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Answered 5 March, 2020Yes, there is a genre of supervolcano fiction! It’s humourous the other answerer assumes the questioner betrayed her prejudices supposedly against volcanic potential, which wasn’t the case at all. Instead, he shows his unawareness of human commercial literary drive. Also, there is no way a large volcanic event at Yellowstone could happen next Tuesday as he said or next year. Yes, the Yellowstone supervolcano can wipe out humanity, but we'll have years of warningFear or perceived opportunity spawns art, some good and some bad. If spread by the internet, this is doubly so. Without going thorough the vetting of an established publishing house, much of the material out there is amateurish and poorly phrased, though well-intended.A Short History of the End of the WorldImagine your would-be famous author trying to find an unexploited niche, some theme to make their own by which to rise above the pack. Stephen King was ahead of the crowd when he wrote The Stand way back in 1978. Now there are scads of virus and pandemic fiction novels. Same with earthquakes, runaway AI, WWIII, the post apocalypse, psychic phenomenae, the paranormal, creepy humans and/or clowns, aliens, you name it. I’ve got it! The Yellowstone “Supervolcano!” I’m sorry to report, that has been mined, though mostly poorly. I count 38 fictional treatments, three of them movies of some sort. I will add more as I’m made aware of them. I bet I missed some; there’s a whole lot of self-publishing going on out there. Like the proliferation of poor Yellowstone tour guides, it’s easy to claim authorhood.Even if you write about a new challenge, it’s still necessary to have a good, believable story researched using the best knowledge regarding it, have compelling characters and to have been proofread well.To be fair, before the mid-teens, ash distribution models were inflated and before 2017 tomographic imaging had not yet revealed the 91% non-fluidic, non pressurised nature of the uppermost magma chamber. Jesse Lee O’Connor 李杰西's answer to What is going on with the Yellowstone volcano? Will it implode, explode or suddenly halt activity?But they should have known that was a crucial factor. No imminence equals no drama, which is where we are now, in the real world. In the 2005 teledrama “Supervolcano” magma chamber melt ratio was discussed but never measured when their supercomputer simulator VIRGIL could have done it easily. The hot spot cannot erupt to form a large caldera unless its upper chamber is more than 49% fluidic. Jesse Lee O’Connor 李杰西's answer to How much warning time would we likely have if the Yellowstone volcano was going to erupt? The least conservative, informed estimate is it will provide decades of warning; it cannot “go off tomorrow.” Yellowstone Supervolcano's Nasty Surprise: Only Decades To Prepare For An EruptionBefore the aughts, scientists knew Yellowstone had created three calderas. Then, it was pieced together that its volcano created many, all across Idaho.A recurring error among writers is their having the Yellowstone hot spot going from quiescence to “super” eruption (VEI-8) in too short a time. Also, an almost prevalent confusion exists between slowly falling ash and sulphur dioxide gas in the stratosphere. Yes, ash can be an aerosol but the minute particles able to reduce temperature are different than what’s covering the cities and killing car engines.The biggest problem is authors making up their own Yellowstone by ignoring where locations are in relation to each other and even what landmarks are called. A gifted writer may gain readers by their craft but if they haven’t learned their subject they will lose an audience who does. To would-be future writers, please run your manuscript by an experienced local first? A lot of embarrassment might be avoided. If you don’t see the grading criteria below, for a specific title, I haven’t read it yet but will add a review after do.C- charactersG - geographyP - punctuationS - storyT - time from detection ‘till eruptionV - volcanic realism, reasonable/researched scienceBobby Akart 20 July, 2018 Yellowstone Hellfire 1 of 4.C - cliched, G -, P +, S-, T-2 years after drilling begun, V - confuses “seismic activity, ground uplift and subsidence and gas releases,” which are common to Yellowstone, with “telltale signs of a potential eruption.” Claims super eruption is “overdue.” There is a huge difference between magmatic and tectonic earthquakes that is missed here as in most offerings. Describes the “YVO” a new physical structure at West Thumb in 2018. “Gibbon’s River.” “Lake View Cafe,” “fly fishing along the shoreline across West Thumb,” “The largest most dangerous active volcano on the planet.” Dozens to hundreds of frogs in a marsh on Yellowstone Lake. Eruption caused by “Project Hydro” drilling and fluid injection. Passing Old Faithful on the way to elephant back mountain from West Thumb. Cabins at Grant Village. A 1,200 square foot ranger residence on the Firehole River near Sentinel Creek. A borehole 15 miles deep, in hot, plastic rock 3 12 miles deep. The entire mantle characterised as magma, cell coverage near Cave Falls. Old Faithful erupting every 30 minutes. ”Yellowstone’s three prior eruptions have been greater than or equal to Toba.” “A [any] Yellowstone eruption will be at least 1000 times more powerful than Mount St. Helens.“ I could go on…Likable characters with realistic sounding jargon but completely fantastic.Cora Buhlert Christmas After the End of the World 15 December, 2019. Pretty good little story. C+, G + there is no park in this story, P+, S+, T hard to say. Protagonist is 13 and was unaware of any advanced warning. V + except for only light ash near Billings. Story is so pleasant I have no complaints. The reason there’s no other people is they were ordered to to evacuate and the young characters didn’t know.Paul Curtain Gray Snow: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller 6 February, 2019 Deeply psychological in painful detail yet believably so. C+, G+ played safe, no Yellowstone locations, P+, T- a day’s warning, V+ except for T complaint and ash in upper atmosphere instead of gas and fine particulate. Mostly quite enjoyable, except, as well-thought out and prepared as the story setup is, it feels very much like a typical disaster movie; these conflicting, baggage-laden principals are locked up in a small space to clash and to compromise in order to survive. The rawness and the finest of human spirit will be on display so that truth; good, bad and ugly, will be exposed and milked. Since I wrote that, all has turned much more realistically horrible. There is much to like here and much soap opera as well.Leonard J. DiSanza Seeds of Our Future 18 November, 2019 C+, G: bypassed by having no action in or near YNP, P+, S+, T?, V- relies upon humans inducing an eruption by nefarious yet undescribed methods. Claims climate change increases volcanism. Pleasant enough mystery though derivative and with likable characters. An enjoyable read.Jay J. Falconer and M. L. Banner Frozen World: Silo: Summers End 30 October, 2019 1 of 3 C+, G- could take place almost anywhere, nothing to do with YNP, P+, S+, T bypassed, never addressed, V-Yellowstone is never named but “The Event” 12 years previous include 91 volcanoes induced to erupt by humans - its hinted by nuclear devices. This is a fine action story with realistically complex characters and conflicts. Authors know their military hardware and culture well. However, the verbiage is tedious. Vocabulary is stilted to contrived. I would say no one talks like that but some do; highlights difficulty of writing realistic dialogue’s nuances that successful authors master. Multiple points of view and setups for future books drag out the fairly pedestrian post apocalyptic dystopian tale unnecessarily. Some continuity problems. If I enjoyed being inside the many characters’ minds more it would not seem so long and I’d eagerly read books 2 and 3 but I did not.John Fishwick and Lisa Wroble The Yellowstone Affair 10 April, 2017 