Supervolcano is an active volcano, the eruption of which can scatter volcanic substances in the form of molten stones, hot gas and ash within a radius of 1000 km³. This is a thousand times more than the largest volcanic eruption on record in modern history. Supervolcanoes form when a significant mass of highly heated magma rises from the bowels of the earth, but does not break through the crust, and a huge reservoir of high pressure is created underground, extending for several kilometers. Over time, the pressure rises, a large reservoir of magma grows, until a super-eruption begins.
Such eruptions have already occurred and will soon be repeated again. According to the data, such an eruption occurs on the planet in about 50,000-60,000 years, the last such was in Indonesia 74,000 years ago. Today, 40 supervolcanoes have been discovered, seven of which are still active. Even with modern technology, we cannot stop any of these volcanoes from erupting, the best we can do is research them, study them as much as we can and prepare for the consequences. Check out the article 10 Biggest Natural Disasters in Earth History.
10. Apocalyptic eruption of a supervolcano
Several correct details must be noted right away. For starters, we know relatively little about the formation of volcanoes and even less about why they erupt. However, recent geological studies have shown that supervolcanoes are not like ordinary volcanoes, especially if we talk about an eruption. If an ordinary volcano is triggered by an internal mechanism, in which the pressure of the magma increases until a certain time and, in the end, breaks through the surface, then the supervolcano is triggered from the earth's crust, which becomes unstable due to a huge cavity with magma, cracks and faults appear. Through these rifts, lava can form an irreversible chain reaction, leading to a devastating and inevitable explosion that can destroy most of the life on the planet. This makes it even more difficult to predict when the supervolcano will erupt.
In ancient times, one such eruption happened around the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs. The eruption coincided with another cataclysm (a meteor that flew to the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago), the site of which is now known as the Deccan Trap in central India, was also the site of a grandiose eruption... One of the largest volcanic formations appeared almost 30,000 years before India “crashed into»To Asia. Now the volcano consists of more than 1980 meters of straight basalt lava flows, covering an area of about 320 thousand. It has been established that the original area was three times larger, but it has decreased due to erosion of tectonic plates. The volume of volcanic matter is now roughly 512 cubic kilometers, compared with the 1980 eruption of Saint Helena, which scattered lava about one cubic kilometer.
An even bigger and more devastating incident happened 235 million years ago on the site of what is now Siberia, which caused the "great" extinction, when 75% of the inhabitants of the earth and 95% of marine life disappeared. But the largest volcanic eruption of the last 300 million years began under water 125 million years ago. Formed a plateau 30.6 kilometers thick and 1,942,500 square kilometers (1% of the Earth's surface), called Ontong Java, it is located in the Pacific Ocean in the north of the Solomon Islands. During the eruption, about 100 million km³ of magma was released and was 100 times more powerful than the eruption of St. Helena. You might be interested in article 10 Sad Facts About the Future of the Earth.
9. Infernal pyroclastic flows that will follow soon
Immediately after the eruption, the same, if not more, destructive phenomenon begins. This is a pyroclastic flow that instantly destroyed a huge number of people in Pompeii in 79, during the eruption of Vesuvius. When the volcano erupts, in addition to the eruption column that forms above the crater, another, more dangerous cloud of ash rises and flows down the slopes in all directions at an incredibly high speed (up to 724 kilometers per hour). This boiling substance of solid and semi-solid rocks, ash and eerily hot expanding gases, which works like an avalanche. Anything that enters the stream will be killed instantly, as the temperature inside reaches 982 degrees Celsius. If you find yourself in the center of one of these pyroclastic flows, then there is absolutely nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. The gases are so poisonous that they destroy the lungs almost instantly, and the liquid in the tissues simply boils away.
The ash in the pyroclastic flows of the supervolcano is so hot that as soon as it touches the ground, it turns into lava. This will lead to the fact that magma flows will spill hundreds of kilometers from the volcano itself. Due to the ultra-high velocities of an avalanche such as this, a phenomenon such as viscous heating will begin. Basically, the force of movement of solid volcanic rocks in the air is added to their overall temperature, making them even hotter and turning them into lava in the air. All living things in the vicinity that did not get caught in this incandescent hurricane rushing away from them will perish from the poisonous gases produced by the stopped pyroclastic flow. The area covered by the stream will be covered with ruins up to 213 meters high.
