Escaping Yellowstone

by Larry LaVoie

  He saw Nathan standing near a luggage carousel. A strikingly beautiful blond was with him. Cody couldn’t take his eyes off her. Nathan must have a trophy wife, Cody thought. He saw Wendy and waved. She came up and hugged him. His eyes went back to the young woman with Nathan.

  “I doubt those two could produce an ugly daughter,” Cody said, nodding toward Nathan and the woman. It must be a second marriage.

  “You’re going to grow up to be a male chauvinist pig,” Wendy said.

  “You’re wrong. I’m never growing up.” For a moment he considered turning around and approaching Nathan, but he could see by the look on Wendy’s face she had bad news. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ray passed away an hour ago,” she said, struggling to hold back tears. Cody embraced her and held her tight, fighting back his own tears. “Thanks for meeting me. Were you able to see him?”

  She sniffled. “This morning. We knew he wasn’t going to make it, but it’s still a shock. He was the same age as you. They still haven’t caught the guy who did it.”

  “You know it was a guy?”

  Wendy pushed back from him. “You know. Who could do such a thing and leave him there.”

  “How is Aunt Em taking it? Uncle Buck was the one who called me. Ray was still alive.”

  “He’s their only child, how do you think she’s taking it?”

  “Where’s the car parked?” Cody asked, changing the subject.

  “In Short Term. I was lucky to find a spot. You know how crazy traffic is anymore.”

  “Where are we going?” Cody asked.

  “You’re staying with Mom and Dad. Blake and I don’t have a guest room.”

  “I can get a hotel.”

  “You know Mom won’t allow that. Dad just got a boat. He’ll probably want to take you out in it.”

  “I can’t stay that long. Have they set a date for the funeral?”

  Wendy shook her head. “I haven’t heard. I was on the way to pick you up when I got the call. You can borrow my car tomorrow and visit, if you want.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see what plans Dad has. He must be pretty shook up.”

  “No one ever expects to lose their children. Be careful around Mom. She’s a little upset with Dad for buying the boat.”

  “He didn’t ask her first? How can he afford a boat? Did he get a promotion?”

  “He got a bonus. Don’t bring it up. Mom thinks it should have gone into their retirement fund.”

  “Thanks for the heads up,” Cody said. “Any other subject that’s taboo?”

  “Don’t ask Aunt Emma how she’s doing when you see her. Just say you’re sorry.”

  “I am sorry.”

  “I know, but you aren’t very good at expressing your emotions.”

  “The curse of being born with a penis,” Cody said.

  “See, that’s what I mean.” She used her remote to open the trunk. “This is my car. You want to drive?”

  Cody looked at her tiny hybrid. “You better drive. I’m afraid I might break it.”

  The next day Cody spent several hours on the phone and used his computer to monitor the systems in the Yellowstone Caldera. Being away made him appreciate the complex organization he was a part of. He had left Doug Jennings in charge of the other four students that were helping through the summer. Doug was acting as Cody’s assistant and Cody was anxious to get back. He had told his family he was flying back to Yellowstone right after the funeral. This, of course, had upset his mother, but the truth was, he wanted to get away. He had never lost anyone as close to him as Ray before. He was devastated and longed for the distraction his work would provide. In fact, his immediate return wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t like monitoring Yellowstone had been left to a handful of students. The Yellowstone volcano was continuously monitored by eight different agencies. It was arguably one of the most studied volcanic systems in the world. The students were there to learn and gain experience. But because of more than eighty other active volcanoes in the United States, all volcano watch centers were understaffed and the work-study program helped, especially during the busy summer.

  Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, which was the body that oversaw the activity of the Yellowstone volcano, wasn’t a brick and mortar organization, but a virtual network of eight agencies stationed around the country. Each station in YVO, usually a college or university, had students monitoring a particular part of the Yellowstone system. The work under Cody’s supervision included monitoring, but mostly hands-on, checking and maintaining the instruments placed around the caldera. Some students, like Doug Jennings, were gathering data for a paper as part of an advanced degree program.