C-trying far too hard, G-, P mostly + but could have been proofread better for stray unintended words, S-, T-(Projected, never occurs on page), V- “Ten thousand times Mt. St. Helens” would be VEI 9, which has never happened on Earth even though there are four more powerful eruptive sources on the planet. Stats from three most recent large eruptions are given with conclusion new one is “40,000 years overdue” with nothing to support that (2.1 MY/3=700,000 years, not 600,000.) Disagreement between Dr. Alvarez and YVO regarding multiple calderas? What’s to dispute about the patently obvious? (Volcanoes don’t erupt from calderas, they create them.) “70 feet of ash” on the closest cities? But from only 330 cu km ejected? Orion is a star? Arcturus is in Ursa Major? Comets influence volcanoes? “Geologist” says it can happen next year or in five years. This is a cloak and dagger on the lam tale which takes time to provide travelogue and cheerful geoscience education a la John McPhee along the way. All is put in motion by the proposal of the idea of overlapping calderas making an imminent catastrophic eruption. Though I’m sure they meant to say magma chambers, this is a commonly held and frequently broadcast fallacy completely unworthy of government cover up and murder. I can’t say if this book’s amateurishness or pretension is more offputting.Jean M. Grant Will Rise From Ashes 7 April, 2019 Author knows more about the human heart and autism than about volcanoes but the tradeoff is worth it. How refreshing is is to read a top notch story that shows restraint (especially volcanically), imperfect heroes and hope, above all. It’s especially gratifying to read the government isn't evil and order is maintained. Thoroughly enjoyable novel. C+, G+, P+, T-immediate, no warning, though protagonist believes the scientists knew but had “learned their lesson” from warning the public before Mt. St. Helens. V-”mankind’s largest volcano,” ash spread too slow, much more threat to health from ash than enflaming asthma, Will would have called for mask use much earlier than he did, “11 VEI 8 events” total in world with “3 from Yellowstone.” All is forgiven in light of this celebration of wonder from the perspective of an island of unconcern, of love.S L Hansen The Yellowstone Convergence 18 April, 2021 only available on Kindle Unlimited. Kind of like new Star Trek; we're required to pay extra on top of already paying extra - No. However, I was allowed to read five chapters as a sample. C+, G+, P+, S+, T & V can’t say without reading more. However, the stock and wildlife have been spooked for a few months and the introduction says big things will happen within ten days so I suspect full blown volcanism will develop out of essentially no warning though supernatural forces are probably partly to blame.Jack Hunt The Year Without Summer 9 October, 2018 Steals title misleadingly of book by Nicholas P. Klingaman and William K Klingaman The Year Without Summer C+, G mostly+, P+, S+, T-much too quickly but caused by NASA drilling, “poking a hornets nest with a stick,” V-This very entertaining read is much better than most and researched better. He actually correctly locates landmarks in the park mostly where they are. There are odd lapses such as having campsites above Bridge Bay Marina wiped out by a wave whilst people by the marina escape unscathed. A truck driving on a hiking trail, electricity in a backcountry cabin and cell service in 50% of the park are huge errors. I admit that number is reported online but includes back country high terrain and only one bar service areas too. My experience is no more than 20% of front country, including poor service. Dinner served in Mammoth’s map room? There are more errors such as never any talk of magmatic earthquakes but only frequency. The magma chambers are correctly identified as being too solid to super erupt but supposedly knowledgable characters still fear “the caldera unzipping.” As enjoyable as the characters and action story are, it’s driven by recent Yellowstone science headlines of the past two years, almost all of them, which are turned to upend all the current reassurances of geoscientists on their heads because of human interference. Drilling near magma doesn’t quite work that way. But it sounds right, to some or many. Praise to author for not padding story to excess and showing restraint with his eruption. An economical, well-paced story.Linda Jacobs Rain of Fire 1 June, 2006C+, G+(best of all reviewed), P+, S+, T: one month but is realistic for type of eruption described, V + only author with apparent geologic background. Small errors like 1–10,000 YA cinder cone in Yellowstone forgiven for sake of overall astuteness. Excellent read. I should say more but actually most of what I say in other reviews are criticism. Brevity here means I found little displeasing and much to praise.H. O. Knight Life After Chocolate: The Full Novel (Yellowstone) 31 May, 2018 Life After Chocolate C+, G-there aren’t 1,000,000 people within 100 miles of YNP, P+, S+, T-3 weeks, V-only to set story in motion, to cut off food supplies. There’ve been young adult fiction novels regarding dystopian society, vampires, angels, zombies and seemingly every other fantastic scenario when just being a young adult is already drama enough without needing to actually be during the end of the world. However, these characters are so well written and the story was compelling enough to get me past skepticism; I enjoyed this book greatly, prompting my first review ever of a work on Amazon. Author doesn’t know Yellowstone volcanism and, unlike most I’ve reviewed here, doesn’t depend upon it failingly but instead writes successfully and compellingly of humanity and what is worth striving for.Larry Lavoy Caldera: A Yellowstone Park Thriller, 14 December, 2012. Extremely well-written book! C+, G- more than an hour from north gate to Lake, P+, S+, T-2 months, V-. I’m sad to downvote volcanology because this author is better than most. Reasons: “magma” on surface, only “seven supervolcanoes” on Earth, common confusion of water/steam venting with volcanic pressure venting, all destroyed within 600 miles, “600,000 years of pent up energy,” “end of humanity as we know it,” overdue by 300,000 years, Mallard Lake dome normal uplift 2 mm/year, Lava Creek eruption 500 x Mt. St. Helens, Yellowstone region called the Midwest, [only] more than 2,000 square miles in area, lake slanting wrong direction from uplift, “this all happened before [in human history]” — no, not lava eruptions, ““Roosevelt elk,” “nuclear winter,” ashfall ended too soon, engines were able to operate during ashfall, and, the new ice age predictions have been abandoned by Yellowstone observers since the time when this book was written. Exciting, realistic read.andEscaping Yellowstone, 17 March, 2018, a title which has already been used. Not a sequel to Caldera.Kennedy Layne Essential Beginnings (Surviving Ashes Book 1) 21 July, 2015 1 of 5. It got off to a rough start and proceeded to present love at the end of the world. Book has believable romantic conflict and especially good thought put into realistic prepping but everything else seems very contrived and cliche. C-, G-no YNP at all but counting on local landscape to shield them from ash without considering the umbrella cloud effect. Also, Burke in Texas would be better off there than in the Pacific Northwest. S- padded, cliched, full of overdescription, P+, T- atrocious: 2 days after a destabilising earthquake, V-doubly deplorable: “overdue for more than 40,000 years.” Talk of going north to Canada which would be the wrong direction in volcanic winter. Not well researched at all. Filament for firmament? Trying too hard. But, this is the most sensual supervolcano fiction I’ve yet seen! “This end of the world crap was getting real old,” said the protagonist to himself when it interrupted passion. But then, when I’m convinced it’s a turkey, I began to enjoy the military depth of knowledge and developing conflict until the final pages reinforced my initial qualms. Won’t be reading book two.Amazon.com: Eminent Domain: A First Contact Thriller (The Eminent Series Book 1) eBook: Lafferty, W E: Kindle Store 27 February, 2020 C+Solid, enjoyable, G-messed up: 50 miles from Tower to Lake, Devils Den located at north end of park as well as east end of lake, flying to Cody to go to Old Faithful, P+mostly: “Ground Loop Road?” Editing errors, “Lookout Point,” ”Old Faithful Lodge” and “Lake Lodge” named though Inn and Hotel described. Camping at West Thumb Geyser Basin. Protagonist says she’s flying to JH but goes to Cody, YVO a physical building at Old Faithful. S-exciting but extremely derivative, T-weeks, V-terrible, especially from a skilled writer who’s done some homework: “worlds largest supervolcano,” “100,000 years overdue,” 16,500,000/142=116,197. “640,000 years,” “Almost 700,000 years since the last eruption,“ “Rhyolite less viscous than basalt,” “caldera becoming a supereruption,” continental plates “move around on top of magma,” huge underground aquifers holding down magmatic pressure, threat to most life on planet, “extinction level event.” Ejecta blown into space to destroy satellites and the ISS! The same old story, only written better. Nice to read an explanation for how advanced evolution could come about in only 4.5 billion years, we had help. As a bonus, in the afterward we learn Mr. Lafferty really does know there’s no YVO building at Old Faithful and that some of his geophysics is a bit fanciful. Really? An interference pattern from 36 black holes created a vaccuum that froze the magma to permanently cap the hot spot? He says he researched the most up to date USGS knowledge. That’s good to know but his controlled-collapse caldera wouldn’t spare the continent the physical consequences of collapse, no matter the cause, such as pyroclasts, gas and ash. It’s fine he realizes he took liberties with a known place that it’s obvious he visited. Abut, a $300 round-trip flight ticket from Albuquerque to Jackson? A 4 Hour drive to Jackson hole airport from Old Faithful? Ridiculous. My point is if you’re going to ignore real life locations you might as well invent your own setting, except, that wouldn’t bring in the readership. Talented but commercial. “The structure of the chamber beneath this volcano is enormous and not well understood. I took advantage of this and created a structure for the super volcano that is based on a few facts but is exaggerated in many ways.” There you have it. (It’s much better known than he’s aware.)Darrell Maloney Fire in the Sky 1 of 8 17 February, 2017 Fire in the Sky (The Yellowstone Event, #1) C-cliched, G-Caldera field measurement stations far too close to gateway community, P+ all the more sad how disappointing this is as the author has skill, S-we’ve seen it all before, T-decades in development! Should be +, except it was only temperature and pressure rising without other necessary telltale markers which presumably will escalate too quickly in subsequent books, V-last eruption 300,000 years ago. Brown park service uniforms. Title has been used before but with more fire and more sky, both lacking in this story. But everything else we’ve seen too much of in other works and especially in second rate television shows. It’s not deja vu I sense but plagiarism. Do you remember the show where all the rural police are corrupt good ol’ boys railroading people passing through? And there’s a helpful bail officer who replaces his desk name plate as a new kind of public servant each time the protagonist has need? I think it was on Green Acres. Oh, and the government agents are covering up a conspiracy and murdering contract geologists to avoid a panic because a super eruption is much less messy to deal with after it occurs than before. Padded excessively to stretch one book out into eight, so far. It’s a shame, too, because it got off to such a good start with unexpected mysticism. But initially likable characters became wearying with forcibly clever dialogue that must have sounded better in author’s mind than what made it onto the printed page.Frank Montgomery The Wrath of Yellowstone 2 April, 2015 1 of 3 Could be subtitled “Why we prep.” I agree with the philosophy, it just could have had a better spokesman. C-cliched, G-one hour into the park from east or NE got them out of park in MT at Eagle’s Rest Campground yet it was administered by a park ranger, with a green hat, P mostly + “in tact,” S- tiring, T-3 months, V-“Largest caldera supervolcano on earth, experts believe that Y is overdue for an eruption anytime within the next 20,000 years, $20 entrance fee,” switch from present tense in first chapter to past tense, “just outside NW entrance, thousands of moose (and other animals) leaving park, geysers all around the park began shooting up into the sky hundreds of feet higher than usual(protagonists would have no knowledge of this in the Gardiner area,) ash deposits from the eruption will shoot up into the air almost 20 miles.” Deposits. Freezing temperatures in Jamaica and Brazil. This story is realistically brutal, it has that going for it. “volcano released thousands of years worth of pressure.” Functioning gas stations.Mike Mullin Ashfall 27 September, 2011 book 1 of 3.5. C+, G+, P+, S+, T - one month after large earthquake, V: Mullin avoids pitfall of not knowing geology by beginning his story immediately after eruption and far from it, also saves not knowing layout of Yellowstone. Too much ash in eastern Iowa; I’m ok with that, the rest of the book is done so well. Very enjoyable.K. R. Nilson The Yellowstone Traps 30 July, 2018 1 of ? C + but stereotypes, G - Knows park better than most, then ignores it. P + not many mistakes, S - hackneyed, T - 6 months after harmonic tremours, V - same old errors. Sounds good but full of holes. Clever title! Traps are large igneous provinces but this could also be a life or death trap for protagonists! That is, if the reader endures the laboured, bruised prose to learn who lives or doesn’t. One reader’s impressive vocabulary is another’s bludgeon: “Pandemonium erupted as passengers recoiled in fright at the careening female flyer slamming about the cabin interior on the heels of the explosive noises.“ Caldera “lurks under much of Yellowstone,” “largest non-marine volcanic structure on earth,” “erupts violently at intervals of between 6–800,000 years,” big, male moose roaming all over the park day and night, superheated rock “plasma” three miles down, 640,000 years, book of “Revelations,” reservoir of magma expanding; stretching and flowing for 1,000s of centuries, walking quietly when known grizzly is near, 1959 quake killed a dozen souls? Walking from nonexistent geological station on Plover Point to Grant Village in a day, “Yellowstone Lake Inn” and uphill Lodge destroyed by only 20 foot waves. Road from Grant to Lake destroyed so protagonist drove to Mammoth to get there. I couldn’t read any more.A. J. Powers As the Ash Fell 23 April, 2015 1 of 2. C+, G: bypassed! Like Mullin did. P+, S+, T? Story begins 7 years after, V-: no ash has fallen but is confused with suspended aerosols. Sincere and good natured. Too many small batteries and too much propane and ammunition available in a scarcity society but forgivable as its stipulated 80% population has died. Knows his guns! Protagonist self loads.John D Randall The Yellowstone Conundrum (Is This It?) (Volume 1) June 28, 2016 1 of 6 C+, G-, P-, S: includes ISIS, Ebola, flooding rivers and a Texas-Mexico drug war, T: out of nowhere, V: could not read past p. 39. In comments, chastises FEMA for patterning their emergency preparedness drills on his book and not giving him credit. I’m not making this up. Please see Preparing for “The Big One”S. M. Revolinski Ashes into Stardust 16 April, 2016E. S. Richards and Mike Kraus Eruption 13 September, 2019, Escaping Darkness book 1 of 6. Very good-hearted book earnestly written and researched but not set in the real world. C-generic. If this was a movie, their headshots would line one side of poster in boxes- “who will survive?” G-. P- mostly solid but strange word choices could have been edited better, S-padded, predictable. We’re being set up for multiple volumes. T-weeks of less than expected evidence. V-It turns out “Yellowstone’s small airport” has an extremely long runway, though I don’t think authors have seen it. If you’re flying to Texas from it, you would be far from the centre of the park. Oh, I get it, they must have meant Gardiner MT, not West Yellowstone. Geysers are frequently already “at their boiling point” independent of increased ground uplift in story. Most of the northern hemisphere would not be blanketed by inches of ash though much of the US west would be and by more than that. It would take much more than weeks of microquakes and a “feeling” the earth had risen over a year to bring about a large scale eruption; these things are measured instead of merely sworn by. Plane crashed 200 miles out on north edge of Helena Montana whose airport they approach by a gravel road! Characters walked out of ash cloud even though so close, wondering where other people were, all killed it’s speculated. An arm floats by on a river of lava which is jumped across. Winds blow ash into the stratosphere? This is obviously written by people unfamiliar with Yellowstone and with large volcanoes. Eruptions average seven weeks? Next year I expect a new post-apocalyptic series from this team.Katie Slivenski The Seismic Seven 5 June, 2018. Very well written book and enjoyable to read with excellent, realistic characters; powerful dramatic twist. Author avoids criticisms from Yellowstone locals by not describing surface geography at all after the Beartooth Highway! Sadly, beneath the ground, I think she’s made up a new location, one with coal mines, tiny steam pockets in granite and rock which defies limitations of drilling at high temperature. I recognize her drilling “pods” are a dramatic creation calling for the unique stature of the protagonists but it’s a fantasy. Tracks don’t need to fastened to borehole walls in order to place explosives deeply. Also, at depth with increased temperature above a magma chamber, boreholes cannot maintain their structural definition let alone be a survivable location for humans. Then there’s having internet service whether from cables or cell towers in the midst of an eruption, it’s almost impossible on a good day. C+, G-, P+, S+, T-proposed as humans-induced—-not possible, V-. Finally, no matter how much they love their humans, ferrets (Eurasian polecats) aren’t apt to run on command nor come when called; they are distracted by everything. It’s true they were used to run wires through airplane wings. But train them to turn lights on or off? That being said, the author accurately depicts them traveling in and about their owners hood. Additionally, the entire idea of releasing a little magmic pressure to unzip an entire chamber depends on mythically already pressurised, fluidic magma; the upper chamber is only 9% melted and the lower one only 2%. Only small pockets could erupt. But that’s more feasible than rapidly drilling a borehole kilometres to under an eruption site rapidly in the middle of a cataclysm, the utter impossible engineering melee the climax turns into…Heath Stallcup Caldera 14 December, 2017 1 of 8 Caldera Book 1. Co opts title already in use. C+Believable, conversational, except for constant glib quipping during end of world drama a la Bruce Willis, gets old quickly, G-does not know Yellowstone, P+, S-, T-no lava or ash but no warning either; long-buried virus that killed neanderthal’s re-emerges now, V-does not know volcanoes. The caldera makes you into a zombie. Eek. Even with the most inventive source of conflict imagined, an author still profits from knowing a little bit about the scene of his novel. A rock concert in the park, USFS trying to thin forests, replanting NPS land, hundreds of millions of dollars spent fighting the fires of ‘88, a campground with no indication if it’s for legal camping or not, “natural jacuzzi” adjoining pullout, “natural ampetheater” near visitor centre, geysers and hot springs releasing enough pressure to keep the volcano from erupting, “ Speeding, drug dealers, alcohol to minors, public intox, burglaries, public displays, one guy with a gun-shaped bubble blower that almost got shot, what more could go wrong tonight?“ Funny you should ask… Author knows police procedures and crafts realistic characters but banks too much, 8 books! on there being a receptive, ready-made audience for horror of loved ones turned zombie with attendant emotional conflict. Padded, tedious, I expect the flirtatious genetic scientists that open the book will be seen again in another volume but not by me.Amazon.com: Audun Stølås: Kindle Storehttps://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Audun+St%C3%B8l%C3%A5s&text=Audun+St%C3%B8l%C3%A5s&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=digital-textAudun Stølås The Volcano 22 October, 2020. Was able to read a small sample, which was enough. C-, G- don’t think author has ever been to YNP, P- spelling is carefully good but language use is awkward, much lost in translation, S-, T-, V-. Magma pool under the volcano, the whole of North America will be covered by a thick layer of lava and ash, have been testing for three weeks with air cannon finding each week magma pressure has increased so that eruption should happen within 2–3 months, points to volcano, boulders come down with smoke though present moment is said to be safe, as if Yellowstone has a conventional cone-shaped volcano. “This was not the editor you came up with a case that contained half-truths because it had not been checked thoroughly enough on all bows and edges. Ed Dalton worked hard to get the newspaper to deliver honest journalism and at the same time go around financially. One day it had become too much for him. The stress level was alarming, and the heart was pounding…Finally, a news that was big.”— The Volcano by Audun StølåsEdward Tellar The Would-Be Mystic: And the Yellowstone Premonition 8 January, 2019S. J. Tellor Yellowstone 1 February, 2019 Yellowstone Refreshingly restrained and nicely psychological. C+, G+ safe, no YNP locations, P+, S+, T+/- on one hand there were years of notice in which to construct bunkers. On the other hand, the precise day of eruption was known. V+ Mostly enjoyable.Nick Thacker, The Enigma Strain 1 of 12, 27 November, 2014. C-formulaic, G-YNP mostly avoided, for good reason, during climax inside park author betrays no knowledge of real place, P-amateurish, S-padded for many future volumes but flimsy, T NA as dealing with human triggered potential eruption, V-awful, cliched, full of error. There was some enjoyable suspense; author has some language skills. However: “He had no idea how heavy it was or how delicate but he was beyond waiting around for something else to happen…it was just him, a bomb and not much time left…’if I get out of this there is no way anyone ever hiring me to be part of a bomb squad.’ Trial and error didn’t seem to be a factor in examining an explosive device but then again there was nothing else he could do. No fiery ball of fire ripped him to shreds as he played with the bomb-keg so he continued with the plan…Julie heaved downward with all her body weight. A strained noise escaped her mouth and Ben couldn’t help but notice how cute it sounded…’Oooh, that’s not the lightest thing I’ve ever lifted!’” This was painful.Same old errors could have been avoided by deeper research, beyond pop sources: a single keg-sized bomb under the lake could release lava so that “5–600 miles incinerated or covered by lava. Rest stop with brick shelter a few miles from the lake. Known cave under lake where crust is thinnest (less than 2 miles), underground system but most aren’t very big (average lake depth is 42 m.) Half of US will cease to exist, scientific fact, not if but when, 300 year old paper journal preserved by cold ground so that it’s read in the field, romantic chemistry forced and cloying, poison ivy in YNP, largest active volcano on earth, caldera scheduled to erupt again, some say it’s a complete mystery, chain reaction, enormous mass of molten rock below, destruction of entire nation, network of secret roads in park, centripetal force around curve, dozen hot spots, every 600,000 years.” Togetherness/proximity beats the virus — “The answer was too simplistic to be possible.”Jeff Thomson Fall #1 Pressure series 23 June, 2018 Fall (Pressure Book 1) Thomson employs much greater skill with the English language than in most titles listed here. Unfortunately, he’s so aware of his facility that the book simply oozes smugness. C+ likable yet cliched, from whore with a heart of gold to corrupt televangelist to obtuse government official to humble war hero to hottie geologist to perky cougar mom of adult character. G+ overall good though there is no physical “Yellowstone Observatory” in the park, P+, S- belaboured. Formulaic. Padded in typical multi-book epic style. But then, his chapterisation and successful story building hits his stride most successfully; he knows he’s good. T- just a few days, even though accelerated by continent-spanning earthquakes. V- harmonic tremours well after the magma began flowing, only one magma chamber, only one magma conduit leading to two vents too far from each other, Krakatau listed as greater than Tambora, pH “skyrocketing” to acidic rather than falling. A bus on the park roads in winter. He’s done his homework but needed to be vetted by someone more knowledgeable. “Thomas knew this was what people wanted to hear, needed to hear….a place to point their fingers.” I truly appreciate his references and his vocabulary. But his characters’ minds are so slick in their glib rejoinders and inner monologues that he reads like a more polished version of Harry Turtledove; it gets old fairly quickly. “How do you rape a whore?“ “I sound like some B-movie tough guy.” “Dogs and cats living together.” Book got better toward end. Author bravely avoided cliche of protagonists escaping ground zero narrowly. I like most of the characters and care for them almost enough to read subsequent books. But it’s all a bit too much.Harry Turtledove Supervolcano Eruption 6 December, 2011 1 of 3 (A fourth is threatened) Kudos for painting post eruptive horror in breakdown of technology. That’s all the good I can say. Characters are very busy trying to pretend the world isn’t ending. C-unpleasant, G-, P+, S- excessively padded, T: 2 years, V -. Tedious to annoying.Layne Walker Escaping Yellowstone 4 March, 2012 1 of 3Tim Washburn Cataclism 25 October, 2016 CataclysmBill Wetterman Yellowstone: A Fall From Grace 24 September, 2015Campbell Paul Young Ash: Rise of the Republic 25 May, 2015“2012” Screenplay by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser 2008-2009, Columbia Pictures. Only four words: “The neutrinos have mutated!” Jesse Lee O’Connor 李杰西's answer to If the volcano in Yellowstone exploded, how far would the eruption extend? Would it be something like the movie 2012, or is that over-dramatic?“Super Eruption” 2011, SyFy presents. Utter drek. C-, G-main park roads are dirt, S-, T-two days, 30 days after earthquakes. V-“crystallising olivine to force magma into a crude state to prevent an eruption.” “Yellowstone hasn’t erupted for 148,000 years.” “Drain Yellowstone Lake into magma chamber to cool it down.” Old Faithful and Riverside Geyser going from water to lava eruption. One character is warned from the future which makes all the difference, but another isn't warned yet behaves differently for no reason than he did the first time around. “It seems science fiction can become science fact, sooner or later.” And helicopters fly just fine in heavy ashfall.“Supervolcano” Teledrama by Edward Canfor-Dumas and Julian Simpson 2003-2005, BBC. Jesse O’Connor's answer to What do you think of the 2005 movie made about the Yellowstone Supervolcano

America's EstuariesBy: Sarah BlountEstuaries are found around the world, offering productive habitat to thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish, and other wildlife, including more than two thirds of the fish and shellfish consumed in the US. A source of important economic and ecologic resources, these areas are home to 22 of the largest 32 cities in the world, and have been prime locations for human communities dating back to at least 3800 BCE. There are more than 100 of these water bodies along the coast of the United States—is there an estuary near you? Read on to learn about some of America's estuaries.Kachemak Bay, AlaskaOld Woman Creek, OhioHudson River, New York and New JerseyMission-Aransas Estuary, TexasJobos Bay, Puerto RicoJacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, New JerseyGuana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, FloridaGreat Bay Estuary, New Hampshire and MaineGrand Bay Estuary, Mississippi and AlabamaElkhorn Slough, CaliforniaApalachicola Bay System, FloridaKachemak Bay, AlaskaLocated on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula in south central Alaska, Kachemak Bay is the largest unit in the National Estuarine Research Reserve system, covering 366,100 acres. Kachemak is a fjord-type estuary, where retreating glaciers carved a deep channel in the land reaching out into the Gulf of Alaska. As the glaciers scraped across the land, they chiseled out a large mass of dirt and rock, which formed a pile that the glaciers pushed across the continental crust. When the glaciers finally reached the end of their path and melted away, they left behind this pile of rubble, otherwise known as a moraine. As sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age with the influx of water from melting across the planet, this new valley was filled with seawater, drowning the moraine. The moraine rests at what is now the mouth of Kachemak Bay, acting as a barrier to the water body and restricting saltwater input, giving the bay its distinction as a fjord-type estuary. Typically with these types of estuaries a layer of fresh water coming off of the coast will flow above the near-stagnant salt water below, but Kachemak is located at such a high latitude that during the six-month winter the mainland watershed freezes, cutting off the supply of fresh water to the estuary, rendering the bay almost completely marine.Thinking of visiting Kachemak Bay for some hiking, fishing, camping, or kayaking? Check out this helpful advice from the Alaskan Department of Natural Resources to keep yourself and the bay safe during your trip!Sources: Alaska Department of National Resources Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation “Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park” Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park; EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; Kachemak Bay Research Reserve “A Site Profile of the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve: A Unit of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/KBA_SiteProfile.pdf; National Estuarine Research Reserve System “Kachemak Bay, AK” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Reserve.aspx?ResID=KBA; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Fjord” fjord; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; NOAA Ocean Service Education “Fjords” NOAA's National Ocean Service Education: EstuariesOld Woman Creek, OhioYou won’t find Old Woman Creek on the West Coast feeding into the Pacific, nor will you find it on the East Coast spilling out into the Atlantic. In fact, this estuary has no access to salt water at all! Old Woman Creek is a freshwater estuary located in Huron, Ohio where the fresh water of the creek mixes with the chemically distinct fresh water of Lake Erie, creating a highly productive wildlife habitat, including freshwater marshes, swamp forests, a barrier beach, upland forests, and a riparian stream, all scattered across the estuary’s watershed.The estuary and its surrounding landscape help to remove pollutants and sediment from water flowing off of the landscape before it hits Lake Erie, which supplies water to millions of Ohio residents every day. In addition to helping provide potable water to the people of Ohio, Old Woman Creek estuary also serves as a giant protective sponge, soaking up potentially dangerous floodwaters and slowly releasing the excess moisture back to the open lake.Interested in visiting Old Woman Creek? The visitor center is open Tuesday through Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 pm during the April through October months. Check out the reserve’s calendar of events to plan your visit!Sources: Charles E. Herdendorf, David M. Klarer, and Ricki C. Herdendorf. 2006. The Ecology of Old Woman Creek, Ohio: An Estuarine and Watershed Profile (2nd Ed.). Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Columbus, Ohio. 452 pp. Retrieved from http://www.coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/Reserves_OWC_SiteProfile.pdf; EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; National Estuarine Research Reserve System “Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://nerrs.noaa.gov/reserves/old-woman-creek.html; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “Ocean Service Education: Freshwater Estuaries” NOAA's National Ocean Service Education: Estuaries; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; NOAA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife “2015 Estuary Explorations Community Calendar” http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/Portals/wildlife/pdfs/public%20areas/estuaryexplorations.pdf; NOAA and Ohio Division of Wildlife “Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan 2011-2016” http://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/Reserves_OWC_MgmtPlan.pdfThe Hudson River, New York and New JerseyFor those who aren’t native to New York or New Jersey, hearing that the Hudson River is actually an estuary may come as a surprise! The river begins 315 miles away from the coast as fresh water from Lake Tear of the Clouds in the Adirondack Mountains, and flows south towards Upper New York Bay, also called New York Harbor. Of this extent, only the southern 153 miles (from Troy, New York to the Harbor) make up the estuary. This designation comes from the unusual trait the Hudson acquires in its final stretch—it will flow two different ways, depending on the time of day.The waters of the Hudson are affected by the Atlantic’s tides, meaning that when the New York coast is experiencing a flood tide (when the tide is rising) the tidal force is so strong that it rushes in through the bay and pushes the Hudson’s waters back upstream. The tides are forceful enough that they impact the flow of the Hudson’s waters all the way through the Albany area, finally losing their influence at the city of Troy. During an ebb tide (when the tide is receding), the Hudson’s waters flow south once again. The Hudson sees two high tides and two low tides each day, constantly shifting the water’s flow.Not only does the Atlantic change the Hudson’s direction of flow, but it also affects the water’s salinity. Depending on the season, the “salt front,” or the leading edge of the salt water flowing in from the bay, shifts along the Hudson’s track. In the high-river flow of spring, the freshwater of the river pushes the salt front south to the Tappan Zee, but as the flow decreases in the summer, the salt front encroaches north to Newburgh Bay, sometimes even reaching Poughkeepsie in times of drought.This unusual water body and its tributaries are home to more than 200 species of fish, as well as blue crab, bald eagles, herons, and other waterfowl, which can be found in the estuary’s tidal marshes and mudflats.You can help safeguard the estuary! The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has a guide on ways to contribute to the health of the estuary from inside of your home, in your community, on the riverbanks, and from your boat. Check out their advice here.Sources: EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation “The Hudson Estuary: A River That Flows Two Ways” The Hudson Estuary: A River That Flows Two Ways; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation “What You Can Do to Protect the Hudson River Estuary” What You Can Do to Protect the Hudson River Estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc. and Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve “Ecological Profile of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/Reserves_HUD_SiteProfile.pdfMission-Aransas Estuary, TexasThe Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve on the Gulf Coast of Texas contains 185,708 acres of wetland, water, and terrestrial habitats, including oak motte habitats, saltwater marshes, wind tidal flats, mangroves, oyster reefs, and coastal prairie. Protected by Matagorda Island, a barrier island created during the melting of the last ice age, this estuary is shielded from some of the winds and waves coming in off of the Gulf of Mexico, making it an ideal home for ecologically, commercially, and recreationally important species such as blue crabs, alligators, juvenile flounder, and herons. Migratory birds also make up a large part of the community here, as the reserve is ideally located as a place to rest and refuel for Neotropical birds migrating between North and Central America.Perhaps you’ve heard about the stars of the estuary, although it’s unlikely that you’ve seen them in the wild—the whooping crane, the rarest crane species and one of the rarest birds in North America (and also the tallest). This flock travels 2,500 miles from their home in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park down to the Mission-Aransas Estuary every year, the progeny of the 15 cranes found wintering at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in 1941. Want a chance to spot these beautiful birds? Visit the estuary between October and March, when the flock is in town for the winter. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge or one of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve facilities are both great places to go learn more!Sources: EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; Evans, A; Madden, K & Palmer, S. M. “The Ecology and Sociology of the Mission-Aransas Estuary: An Estuarine and Watershed Profile” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/MAR_SiteProfile.pdf; Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve “About: Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://www.missionaransas.org/about.html; National Estuarine Research Reserve System “Mission-Aransas, TX” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Reserve.aspx?ResID=MAR; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; USFWS “Aransas NWR” U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceJobos Bay, Puerto RicoJobos Bay is Puerto Rico’s second-largest estuarine area, and it is home to some of the most extensive networks of mangrove forests on the island. Located on the arid southeastern coast between Guayama and Salinas, this tropical estuarine system was formed 18,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age as rising seas drowned coastal lowlands. What’s unusual about this estuary is its hydrology—rather than being fed by a mighty river, the main source of fresh water for Jobos Bay is groundwater from the South Coastal Alluvial Plain aquifer. Water from the higher-rainfall area of the Cordillera Central mountain slopes is absorbed into the earth and enters the aquifer, where it travels underground across the island before resurfacing in the estuary to the south. With this system, Jobos Bay supports mangroves, coral reefs, lagoons, salt flats, dry forests, and sea grass beds, which are important for a wide array of plants and animals, including large migrating bird populations and many endangered species.The Jobos Bay estuary has natural water filtration occurring in its mangrove forests. Mangroves are found all around this estuary, including Mar Negro, the mangrove forest wetlands complex found on the land side of the mouth of the Jobos Bay, and Cayos Caribe, the linear chain of 15 reef-fringed mangrove islands that reach west from the southern tip of the mouth of the Bay. These trees help to mitigate the impacts of coastal storms, both for human populations on the land and for aquatic