.”

  They had spent two hours in the air and their ears were numb from the constant throb of the chopper blades and their throats raw from shouting. As they had hovered above trees they saw more activity than they had expected. Yellowstone covered such a large area it was impossible to know what was going on in the rugged terrain if it wasn’t happening right in front of you. They made three passes along the Lamar River Trail and didn’t see any activity.

  Back on the ground Jason pointed to Carlene’s motor home. “We’ve got to move that to the Lake Hotel parking lot. The hotel is going to be Operation Caldera headquarters.”

  “Operation Caldera. Cute.”

  Jason had tried his best to convince Carlene the government was serious about boring holes into the magma pool to release the pressure, but he saw skepticism every time he mentioned it and the more details he gave the more skepticism he saw. He couldn’t blame her. He didn’t think it would work either. The only reason he went along with the effort was to get the park evacuated.

  “Who came up with this crazy scheme?” Carlene finally asked. “They’re going to get a lot of people killed.”

  “I did,” Jason admitted.

  “You?” More doubt in her voice.

  “My first thesis was titled Taming Yellowstone,” he said sheepishly. “Bainbridge didn’t accept it.”

  “I can see why,” she dragged out the words. “What were you smoking back then?”

  Jason started to defend his thesis and decided against it. His original thesis had merit if one understood the science behind it. In theory it would work, but as a student studying volcanoes he had failed to grasp the sheer magnitude of the task. In today’s world, when people were talking about tunneling under the Atlantic Ocean to link high speed rail to Europe, taming a super volcano was still hard to consider. Yet, a handful of engineers had reviewed his paper and were prepared to try.

  “I tried to talk them out of it,” Jason said defensively.

  “Not nearly hard enough!” Carlene said.

  “General Montgomery thinks it will work,” he said.

  “I suppose Montgomery is some brilliant scientist working for the government.”

  Hardly,” Jason said. “He hasn’t a clue what he’s getting himself into.”

  “And you’re going to let him do it?”

  “What am I supposed to do? Tell the Army it can’t be done? I’ve already done that and they’re going ahead anyway.”

  Carlene shook her head. Her lips formed a tight line. “What happens next?”

  “We set up a command post to keep the military notified of events as they unfold.”

  “I meant with the mountain.”

  Jason thought for a moment. “We need to concentrate on the GPS system. If pressure is trapped then somewhere the ground is moving. If we don’t have GPS in the right areas we’ll have to set up some portable units. She either erupts or gives us a sign when she will. Either way we don’t have much time.”

  “But it’s quiet?”

  “You know what I would have liked to see this morning?” Jason shot the words out in frustration. “Carbon Dioxide levels consistent with prior readings or higher. No gas means this thing is sealed up tight. Gas pressure has to be building at an alarming rate. The fact the ground stopped moving scares me even more. When it lets go it’ll be an explosion like no one has seen before.”

  “Jason!”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Let’s keep a watch on it and see what happens.”

  Carlene sat in the audience and listened to the speakers fill in the hundred or so military officers and scientists around her. She had never been surrounded by so many military personnel and all of these had stars, oak leaves or eagles on their shoulders. She felt completely out of place in her Jordache jeans and wool cardigan sweater. She was glad she’d changed her mind and tossed the western shirt and cowboy boots aside, but she still wore the belt with her award winning competition buckle. She rarely left home without it. She leaned forward trying to hear above the din. Finally she would find out what was going to happen.

  Carlene had learned of a handful of other volcanologists in the audience. Their job would be to give everyone enough time to escape if the mountain became active again. That meant at least two hours notice. Could that be done? Still with all the activity she kept wondering about her brother. What had happened to him? At some point she would have to leave her post and search for him herself. What would she tell her folks if Billy was still here and Yellowstone was going to erupt?

  She was nervous. This would be her first time working with a team of scientists trying to predict an eruption. Then she reminded herself, it was the first time for all of them on Yellowstone. They were probably nervous, too. She looked around the room. Tables stacked along one wall to make room for the crowd. A platform had been hurriedly constructed. Six officers and Jason sat overlooking the crowded room. A PA system squawked from two large speakers on either side of the stage. Microphones were in front of each person at the table. Conspicuous in its absence was the press. Carlene wondered how they had been kept out. There was a high level of conversation sounding like a gaggle of geese. The woman in uniform next to Carlene leaned toward her and asked if she had lost her uniform.

  “I’m not military,” Carlene said, wondering if they thought this was going to be a war that civilians were not allowed to engage in.

  “You know what this is all about?” she asked Carlene.

  Carlene smiled, wondering if these people had been sent on a mission without their knowledge of the risks. “What, they didn’t tell you?” Carlene acted shocked.

  “We’re going to dig a tunnel, and do it quickly, that’s as much as I know. I’m Captain Rolf. I fly helicopters,” she said proudly. “Part of the military evacuation team.”

  “I’m staying close to you,” Carlene said. “I’m glad they didn’t forget your phase of the mission.”

 
; “Clang. Clang. Clang.” A man was standing with the mike in his hand tapping on it with a spoon. “May I have your attention? We need to get the meeting started.”

  He waited a few seconds for the noise to die down, and then continued. “On behalf of President Turner, I’d like to welcome all of you. My name is General Montgomery and I’ll be heading up Operation Caldera. As many of you know I report directly to President Turner.” He sounded like he was addressing a convention. “You are a hand-picked few of our elite. Welcome to Operation Caldera, a combined operation in conjunction with the Department of the Interior, Department of Defense, The Department of Energy, The Department of Homeland Security and the USGS. We have every branch of the military represented in this room ...” He went on with introductions for another five minutes. Then each person at the table took a turn describing their role. When Jason gave his brief presentation Carlene listened, hoping to gain some information she hadn’t been told, but was disappointed. The team of scientists he introduced totaled three, not counting Jason and her. There was Dr. Thomas Kelly geologist specializing in rhyolite flows and volcanic strata, Dr. Jean Randolph, specializing in gas chromatography and ash analysis, and Dr. Paul Preston a geologist specializing in tectonic plate movement and fault zone lateral movement. Jason would be the chief scientist responsible for seismic interpretation. Jason gave Carlene billing as the park volcanologist.

  There was a high degree of excitement in the room and Carlene couldn’t help but think the mood should be more somber. After the last of the speakers gave a brief overview of their mission, Carlene tried to sum it up in her mind.

  The mission called for the scientists to pick out the best place for the tunneling to begin. A total of thirty tunnels would be bored from strategic sites, two miles into the earth. Each tunnel would be thirty feet in diameter and proceed at the phenomenal rate of five-hundred feet per day. To reach the full two miles would require a total of twenty-three days. If there wasn’t that much time they would use a contingency plan, which was not disclosed. In the event that a rapid evacuation had to be made there were heavy lift helicopters parked with pilots available around the clock. “That makes me feel much safer,” Carlene mumbled.

  Chapter 25

  After dinner Jason was called into a meeting room to review the satellite thermal imaging of Mallard Lake Dome. It was his responsibility along with his team to pinpoint the tunneling sites. The thermal imaging data would help determine the areas where the magma pool was closest to the surface.

  Jason entered the conference room and was greeted by Major Simmons and a young lieutenant in an Air Force uniform named Barns. There was a large map of Yellowstone laid out on the table. The map was covered with red dots.

  “Lt. Barns handles our Eye in the Sky,” Major Simmons said.

  Jason shook Lt. Barns’ hand. “I didn’t expect you’d be able to get the information that quickly.”

  Barns grinned showing dimples in his baby face. He pointed to the map. “This is satellite thermal imaging data. We’re confirming with sonar readings from ground crews as we speak.”

  “I heard you had troops in the park,” Jason said.

  “We’re keeping a low profile,” Simmons assured him. “The official word is it’s a training mission, in case the park is attacked by terrorists.”

  Jason opened his laptop and compared the data with his model. They would only get one chance to weaken the crust around the dome. If they were wrong or if they failed they could cause a catastrophic explosion equivalent to the one they were trying to prevent. To weaken the crust around the perimeter of the dome they would have to be certain where the crust was thinnest. He went back to the Yellowstone map and found what he’d been looking for. He traced his finger along a row of red dots. This is a major fault, what can you tell me about it?”

  “I’ll bring it up on the screen,” Barns said. “Immediately a large screen on the wall lit up and the lieutenant zoomed in on the spot. What had been dots on the map now became temperature readings. A hot spot, no doubt about it,” Barns said.

  Jason picked up a pointer and ran a laser dot along the fault. “Can you overlay the topography of that area?”

  Barns hit some keys on the computer and two ranges of mountains showed on either side of the fault. “I think we found our digging site,” Simmons said from behind Jason. “You think we can tunnel across the fault and channel the lava between the ridges?”

  Jason shook his head. “If you are successful in tunneling, when it blows it’ll shoot a lateral wall of ash at least fifty miles. This mountain range is in its way and will cause the plume to go skyward.” He looked Simmons in the eye. “If this is going to work we need to hold the blast as close to the ground as we can. Give me a larger view and let’s see where the lava will flow.”