  Cody was one of a few scientists who worked on the grounds inside the Yellowstone caldera, spending more time in the field than in a classroom on a college campus. As understaffed as he was, working hands-on inside the Yellowstone Caldera was a job he cherished. From the time he switched his major from engineering to geology he had hoped to end up right where he was, the Yellowstone Park volcanologist. As a geology student he had spent his summers in Yellowstone helping the park geologist with everything from repairing and placing seismographs, installing tilt meters, upgrading analog equipment to digital, using satellite links and radio transmission technology.

  Now he was analyzing strange phenomena such as the movement of ground up and down throughout the year or over several years, measuring ground temperature, and tracking geyser chemistry and activity, to better understand the interaction of the complex system that made Yellowstone what it was. Now, the students under him aided him in his research.

  One of the areas that had gained widespread interest was the measurement of the size and shape of the magma pool under the caldera. This was done by tracking the speed the vibrations from earthquakes traveled through the earth’s crust. As the vibrations reached the hot and molten rock, the speed at which they traveled slowed, allowing them to produce an image much like a sonogram. It was a frightful image, if you didn’t understand how the system worked. The pool of magma had the volume of one of the great lakes, and in places within the caldera, was within a few miles of the surface. As ground water seeped down through the crust, it became superheated and forced back to the surface as scalding water and steam and, like a giant heart, repeated the process endlessly. As long as the size of the magma pool remained constant and the earth’s crust on top of it was sound, the system was in balance. There had not been a major eruption in 70,000 years and there was no reason to believe there would be another one within his lifetime, or ever for that matter, but his work was necessary and fascinating just in case the improbable did come in his lifetime.

  Cody sorted through the mail he had quickly thrown in his suitcase on the way out the door. He opened the letter he had been putting off reading, because he knew what was inside.

  It was understandable why some would exploit Yellowstone and its dangers. There were those who looked at the world through the most distorted lens they could find: The conspirators who found horrific danger in everything from the giant asteroids that wiped out the dinosaurs, to yes, a super eruption in Yellowstone. It wasn’t that there was no danger; these exploiters exaggerated the facts. The fact was, man wouldn’t be here if an asteroid hadn’t killed off the dinosaurs. Yellowstone wouldn’t exist as a natural wonder if it had never erupted, leaving the massive caldera. The opposing attorneys would use every argument they could to extract money for the family that had been killed. Every tragedy had a price tag and Yellowstone was not only a natural wonder, but big business, and the accident was worth millions of dollars.

  Cody thought about these things as he read the letter. They wanted him to testify in a suit against the Department of the Interior and Yellowstone National Park. As he had dreaded, it was from the attorneys for the family who had been overcome by carbon dioxide. He was in Portland and the trial was in the Federal Courthouse in Cody, Wyoming. The summer was shaping up to be a disaster. It wasn’t like we didn’t expect it, he thought, tossing
the letter back in his suitcase. He knew his boss at USGS wouldn’t be happy. Testifying in a trial was a tricky thing.

  ***

  Three days at home and he couldn’t wait to get the funeral behind him and at the same time tried to rid his mind of all the things facing him when he returned to Yellowstone.

  The day of the funeral his mind was racing. He had showered and was looking in the mirror, adjusting his tie. The TV in his room was on a local news station. He heard the moderator mention asteroid and turned up the volume. His jaw dropped. He recognized the woman being interviewed as the young woman who had met Nathan Wilson in the baggage claim at the airport. The banner at the bottom of the picture astonished him further: Dr. Lisa Wilson, NASA astronomer. She was Nathan’s daughter and he had passed up the opportunity to meet her. He stopped fiddling with his tie and listened.

  “So, Dr. Wilson, what does an astronomer working for NASA do?” the moderator, Judy Bartholomew asked.

