Today, with highly developed science and technology, human beings have become the overlords of the earth. However, we are still extremely small in front of nature. The recent eruption of the Tonga volcano was as powerful as 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs, allowing us to see the power of nature. But Tonga volcano pales in comparison to supervolcanoes.
There are 9 super volcanoes on the earth. are very dangerous. Their eruption power exceeds 100,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs, which is a thousand times that of the Tonga volcano. The eruption of any one of them may instantly change the global weather and natural environment, causing catastrophe to human existence. Some scientists have used computers to conduct simulation tests. If a super volcano erupts, the average annual temperature of the earth will drop by about 10 degrees Celsius, and this cold climate will last for 6 to 10 years before gradually returning to normal. Many people will die from inhaled volcanic ash solidifying in their lungs. Acid rain falling from the sky will collapse agriculture and plant life may disappear.
Tonga volcano eruption
On January 14 and 15, 2022, the Hongahaapai Island volcano in Tonga, a South Pacific island country, erupted violently and triggered a tsunami. The ash and dust thrown up when the volcano erupted rushed out of the sea like prehistoric monsters. Looking at it from a satellite image, it looked like an atomic bomb had exploded.
html On November 15, my country's Fengyun-3 and Fengyun-4 satellite monitoring showed that the volcanic ash cloud ejected by the volcanic eruption instantly broke through the troposphere top, and the shock wave expanded into a cloud with a diameter of 800 kilometers. The momentum even overwhelmed the nearby tropical cyclone "Cody". According to estimates from the weathermodels website, the height of this volcanic eruption reached at least 25 kilometers.
Impact on the world
The volcanic eruption produced an atmospheric shock wave that spread around the world, traveling faster than the speed of sound. In Florida, USA, air pressure anomalies can be detected shortly after 9 a.m. This is because when the shock wave rolls over, the weight of the atmosphere will temporarily increase, causing the air pressure to rise.
The height of the electrostatic discharge in the smoke plume of the volcanic eruption is twice the height of the most violent thunderstorm on the earth, and it also produces a large amount of volcanic lightning. According to records from the lightning detection network and the satellite , within 15 minutes after the initial eruption of the volcano, more than 60,000 lightning strikes occurred, which is equivalent to nearly 70 lightning strikes per second, surpassing almost all conventional thunderstorms.
Data from the National Weather Service of the United States shows that the sudden change in air pressure caused by the volcanic eruption impacted the ocean surface. The first shock wave traveled from west to east across the Pacific , traveling nearly 13,000 kilometers to southern New England in the United States. The second shock wave moved in the opposite direction, traveling westward for nearly 27,000 kilometers.
The power of the volcanic eruption triggered a meter-level tsunami in Tonga, triggering tsunami warnings not only in Hawaii, Alaska, , British Columbia, Canada, and most of the West Coast of North America, including Washington State, Oregon , and California . Australia, New Zealand , and even Japan, which is 10,000 kilometers away, have issued tsunami warnings.
The water levels in the Port of San Luis and Arena Bay in California rose by 1.2 meters and 1.1 meters respectively. The water level in Crescent City, California, rose by 0.8 meters, and a tsunami with a height of 0.85 meters occurred in Kincove, Alaska. In addition to causing water levels to rise, tsunamis can create dangerous and unstable ocean currents. They can cross oceans faster than even jetliners.
Amazing power
According to Xinhua News Agency report, usually, the power of a volcanic eruption is measured by the volcanic eruption index (VEI). VEI is divided into 8 levels. The higher the value, the greater the energy released by the volcano.
Experts estimate the outbreak to be level 5, and it may reach level 6. Category 5 volcanic eruptions are uncommon, with only 11 occurring over the past century, with the most severe being Category 7. The energy released by the Tonga volcano is conservatively estimated to be equivalent to the energy released by an 8.7-magnitude earthquake, and may reach the energy released by a 9.3-magnitude earthquake. The explosive power is equivalent to 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs.Data show that this may be the largest volcanic eruption since the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
Heavy losses
According to reports, Tonga is almost isolated from the rest of the world after the volcanic eruption paralyzed communications and stalled emergency rescue efforts, with phone lines still down and undersea internet cables severed.