communities on the other side of the forests in the sea. The energy of harsh winds and strong waves from the storm are attenuated as they pass through the mangroves, lessening the impact of these forces by the time they reach buildings and houses further inland. On the other side of the trees, stormwater runoff and sediment that fill the streams during these heavy rain events are taken up by the wetlands vegetation and knocked out of the water column by the knot of mangrove roots, so that when the water reaches the sensitive coral community further out in the ocean, the impact on these delicate animals is reduced.Sources: EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; Labos, E. N. et al. “Jobos Bay Estuarine Profile: A National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/JOB_SiteProfile.pdf; National Estuarine Research Reserve System “Jobos Bay, PR” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Reserve.aspx?ResID=JOB; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414;Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, New JerseyThe Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in southern New Jersey covers several estuarine areas, including the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, the lower Barnegat Bat, Little Bay, Reeds Bay, and Absecon Bay. Encompassed in these lands and waters are pine-oak forests, hardwood swamps, tidal marshes, barrier islands, and emergent wetlands, which provide nursery and reproductive habitat to wildlife populations including more than 270 species of macroinvertebrates, 90 species of fish, 350 species of algae, and many more avian, reptilian, amphibian, and mammalian species. In addition to the plants and animals that live in the estuary all year long, the Jacques Cousteau NERR also serves migrating bird populations, providing winter habitat to more than 70,000 individual waterfowl.In addition to making the land habitable for plants and animals, the estuary also helps to keep human coastal communities safe and livable. The sponge-like quality of the wetlands surrounding the estuary waters helps to absorb incoming floodwaters and storm surge, and the emergent plants and submerged aquatic vegetation of the estuary filter out sediment, excess nutrients, and pollution from the waters before they flow out to the ocean.To visit the area and see the estuary in action, check out these public lands:Wharton State ForestEdwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife RefugeSources: EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve “Characterization of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve: A Profile Report” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/JCQ_SiteProfile.pdf; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences “Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve: General Description of the Reserve” http://jcnerr.org/description.htmGuana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, FloridaThe Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve in northeast Florida is home to three different estuaries: the Tolomato and Guana River estuaries in the northern section, and the Matanzas River estuary in the southern portion. Together, these estuaries and their surrounding lands contain pinelands, salt marsh, oyster bars, estuarine lagoons, and the northernmost extent of mangrove habitat on the East Coast. As these different types of habitat contain both tropical and subtropical plants and animals, this reserve is a key area for scientists to study how these populations will react to the impacts of climate change.The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve is a great place to go to look for wildlife! This area is an important place to rest and feed for migrating populations such as shorebirds and calving North Atlantic right whales, and other wildlife like manatees, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons can be found here all year long. The public lands below are all part of the reserve—check them out to plan your visit!Northern component:Guana River Marsh Aquatic PreserveGuana River Wildlife Management AreaSouthern component:Faver-Dykes State ParkFort Mantanzas National MonumentPrincess Place PreserveSources: D. Frazel. 2009. Site Profile of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. Ponte Vedra, FL. 151 pp. Retrieved from http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/GTM_SiteProfile.pdf; EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire and MaineThe Great Bay estuary is unusual, and can even be a little hard to find. This is because New Hampshire’s largest estuarine system, located on the border between New Hampshire and Maine, does not open directly into the ocean! Instead, this estuary is fed salt water that travels from the Gulf of Maine 15 miles inland through the Piscataqua River, where it then mixes in Great Bay with fresh water from the Salmon Falls, Cocheco, Bellamy, Oyster, Lamprey, Squamscott, and Winnicut rivers. The bay’s placement so far away from the coast makes it one of the most recessed estuaries in the nation. Formed by sea level rise at the end of the last ice age 14,000 years ago, the estuary and its surrounding lands today contain mudflats, salt marshes, swamps, ponds, eelgrass beds, oyster habitat, and more, offering food, shelter, and breeding ground to fish, birds, mammals, and invertebrates alike. Located on the Atlantic Flyway, Great Bay hosts the largest wintering population of bald eagles in New England, and the largest concentration of black ducks in the state.Come visit the estuary! Hike, bike and try your hand at nature photography at the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, or head out to the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for more recreational opportunities. Bring some sunscreen, a water bottle and a sense of adventure!Sources: EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; NOAA “NERRS Reserves: Great Bay, NH; Animals and Rare Species” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/NERRSReserve.aspx?ID=127&ResID=GRB; NOAA, New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game, Great Bay Stewards “Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://greatbay.org/; USFWS “Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge” http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Great_Bay/Grand Bay, Mississippi and AlabamaThe Grand Bay estuary, straddling the state line between Mississippi and Alabama, is a major estuarine system contributing to the Gulf of Mexico. Encompassing Mississippi’s Middle Bay, Point Aux Chenes Bay, Bayou Cumbest, Crooked Bayou, and Bayou Heron, this area contains a diverse array of habitats, including some of the most extensive, un-vegetated salt flats found in Mississippi, as well as wet pine savanna, salt marshes, bays, maritime forests, oyster reefs, and areas of submerged aquatic vegetation.While the Grand Bay estuary is home to some of the most biodiverse habitats in North America, housing many species of mammals, birds, insects, and commercially and recreationally important species of finfish and shellfish, it isn’t an ideal habitat for everyone! This estuary is a study in extremes, both on land and in water. Low freshwater input to the Bay means that this estuary is one of the saltiest on the Mississippi coast, making it unsuitable for some species while allowing others to flourish. Things don’t get much easier on land—to remain healthy, the wet pine savanna is maintained with periodic wildfires, which help to clear out invasive species and are a necessary component of the reproduction of many species of plants in the area. Frequently burned wet pine savannas are often home to specialized plants, such as orchids and carnivorous pitcher plants—at least four different kinds of carnivorous plants can be found in Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge alone.Don’t let the carnivorous plants keep you at bay! There are many great ways to get out and enjoy recreating on the estuary:Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge: Visitors can enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, and wildlife observation and take in environmental education and interpretive events at the refuge, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve: Managed by NOAA and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the reserve is dedicated to research, but it can also be enjoyed by visitors looking to do some birding, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, and more.Grand Bay Savanna Preserve: Managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, this area offers educational resources, as well as opportunities to boat and fish.Sources: EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. 