8. Volcanic winter is coming!
Now, you may be inclined to believe that even though supervolcanoes are huge and deadly, they will wreak havoc on a local level. But this is far from the truth. In modern understanding, destruction by a volcano is molten rocks that absorb everything in its path, more powerful destruction occurs in the air. The pillar of the supervolcano's eruption can rise to a height of 24 kilometers, and ash blown by the wind can cover the sky for many years. The reaction of toxic gases takes place in the stratosphere, which protects the lower atmosphere from solar radiation and sudden cooling. The result is a volcanic winter, along with other phenomena such as acid rain, which can threaten the entire planet, disrupting the natural cycle and destroying the flora on which other species, such as humans, depend.
Only a few days after the eruption, the sky will be dark and deadly with radioactive fallout falling 2,816 kilometers from the volcano. Within a radius of 800 kilometers, ash can settle at a depth of 1 meter. Movement within this zone will be impossible, roads will be invisible, air traffic will be stopped, and people on the street will not be able to see where to go and will most likely suffocate. Damp ash will destroy roofs, short circuits will de-energize lines, clog car engines, and damage reservoirs. Nuclear power plants will have to shut down and lawlessness could begin.
Those who live in the territory of the ash cloud will need masks and gas masks. This is because the ash of a volcano is a rock that burst into tiny pieces and in a minute turned into shards of glass with jagged edges. In the form of fine dust, the ash easily penetrates the lungs, and people and animals can suffer a slow and painful death due to the rare disease acromegaly. Due to improper functioning of the lungs, the skeletal system goes out of control, new bones quickly appear on top of old bones. This effect will affect people living even thousands of kilometers away and already a month after the eruption.
A simulation of the last eruption of Yellowstone 640,000 years ago showed that a cloud of fine ash and dust covered the northern hemisphere for 18 months, and the temperature of the entire planet dropped by 10 degrees Celsius. As a result, ice quickly froze in the Arctic, reflecting even more solar heat. This led to a dramatic reduction in rainfall, and more carbon dioxide was stored in the oceans and in the soil. All these factors lead to a decline in biological productivity, food supplies in some areas will be enough for only a few weeks. According to the analysis, it took more than 20 years for the planet to recover to the state in which it was before the incident. If an eruption and pyroclastic flow can kill millions of people (depending on location), then the coming volcanic winter is likely to kill billions across the planet.
7.Kaldera Aira, Kyushu, Japan
Now that you have an idea of what a supervolcano is and about its destructive power, let's talk about seven such active volcanoes known in our time. The first is Kaldera Aira, located on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan. At first glance, Sakurajima Volcano in the northern part of Kagoshima Bay appears to look like any ordinary volcano. Although it has erupted almost continuously since 1955 and threatens the neighboring city of Kagoshima (population 500,000), Sakurajima does not really stand out from the many volcanoes that make up the Pacific Volcanic Ring of Fire.
This impression is quite misleading, since Sakurajima is only a small part of a larger and more dangerous volcano. That he is on an island in the middle of the bay is the first evidence. Because Kagoshima Bay is actually the Caldera Aira known for its sad history. The caldera is different from the crater of a volcano, it is a huge depression in the ground that was formed after the previous eruption of a supervolcano. As soon as the magma pool was empty, the earth was higher, settled and partially filled the remaining hole.
This caldera was primarily formed after a large eruption that occurred 22,000 years ago, Sakurajima began to grow after 9,000 years. Now the volcano works simply as a ventilation of the larger 388 square kilometers caldera on which it is located. During the last eruption, the volcano erupted about 58 km³ of volcanic substance.
Scientists in Japan believe that there is a 1% chance that a large enough volcanic eruption could occur within the next 100 years that could destroy the country completely.... When you consider the daily tremors that occur around Kagoshima Bay, Caldera Aira is among the first on this list. If the eruption happened today, magma and pyroclastic flows, as well as ash clouds, could cover an area with a population of 5 million. The remaining 120 million people, the majority of the entire population of Japan, will be severely affected by the ash fallout.