Judging from a set of satellite comparison pictures of many places in Tonga before and after the volcanic eruption released by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research on November 17, the volcano on Tongahong Aha'apai Island erupted and triggered a tsunami. Tonga's islands were hit by the dual impact of volcanic ash and tsunamis, causing heavy losses.
Hong Aha Apai Island After the volcanic eruption, most of the crater and the island's land have sunk under the sea and cannot be observed from space. All houses on Mango Island were destroyed, and the islands of Fono-ifua and Nomuka were also badly affected. At the same time, volcanic ash has had a serious impact on Tonga's water supply system. Roads have been flooded, and there are traces of seawater intrusion in many places. The original green plants and white roofs are covered with thick volcanic ash.
Subsequent effects
Volcanic eruptions will release sulfur dioxide and aerosols . Sulfur dioxide is one of the most critical factors that affect the temperature after a volcanic eruption. When the sulfur dioxide released by the volcano reaches a certain amount, it will affect the temperature, and the more sulfur dioxide, the more obvious the cooling effect will be.
In the spring of 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted, emitting approximately 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, causing the global average temperature in 1991 and 1992 to be 0.5 degrees Celsius cooler than the previous average in two years.
According to NASA satellite measurement data: As of the 16th, the sulfur dioxide content released by the Tonga volcano eruption was 420.53 kilotons. In other words, the current sulfur dioxide release from Tonga volcano is only equivalent to 2% of the Pinatubo explosion.
Normally, it would take at least 5 million tons of sulfur dioxide to be injected into the stratosphere to have a significant impact on global climate. If there are no large-scale eruptions in the future, this magnitude is not enough to have a significant impact on the climate, and the probability of subsequent global impacts is very low.
However, there are various signs that the Tonga volcano has awakened, and the active eruption period can last for weeks or even years. We don’t yet know whether we have reached the peak of the outbreak or when it will end. Therefore, there is still great uncertainty about the impact of this volcanic eruption.
On the other hand, according to experts from the National Climate Center, large-scale volcanic eruptions will have significant adverse effects on regional human health, agricultural production and the ecological environment. Pollution from volcanic ash and reduced solar radiation will clearly harm regional plant and animal growth. This will have a certain adverse impact on food production in neighboring countries, especially large agricultural countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Brazil.
Volcanic ash is a mixture of rocks, minerals and volcanic glass particles that can cause breathing problems. When a volcano erupts, volcanic ash can travel thousands of kilometers with the wind. In the short term, it will pollute vegetation, surface water, soil and groundwater with heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, arsenic and non-metallic pollutants such as fluorine. These contaminants also move up the food chain, becoming increasingly concentrated, affecting livestock and humans. The accumulation of heavy metals can lead to some cancers, while the accumulation of non-metals such as fluorine can cause bone damage.
In addition to the hazards caused by volcanic ash, volcanic eruptions release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. When these two gases interact with water and oxygen in the atmosphere, they will produce acid rain. Tonga has a tropical climate, and acid rain is "very likely" to occur in its surrounding areas, which will damage crops and pose a threat to food security.
Modern volcanic eruption disaster
As a catastrophic natural phenomenon, volcanic eruptions have the power to destroy cities, change the global climate, and may cause heavy damage to the economy.Among them, the impact of some major volcanic eruptions may cross national boundaries and even have far-reaching impacts around the world.
The Tambora volcano in Indonesia erupted in 1815
The Tambora volcano in Indonesia erupted at level 7, claiming the lives of as many as 120,000 people, making it the deadliest volcanic disaster in recorded history.
In April 11815, the deadliest volcanic eruption in human history occurred in Mount Tambora in Indonesia. The Tambora volcano in Indonesia, which had been dormant for five thousand years, erupted with magma and lasted for more than 100 days. The
volcano ejected 140 billion tons of magma. It was the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history in the world. The energy it released was equivalent to 50,000 times the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. The eruption caused the height of the volcano to plummet from 4,100 meters to 2,850 meters, and almost the entire top of the volcano was blown away.
The total volume of volcanic ash ejected by Tambora is as much as 150 cubic kilometers, and it reaches the stratosphere as high as 44 kilometers. Sunset glow caused by volcanic ash can be seen as far away as London, England.
Volcanic eruptions produced a large amount of sulfur dioxide and volcanic ash into the atmosphere, blocking the energy of the sun. Global low temperatures swept across Europe, America and Asia. As a result, the global average temperature dropped by about 0.4 to 0.7 degrees Celsius in the next one or two years, and a series of climate disasters followed. During the 15-year period of global climate fluctuations caused by volcanic eruptions, extreme weather such as drought and snowstorms occurred in the Northern Hemisphere.
Global temperatures dropped severely, causing typhus to sweep across Europe and crop failures around the world. In the two years after Mount Tambora erupted, food prices in Switzerland more than quadrupled.
The following year, 1816, was the coldest year in the northern hemisphere since 1400. Northeastern United States saw heavy snowfall in mid-to-late June, with the snow accumulation reaching more than 30 centimeters. Many major rivers in Europe flooded in summer, frost occurred in Germany and other places in August, crops failed in Wales , Ireland and other places, and a large number of livestock were frozen to death in the UK. Due to the rare low temperatures in the summer, that year was also known as "the year without summer".
Even China is not immune. It was the 21st year of Jiaqing in China. It snowed in June in Anhui and Jiangxi (lunar calendar); there was severe frost in Heilongjiang in July and crop failure; in August in Kunming and western Yunnan, "the weather was suddenly as cold as winter", and severe famine occurred in Yunnan Province.
The Laki volcano in Iceland erupted in 11783The Laki volcano in Iceland erupted
In June 11783, the Laki volcano in Iceland erupted and lasted for as long as 8 months. Volcanoes release large amounts of sulfur dioxide, causing acid rain and lowering global temperatures. The loss of crops and livestock deaths caused by toxic gases caused more than 10,000 people to die from famine in Iceland, accounting for about a quarter of the country's population at the time. As the poisonous gas spread southward, 23,000 people died in the UK and famine occurred in Egypt . Some environmental historians believe that famine in Europe caused by volcanic eruptions may have been the catalyst for the French Revolution.
The eruption of Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in 1883
In 1883, the eruption level of Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia reached level 6. The roar spread nearly 4,800 kilometers away, triggering a tsunami as high as 41 meters, causing 36,000 deaths and estimated property losses of US$1.5 billion.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Krakatau volcano eruption was equivalent to 13,000 times the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. In 1884, the global climate dropped by more than 1 degree Celsius. Part of the volcanic island was "disappeared" after the Krakatau volcano erupted, and did not appear again until 1927.
The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines
The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
On June 15, 1991, the volcano erupted and formed a volcanic ash cloud up to 35 kilometers high.The volcanic eruption caused a large amount of volcanic ash and pyroclastic flows. The peak where the volcano was located was "exploded" 300 meters away, and nearly 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide was ejected into the stratosphere. According to satellite monitoring, after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, aerosols surrounded the entire tropical region for three weeks, quickly spread to the poles, and then covered the entire earth's surface, reducing 10% of the earth's sunlight. The global temperature dropped by 0.5 degrees in the following two years, entering a "volcanic winter."
The super volcano is about to explode
There are 9 super volcanoes on the earth that deserve attention. The eruption of any one of them may instantly change the global weather and natural environment, causing catastrophe to human existence.
Not just any volcanic eruption can be called a super volcano. Only when the volcanic material erupting in one eruption exceeds 1,000 cubic kilometers and the eruption level reaches the highest level 8 can it be called a super volcano.