2013. Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan 2013-2018: Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Moss Point, Mississippi. 104pp. Retrieved from http://grandbaynerr.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/GBNEER-Plan-Final-8-13-13.pdf; Mississippi Department of Natural Resources “Mississippi GEMS: Grand Bay Savanna Preserve” http://www.dmr.ms.gov/mississippi-gems/213-grand-bay-savanna; Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, NOAA “Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://grandbaynerr.org/; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; Peterson, M.S., G.L. Waggy and M.S. Woodrey (editors). (2007). Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve: An Ecological Characterization. Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Point, Mississippi. 268 pp. Retrieved from http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/GRD_SiteProfile.pdf ; USFWS “Grand Bay National WildlifeElkhorn Slough, CaliforniaEstuaries may be a bit tricky to find along the Pacific—only 10-20% of the western coastline is composed of estuaries, compared to the 80-90% of the eastern coastline. This stark contrast is due to the difference in tectonic activity on the two coasts; craggy cliffs formed by uplift and mountain-building in the west versus relative calm in the east, where the land slopes gently into the ocean.Elkhorn Slough (pronounced “slew”) is a small, shallow estuary that feeds into Monterey Bay at Moss Landing. Found about 20 miles north of Monterey, this water body and its surrounding lands offer a wide variety of habitat including mudflats, eelgrass beds, salt marsh, coastal dunes, open beaches, grasslands, and woodlands. Together, this ecosystem supports more than 50 species of terrestrial mammals and hundreds of species of fish both recreationally and commercially important, but it is best known for its bird population. A critical habitat for resident and migratory bird populations, Elkhorn Slough is one of the few remaining saltwater wetlands on the Pacific Flyway, offering respite to tens of thousands of birds, including rare and endangered species.The slough and the lands surrounding it are managed by several different organizations, offering different opportunities to learn about and interact with the estuary.Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve: Co-managed by NOAA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, this area is a field laboratory for research and education. Come check out the award-winning exhibits of the Visitor Center, or take a stroll along the five miles of trails that span the reserve.Elkhorn Slough: Managed by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, this site covers recreational activities which are offered around the slough, including some not available on the reserve.Sources: Elkhorn Slough Foundation, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve “Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve” http://www.elkhornslough.org/esnerr/index.htm; Elkhorn Slough Foundation, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve “Recreation at Elkhorn Slough” http://www.elkhornslough.org/recreation/index.htm; Elkhorn Slough Foundation, NOAA, California Department of Fish and Game “Changes in a California Estuary” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/ELK_SiteProfile.pdf; EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414;Apalachicola Bay System, FloridaThe Apalachicola Bay system is located in the Florida panhandle, where the Apalachicola River meets the Gulf of Mexico. This bay system can be broken up into four parts: East Bay, St. Vincent Sound, St. George Sound, and Apalachicola Bay. Guarded by a chain of barrier islands, this 210 square-mile estuary receives water from stream systems that reach beyond state borders into Alabama and Georgia. These waters feed the Apalachicola River, contributing to the estuary’s standing as one of the most productive estuarine systems in North America. About 90% of Florida’s oyster harvest and 10% of the country’s oyster harvest come from these waters, which also serve as a nursery for other commercially and ecologically important species of fish and shellfish. Surrounding the waters of the estuary is a richly diverse landscape, including pine forests, dune fields, barrier islands, floodplain forests, and various types of wetlands. Together, this patchwork landscape provides habitat for over 1,000 species of plants and many different amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, including rare and endangered species, such as West Indian manatee and the Indiana bat. The proximity of the estuary to the Mississippi Flyway, an important track for migratory birds, makes this area an important stopover point for many bird species.This estuary is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Florida Park Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Northwest Florida Water Management District, so depending on where you go, there are different opportunities to learn about and interact with the estuary.St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge: This undeveloped barrier island is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and is an important migratory bird stopover, as well as habitat for bald eagles, loggerhead sea turtles, and red wolves. Visitors here can hike, fish and photograph wildlife.Apalachicola Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve: This 246,000 acre reserve is managed by NOAA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and is a prime forage area for trans-gulf migratory bird species. The refuge offers a guest lecture series, educational exhibits at the nature center, and field trip programs to the site.Other parks and natural resources surrounding the estuary: The Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce has collected information on the many state and local public lands surrounding the estuary.(Sources: Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce “Apalachicola” http://www.apalachicolabay.org/index.cfm/m/20/locationSectionId/0/Museum,_Parks,_Theater; Edmiston, H. L. (2008). A river meets the bay: The Apalachicola estuarine system. Apalachicola, FL: NOAA & Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Retreived from: http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/APA_SiteProfile.pdf; EPA “Basic Information about Estuaries” National Estuary Program (NEP) | US EPA; EPA, Narragansett Bay Commission & University of Rhode Island Office of Marine Programs “Estuarine Science: All About Estuaries” http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/descript/whats.htm; National Geographic “Encyclopedic Entry: Estuary” estuary; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve; A River Meets the Bay: The Apalachicola Estuarine System” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/Doc/PDF/Reserve/APA_SiteProfile.pdf; NOAA “National Estuarine Research Reserve System: Quick Facts About Estuaries” http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/ECDefault.aspx?ID=414; NOAA “NERRS Reserves: Apalachicola, FL” http://nerrs.noaa.gov/Reserve.aspx?ResID=APA; NOAA “NERRS Reserves: Apalchicola, FL; Endangered Species” http://nerrs.noaa.gov/NERRSReserve.aspx?ID=88&ResID=APA; USFWS “St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge” http://www.fws.gov/saintvincent/)