6. Taupo Caldera, North Island, New Zealand
Supervolcano Taupo is located under one of the most beautiful areas on earth. Located on the North Island of New Zealand, the caldera is covered by the country's largest lake, the Taupo. This volcano began to form 300,000 years ago, and the caldera began its existence around 25 BC. e., after the eruption of Oruanui. During it, about 1200 km³ of volcanic matter was thrown onto the surface. At the moment, the magma cavity is located 8 kilometers underground and is responsible for the largest eruptions of the last 5000 years.
The last large-scale eruption at Lake Taupo happened around 200 AD. from holes near the reefs of Khoromatanga (now flooded). The plume from the eruption reached a height of 48 kilometers, exactly into the stratosphere. The incipient pyroclastic flows engulfed the surroundings within a radius of 88 kilometers. When the Kaimanawa mountains grew 1.6 kilometers in a matter of minutes, it became the largest such phenomenon noted in the history of mankind. The lake was blocked at its mouth, and the water level increased by 34 meters. This natural dam, in the end, broke out with a huge flood, the consequences of which boulders and flooded forests could be seen for more than 200 kilometers. The eruption was probably the cause of the red sunsets mentioned by the ancient Romans and Chinese.
5. Caldera Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia
The Toba caldera in Indonesia is responsible for the largest volcanic eruption of the past 2 million years. It is also the largest, 29 by 97 kilometers, with a total area of over 2,590 km². This caldera most likely formed in stages following the eruptions that occurred about 840,700 and 75,000 years ago. The past was its largest, throwing out a whopping 2,800 cubic kilometers of volcanic substance. Pyroclastic flows swallowed up an area of 20,000 km², and the island of Samosir was covered with a thick layer of volcanic tuff (pyroclastic debris) of 550 meters. As a result, the ash from the eruption covered an area of at least 4 million square kilometers, reaching a distance of 7,000 kilometers from the volcano.
Some scientists believe that the Toba eruption left an incredible imprint on the early human population that still lives in East Africa today. It was so strong that it created a bottleneck effect and only a few thousand people survived. Then the extinction of humanity almost happened, recent discoveries seem to indicate that Toba was not the main cause. Archaeological research suggests that the climate of East Africa was not so severely affected by the eruption and its aftermath as to wipe out almost all of humanity. Why this happened is still subject to controversy. And yet, it seems that the onset of a volcanic winter reduced the temperature on the planet by at least 5 degrees Celsius and, perhaps, provoked a new ice age.
4. Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA
Despite the green, tranquil and inviting views at Valles Caldera National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, the presence of hot springs, gas currents and periodic tremors indicates a frightening neighborhood burrowing underground. The volcanic caldera located there is small enough compared to others on this list, with an area of 36 square kilometers, far enough to walk from end to end. It is also not the first here, as it collapsed and buried the more ancient Toledo caldera, which was located on the site of the previous one.
This volcano has had two mega eruptions in the last 2 million years.: one 1.7 and 1.2 million years ago another, throwing up to 625 cubic kilometers of debris and ash that reached Iowa. The last eruption happened about 50,000-60,000 years ago, but its shock wave was much smaller in comparison with those.
Although the Valles Caldera does not appear to begin erupting in the near future, it lies on top of the intersection of the Rio Grande Rift and the Jemets Mountain line, and its volcanic activity is dependent on tectonic movement along this intersection. Because of this, this particular volcano is very unpredictable, and it is rather difficult to detect its future eruption. In the United States, the Valles Caldera is the most extensively studied volcanic complex, with about 40 deep wells.
3. Caldera Campi Flegrei, Naples, Italy
It is known that the inhabitants of Naples in Italy have always lived with the ghost of Vesuvius, which erased Pompeii in 79 AD. e .. But many people do not know, however, that on the other side of the city lies a caldera with an area of 34 square kilometers, known as "Campi Flegrei"(burning fields). This caldera is part of the western part of the city as well as the bay of Pozzuoli. The volcano has had two massive eruptions in the past.: 47,000 and 36,000 years ago with shorter periods of activity at fairly regular intervals about every 4 thousand years.