Take the famous Yellowstone supervolcano as an example. It erupted 2,450 cubic kilometers of volcanic material 2.059 million years ago; 280 cubic kilometers of volcanic material erupted 1.3 million years ago; and 1,000 cubic kilometers of volcanic material 635,000 years ago.
In the worst case scenario, a supervolcano can eject thousands of cubic kilometers of magma and ash in just a few days or months, and can spray volcanic ash across thousands of kilometers. The sulfur-containing substances in the volcanic ash will be dispersed in the air and form high-concentration sulfuric acid through physical and chemical changes, which can cause the atmosphere to contain 2,000 to 4,000 megatons of sulfuric acid. This will be more than the total emissions of all industrial sulfur-containing substances in the world in 25 years, and is equivalent to more than 100 million times that of the Tonga volcano.
Volcanic ash floating in the atmosphere can block the sun's rays and heat for years or even decades. This will cause the global temperature to plummet by about 10 degrees Celsius, and also cause the sea water temperature to plummet by about 6 degrees Celsius, which is extremely destructive.
The eruption of a super volcano is so terrifying, but unfortunately, with humankind’s current technology, we simply cannot prevent the eruption of a super volcano.
Yellowstone Super Volcano
Yellowstone Super Volcano is located in Yellowstone National Park in the northwest corner of Wyoming in the midwestern United States. Covering an area of nearly 9,000 square kilometers, it is the world's largest active volcano. Many people say that if the Yellowstone volcano in the United States erupts, all mankind will face catastrophe.
Below the Yellowstone super volcano are two huge magma chambers. The mantle plume continuously provides a heat source to generate magma. By estimating the volume of erupted material, researchers found that the magma chamber under the volcano must also be extremely large, with an estimated volume of 25,000 cubic kilometers of magma.
If the Yellowstone supervolcano really erupts, 2/3 of the United States will be uninhabitable, air traffic will be paralyzed, and millions of residents will be homeless. Acid rain falling from the sky will collapse agriculture, and plants may disappear.
British scientists have used computers to conduct simulation tests. If the Yellowstone super volcano erupts, a large amount of volcanic ash will cross the ocean and reach the European continent in 3 to 4 days, and 3/4 of the United States will be affected. The greatest danger is within a 1,000-kilometer radius, where 90% of the population will not survive. Most people will die from inhaled volcanic ash solidifying in their lungs. The east coast of the United States will also be covered with 1 centimeter of volcanic ash. In Europe, dust from volcanic ash is drifting everywhere, causing greater harm than can be predicted.
According to computer predictions, the average annual temperature of the earth will drop by about 10°C, and the Arctic region will drop by about 12°C. Experts predict that this cold climate will last for 6 to 10 years before gradually returning to normal.
In January 2011, scientists warned that the Yellowstone volcano may have entered an active period. Its eruption cycle is about 600,000 years. Coupled with the increasingly intense solar activity in recent years, the Yellowstone super volcano seems to be erupting soon. Due to insufficient data, researchers cannot yet say when the fourth outbreak will occur.
There are more than 20 super volcanoes known to mankind in the world. Except for the Yellowstone super volcano, the rest of the super volcanoes are in a dormant state. Among them, 8 super volcanoes are very dangerous and require our focus and attention:
Shiliang volcano (erupted 22,000 years ago, rated 7.5)
Mount Canggu (erupted 767,100 years ago, rated 7.6)
Volcano Atitlan (erupted 84,000 years ago, rated 7.3)
Mount Aso (erupted 90,000 years ago, rated 7.6)
Valles Volcano (erupted 1.15 million years ago, rated 7.6)
Manga Volcano (erupted 52,000 years ago, rated 7.3)
Maipo Volcano (45,000 years ago, rated 7.5)
Campi Flegrei volcano (392,800 years ago, rated 7.5)
Conclusion
Faced with the natural disasters that may be caused by super volcanic eruptions, human society cannot take it lightly. It must speed up research on the mechanisms of natural disasters on the earth such as volcanic eruptions, and at the same time be prepared to deal with possible super natural disasters.
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