  The young woman smiled. “NASA has a program funded by Congress called NEO, for near-earth objects, whose mission is to discover and catalog any asteroid that may be a danger to the earth.”

  “And what does that involve?”

  “We’re searching space for any object the size of a basketball or greater that could impact earth. There are millions of them out there and we want to know if any of them present a threat to us. An asteroid larger than one hundred fifty meters across could wipe out all life on earth if it impacted us.”

  “And what do you do if you find one?”

  “First we determine if it will be a near miss or if it will impact the earth. If its orbit is on a trajectory to impact earth then we need to assess the threat to life. There are a number of complex calculations to consider. The size is the most important. A small asteroid might explode and cause damage such as the one that came down over Russia on February fifteen, 2013. It was estimated to be twenty-meters or about sixty-five feet across. It broke up before hitting land, but still did significant damage. But you don’t need to worry. We have already discovered ninety-five percent of the asteroids that are large enough to threaten life on earth.”

  Judy leaned toward Lisa. “But the one over Russia, you didn’t know it was coming and it killed a number of people.”

  “It’s true. With over eighteen thousand asteroids discovered in just the past year, there are bound to be a few that we miss, but most are not large enough to reach the ground. They burn up on entry. The public sees them as shooting stars at night.”

  “So even if ninety-five percent of the billions of asteroids out there were identified it still leaves room for an unexpected impact?”

  “Now, Judy, don’t go putting words in my mouth. I’ll be the first to admit we will most certainly be impacted by an asteroid again someday. We are impacted by fragments hundreds of times a day. But, rest assured we are on top of this and will be there to alert the public if there is any danger.”

  “That brings me to my next question, Dr. Wilson.”

  “You can call me Lisa.”

  “Okay Lisa. What good is a warning? Won’t we all die if there is a major impact?”

  “The purpose of NEO, the NASA program I’m working on, is to spot asteroids far enough out in space so we can take precautions if we know they are going to impact earth.”

  “Precautions; I like that. What kind of precautions?”

  “We might be able to intercept a large asteroid if we have enough time. NASA is working on all kinds of ways to change the trajectory of a sure impact asteroid.”

  “Most of the viewers are aware of gravity tractors and atomic explosions,” Judy said. “Do you think this is even possible?”

  “I see you’ve done your homework, but you got me there, Judy. The prevention area is another part of NASA that I don’t work in. I can tell you an atomic explosion is probably not one they would consider. From what I know, a gravity tractor is the first choice, but it might require years advance notice to move a large asteroid into a different orbit.”

  “Okay, let’s go back to something you are more familiar with. The latest asteroid you discovered was originally predicted to pass a million miles from earth. You now say it will pass much closer, just skirting the far side of the moon. You are sure there is nothing to worry about?”

  “The people who calculate the orbits of these asteroids are great at their jobs. For instance, they knew 2012 DA14 was going to pass by earth at less than twenty-thousand miles. That’s pretty close by astronomical standards, but they predicted it and they were right. No one panicked and it did exactly what the scientists had calculated. It was a close call, but a miss none the less.”

  “What about other possible effects from near earth objects?” Judy asked.

  “Such as?”

  “Well, I’ve heard an asteroid passing close to the earth can impact the tides.”

  Lisa laughed. “That’s another one of those urban myths. Of course it’s possible, but the moon is a pretty large object and it only moves the tide by a few feet. If an asteroid that size approached the earth we'd have a lot more to worry about than a few high tides.”

  “And you’re certain the asteroid you have discovered is no danger to earth?”

  “Absolutely; Santa will still be bringing the children their gifts this Christmas Eve.”

  The moderator smiled. “Okay, Lisa, I’m convinced you are comfortable with the science. We are grateful to have you on the job. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with our viewers.”

  “Thank you, Judy. I’m happy to talk to you anytime.”

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for Dr. Lisa Wilson.”

  Cody continued watching as the program went to commercial. There was a knock on the door and he checked the time. “It’s open,” he said.