But recently, in 2013, a series of earthquakes raised anxiety among the people of Naples. Satellite images indicated that the land at the top, which looked like a dormant caldera, had become 2.54 centimeters higher in a month, and in some places by 10 centimeters. Due to the fact that the earth has not yet returned to its original state, scientists believe that the cavity under the city, with a volume of about 4.2 million m³, has been filled with magma. This is not enough volume to become a key problem, as it takes much more for a mega-eruption to occur. However, volcanologists need to keep a close eye on the Campi Flegrei caldera as these tremors can cause serious damage throughout Naples. But if the caldera ever spews all its might, then Europe will be obliterated.
2. Long Valley Caldera, California, USA
Near the Nevada border, in east-central California, south of Lake Mono, lies the Long Valley Caldera with an area of 518 km². The largest eruption to occur here was about 760,000 years ago, producing 3,000 times more magma and other volcanic material than the 1980 St. Helens eruption. The resulting ash reached as far as Nebraska, and the ground above the magma basin sank about 1,600 meters. Most disturbingly, in 1980, after a series of earthquakes, about half of the caldera grew by almost 25 centimeters. After 10 years, carbon dioxide and other toxic gases began seeping out of the ground, killing trees and other vegetation on Mammoth Mountain, parts of the caldera.
What makes Long Valley Caldera different from others is that, as volcanologists like to say, this volcano has a split personality. They mean that this volcano can simultaneously generate two different types of eruptions. The first type is dangerous, with not too explosive basaltic lava, which will explode when it comes into contact with groundwater or snow. The other, saturated with debris, is called silica magma, which is prone to more violent explosions in nature. According to official forecasts, the possibility of an eruption in any particular year is less than 1%, which is comparable to the San Andreas Fault, allowing an 8 magnitude earthquake to occur on any given day, like the one that destroyed San Francisco in 1906.
1. Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming, USA
Many tourists who visit Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming are unaware of the fact that they are actually walking through what is probably the largest natural threat to humans. A few kilometers below them lies the largest known lava chamber. There is believed to be enough magma to fill the Grand Canyon completely 11 times.... The national park and the surrounding area form this huge caldera. Its area is approximately 4,000 square kilometers, and the city of Tokyo can fully fit into its perimeter.
Yellowstone operated for a very long time and erupted at various points, as North America shifted above it in its tectonic movement to the west. The past three eruptions occurred 2.1 million, 1.2 million and 640,000 years ago and were 6 thousand, 700 and 2500 times stronger than the eruption of St. Helens. In its most recent eruption, the volcano produced nearly 2,500 cubic kilometers of lava per continent, covering much of modern America in thick ash. Watching the pattern of recent eruptions, it looks like Yellowstone itself is preparing for the next one. But volcanologists believe that the time has not come yet. However, the lands of the caldera have been rising and falling for thousands of years, clearly indicating that the volcano is still maturing. If and when he finally decides to explode, it is quite possible that the aforementioned catastrophe will occur. More than half of the country will be submerged in a 3-meter layer of ash, sinking to the ground within a radius of more than 800 kilometers from the volcano.
Perhaps a volcanic winter will begin, and may last for 20 years or more, lowering the temperature on Earth by no less than 11 degrees Celsius. Due to the huge amount of poisonous gases such as carbon dioxide, the planet will begin to rise in temperature exponentially, as during “great»Extinction that occurred 235 million. As the planet and oceans heat up, a large amount of methane hydrate (30 trillion tons), which is now frozen on the ocean floor, will begin to rise to the surface and increase the planet's temperature by another 5 degrees according to the feedback law.
The most terrible and more probable than the upcoming eruption of a supervolcano is that a mega-eruption that can occur in the next 500,000 years, provided that carbon dioxide is produced and the planet begins to warm up, humanity can achieve much earlier, and it will probably occur in the next two centuries. One of them has already passed.
Briefly speaking: if supervolcanoes do not exterminate us, then perhaps we will do it ourselves.
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Interesting facts about the Yellowstone supervolcano. How often does this volcano erupt and what consequences for the planet its eruption can entail. For which areas of the earth the volcanic eruption will have minimal consequences.
