NASA reckons the Yellowstone super volcano is a larger threat to life on Earth than any asteroid, mega-tsunami, or potential alien invasion.
To keep you informed, the Wyoming-based volcano is terrifyingly massive, and if it explodes then we're facing an apocalyptic scenario, instigating a nuclear winter and human extinction through starvation. Basically, no fun at all.
It certainly doesn't look as fun as this LAD who spends his spare time adventuring around volcanos and basically highlighting the risks that a major explosion could cause.
In aim to defuse Yellowstone's explosive potential, NASA has apparently come up with a plan to prevent future damage from a super eruption.
The Epoch Times reports NASA was so worried about this outcome, it plans to avoid a volcanic future by drilling into the magma chamber and cooling the whole thing down. Like a chill pill for the most non-chill hothead.
The way NASA will do this is by piercing a six-mile hole into the volcano and running water into it. This would be pumped through at high-pressure, entering the crust at outdoor temperatures, getting heated to 662f (toasty) inside, and then returning to the surface.
Of course, this technically complex operation doesn't come without its dangers. Brian Wilcox of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said: "The most important thing with this is to do no harm.
"If you drill into the top of the magma chamber and try and cool it from there, this would be very risky. This could make the cap over the magma chamber more brittle and prone to fracture. And you might trigger the release of harmful volatile gases in the magma at the top of the chamber, which would otherwise not be released."
You might ask why NASA would undertake such a task, but as the National Geographic points out, the agency is preparing for the worst and trying to prevent that from happening.
The hope is to avoid the drill from touching the magma, and instead keep it sitting above, remaining in the hydrothermal fluids. By adding water to the fluids, NASA will cool down the volcano's heat significantly.
It's an expensive undertaking, but then if you're talking about the future of humanity, it seems like a price worth paying.
Oh, yeah, you should also know that the project will take thousands of years before seeing results. So, it's really a case of stopping an Armageddon-type scenario from unfolding for our great-great-great-great-grandkids. Here's hoping.
Featured Image Credit: