Originally posted by Maeven23
Sounds like things have gotten worse...what could be the broader implications of a complete collapse?
A lot depends on time scale. If the whole dome collapses it will almost certainly not go in one big event. But, depending on the integrity of some
parts of the dome, smaller regional collapses are not out of the realm of the possible.
It all goes so slow that all the companies that have material stored in various caverns within the dome have time to empty them out before they are
breached. It is known that there are deposits of oil, methane and hydrogen sulfide in the dome system but there aren't enough of any of them to pose
a serious short or long term danger. There are at least two small towns on the Napoleonville dome that would be lost but there would be no loss of
life because there would be plenty of time to evacuate them. Assumption Parish would end up with a new lake but it would be, at least for some time,
too salty and polluted for recreational use or fishing.
There are several ways this could play out.
1 - Hydrogen sulfide -
It is still unknown just how much of the H2S is actually under the cap rock and in other strata in and around the dome.
H2S presents two distinct dangers. The first is that it is flammable and if it concentrates in the right amount before ignition it could be explosive.
The second is that it is a deadly poison. A sudden and unexpected large release could kill a lot of people in the vicinity. A slower, but prolonged,
release could make a very large area around the dome uninhabitable for a long time.
2 - Methane -
While methane is not poisonous like H2S, it will still kill in large enough quantities by suffocation. It can, like H2S, be very
explosive in the right mix with air before it is ignited. But the overall danger from a large methane deposit is somewhat less than a large deposit of
3 - Stored chemicals and various fuels -
If any of the chemical and/or fuel storage chambers are breached before they can be emptied there are
several types of danger presented by each of them,
A - Liquid butane and propane -
Both are extremely flammable and/or explosive under the right conditions. Someone, in fact several
someones, have described a sudden breach of just one of the caverns as being capable of causing an explosion with the force of 100 Hiroshima bombs.
Please note that that assessment is based on explosive force only and has no actual radioactive danger that an atomic bomb would produce. But even a
slower release could cause a flare up and fire that would make even a 30 inch pipeline fire look like a candle next to a blowtorch. And there would be
no way to shut it off until all the liquid turned to gas and burned off.
B - Liquid fuels like diesel oil, crude oil and gasoline -
While they obviously aren't as much of a danger as the compressed liquid
gasses, they would still make for one heck of a fire and would cause a huge environmental problem. Not to mention the cost and effort needed to clean
it all up even if it didn't catch fire.
C - NORM or Naturally Occurring Radioactive material -
This is a mildly radioactive byproduct of oil wells. But, since it is separated out
of the crude and concentrated, the danger it would present would depend on how much there is, how concentrated it is and how much is released into the
environment. This one is still one big question mark.
D - Other chemicals and toxins -
Beside what is mentioned above I have no real idea what else is stored in the caverns in the dome. But
there are many possibilities like chemical components of pesticides, (remember Bhopal India) and other explosive and or toxic chemicals. This one
could be nothing or it could be one heck of an environmental disaster all by itself.
Add to all the above the fact that even empty caverns are shored up by keeping brine in them and the sudden release of one of the pressurized gasses
could cause a massive collapse chain reaction involving any caverns close enough to be affected.
I think I covered all the important points. If I think of anything else within the editing time allowance I will edit it in. Otherwise I will create
another reply with a link back to this one.