  His mother opened the door. “Come on, Cody, we don’t want to be late.”

  Cody hated funerals. How do you talk to someone who is grieving when you are so torn up inside you only want to find a dark place and hide? He felt awkward in the borrowed suit and tie. He was asked to say something, but he choked up and couldn’t get any words out. Perhaps that said more than any words. There were no words that could describe his feeling of loss. None of it had hit him until he saw the flag draped casket. There was a lot of food at the reception after the graveside service, but he wasn’t hungry. He was quiet on the drive back to his parent’s house in Portland. He was leaving the next morning, and it couldn’t come soon enough.

  That evening he excused himself from dinner and went into his room. He couldn’t stop thinking about Lisa Wilson. On the way home he kept playing the interview over and over in his mind. I’m going crazy, he thought. He wanted to meet her. He found the card Nathan Wilson had given him and stared at it a long time. Finally, he called the number.

  Nathan Wilson was hesitant to arrange a meeting between Cody and his daughter. She had already returned to Hawaii. Besides, he thought Cody had been condescending and didn’t respect his daughter’s line of work.

  “Tell her it’s about her work. It’s important that we talk. Give me the number where she can be reached and I’ll call her at work.”

  Cody’s persistence finally paid off. Nathan took Cody’s number and agreed to give it to his daughter and let her decide if she wanted to talk to him.

  “I’ll let her know you called,” Nathan said bringing an end to the conversation. “But she is her own person. If she doesn’t call you, I can’t do anything about it, understand?”

  Cody agreed. “Tell her my call is strictly from one scientist to another.”

  “Good bye, Mr. Street.” Nathan Wilson hung up.

  Yellowstone Park

  If you ask any Yellowstone visitor, the Mud Volcano area of Yellowstone would likely be singled out as the most disgusting place on earth. It is made up of geysers and hot springs with names like Dragon’s Mouth, Black Dragon’s Caldron, Dragon’s Mouth Spring, Grizzly Fumarole, Mud Caldron, Mud Geyser, Churning Caldron, and Mud Volcano. The a
rea reeks of hydrogen sulfide gas smelling strongly of rotten eggs. Of the many interesting features in the area, Black Dragon’s Caldron might be considered the worst.

  Black Dragon’s Caldron did not exist until the winter of 1947-1948 and was not discovered until 1948. Hydrogen sulfide rises from the 191º F water to combine with the oxygen in the air to form sulfuric acid, the same stuff that car batteries are made of. Cody’s assistant, Doug Jennings and volunteer student, Melissa Granger, were monitoring the acid levels of Black Dragon’s Caldron on the day Cody returned to the park.

  Cody had only been back in his office a few hours when his cell phone rang. Chief Ranger Nelson was on the other end.

  “Cody, one of your students is dead and another injured. We’re transporting him to the infirmary. Can you meet them there?”

  The clinic was a short walk from Cody’s office and he watched as the park ranger’s pickup pulled into the parking area.

  The ranger helped Jennings into the clinic. Cody raced across the parking lot and ran inside.

  Doug was a grad student from the University of Idaho. It was his first year working for the USGS under Cody’s supervision. He had acted as Cody’s assistant when he was gone. Fortunately, he didn’t look like he had suffered more than a few minor burns.

  Doug was seated on a table in an examining room. A nurse practitioner was tending to him when Cody finally got to ask him some questions.

  “Doug, what happened?”

  “Melissa was off the trail collecting a sample when all hell broke loose. The pool exploded and next thing I know she’s face down in the muddy pool. I think she died instantly.”

  There were strict rules for dress and the equipment used to remove samples. It appeared to be a freak accident, but Cody couldn’t help but be reminded, it was the second accident in as many weeks and that would cause another investigation. Usually accidents were the result of careless behavior on the part of visitors. He had never had a student seriously injured and had always insisted they be trained to follow strict rules regarding safety. It appeared everything they had done was correct.