  Jason parked his Jeep in the lot outside the Lake Hotel and hurried to the meeting room. He was over an hour late for a meeting with his new team. He’d been up since dawn reviewing the area where the tunneling was going to take place and felt like he’d been in a constant argument with everyone. Finally they had agreed to tunnel in an area he felt they had a chance of doing the least damage if something went wrong. As he stepped into the makeshift Yellowstone Volcano Observatory office, the voices of his team hushed to silence. There was Carlene with her chair pulled up close to Dr. Paul Preston, Dr. Tom Kelley studying the screen of his computer, and Dr. Jean Randolph holding a notebook and pen like she was about to take dictation. Carlene glanced up at Jason, her eyes wide in surprise.

  “What’s the matter?” Jason asked. He watched the four of them trading glances at one another.

  Finally Carlene said, “The team has reviewed the data and thinks the whole operation is a waste of time.”

  “I agree,” he said. “I don’t think they’ll be able to tunnel deep enough to vent this thing.”

  “We mean the prediction. There isn’t anything in the data that points to an imminent eruption.”

  Jason tightened his lips and nodded. He felt like he was facing a mutiny the first day at sea.

  Carlene threw her hands up. “No one thinks tunneling into the dome will work and it may not be necessary, the mountain has returned to a steady background noise. Paul compared the seismic data to past years and everything is within three sigma if you throw out a few outliers.”

  Paul, Jason thought, feeling a twinge of jealousy. When did it become Paul? His eyes fixed on Paul Preston whose lean suntanned face broke into an awkward grin as he rolled his chair away from Carlene. “We’re all in agreement,” Preston said looking at the others. “Jean says gas levels are in the normal range, earthquakes are magnitude three or lower and becoming less frequent. I did some research on past seismic events and there is nothing out of the ordinary happening here. The mountain has a history of turning on and off. The data says things are back to normal.”

  Jason looked in each of their eyes. “You all have been here less than three days and you know everything is back to normal?”

  “That’s not fair,” Dr. Jean Randolph said. “We’re giving you our assessment as we see it. That’s what we’re paid to do. You were prejudiced with Milton’s data.”

  “How about you, Tom?” Jason asked looking for support anywhere he could.

  Dr. Kelly was a small balding man with a mild-mannered appearance, but an aggressive attitude. He was known for speaking his mind. Telling it like it was. “Sorry Jason. Looks like you got everyone excited for nothing.”

  “I can’t say that I blame you,” Jason said. “I would’ve come to the same conclusion if I hadn’t been riding this roller coaster.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out a strip of seismic readings holding it up for them to see. “Three weeks ago the seismograph was pegged every other day. Then it stopped. During that time Mallard Lake Dome grew at an unparalleled rate, then, when the activity returned to background noise the dome stopped growing but only for a few days before it started up again. During the active period the sulfur dioxide levels rose to
two thousand tons per day and then dropped to almost nothing. The mountain is in a pattern and it’s only a matter of time before she goes.”

  “I don’t see the pattern,” Preston argued walking over to a cooler. He grabbed a can of Mountain Dew and popped the top. “This site has a history of earthquakes coming and going. The Alaskan quake in 2003 sparked over six-hundred quakes in a two-week period here at Yellowstone. I don’t see danger of an imminent eruption.”

  “Fine,” Jason said. “I’ll let General Montgomery know how you feel. And since the caldera is so stable, I’m sure you’re all willing to stay until this plays out.” Jason turned and left the room.

  Carlene ran after him. “Jason, wait!”

  He paused in the lobby of the hotel.

  “I don’t want you to think this was my idea,” Carlene said taking his hand. “They asked me to tell you because I know you the best and they know this is an obsession of yours.”

  “Obsession! Come on, Carlene, a week ago you were ready to leave.”

  “That’s not fair,” Carlene said. “You said, the mountain has done this before. Why are you so damn sure this isn’t one of those times?”

  “I know this mountain and she isn’t going back to sleep. Not this time.”

  Carlene looked up at him. “What are you going to tell Montgomery?”

  “The truth,” Jason said pulling her close. “He’ll have to hear both sides and make up his own mind.”

  “You want me to stay,” Carlene said, “I’ll ride this horse with you.”

  “Thanks,” Jason said. Then he added, “Be careful of Preston. He’s a blowhard.”

  Carlene leaned back with an astonished look. “You’re jealous. He pays a little attention to me and you’re jealous.”

  Jason’s lips curled into a sheepish grin. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Watch out for him.”

  Billy looked up at the helicopter and again waved his shirt in a futile attempt to attract attention. He had been seeing helicopters flying for hours and couldn’t get their attention. He climbed a ridge to get a better view of things and was amazed at what he saw. Huge trucks were coming and going. It looked like a gigantic mining operation. Not in Yellowstone, he thought. I must have wandered outside the park. It had been four days since he had left Wendy and Becky. He had become hopelessly lost and had survived on grub worms, berries and stream water. This was the first sign of life he had seen since he had left them. From his vantage point he was still a few miles away and the terrain was rough, but if he hurried he could make it by nightfall.