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Impact of
eruptions
Supervolcanoes
PREPARED BY: TYPE YOUR NAME HERE
S9ES - IIIb -28
Explain what happens when
volcanoes erupt
Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions
April 26 May 2
Earthquakes: generated as the magma moves up the feeder
conduit to the vent.
During the Mt. St. Helens eruption 2.3 km3 of debris slid
down the mountain at speeds up to 240 km/hr.
Due to ash and gas that may spend years in the upper
atmosphere; reduces incoming solar radiation.
Mt. Pelée
(West Indes)
VEI = 4
A stratovolcano along
the Caribbean trench.
An eruption in 1902 following the
growth of a lava dome on the side
of the mountain.
The first explosions were heard 160 km away and sent steam and ash
upwards to a height of 11 km.
The last of the four was the largest and could be heard from Sri
Lanka to Australia, up to 4,600 km from the volcano.
A 23 km2 area of the island was gone following the fourth eruption.
Super Volcanoes
While not defined officially, lets say any eruption that ejects 1000
km3 or more of pyroclastic material (i.e., VEI 8 or more).
According to M.R. Rampino super eruptions take place, on average,
every 50,000 years. Three of the best known eruptions are
compared below.
Toba: the world’s largest Quaternary caldera.
In the immediate vicinity of the volcano ash deposits reach 600 metres in
thickness
Ash fall from the eruption covers an area of at least 4 million square km;
half the area of the continental United States.
This reduction had been estimated for approximately the time of Toba’s
eruption on the basis of genetic studies and is termed the “human
population bottleneck”.
Yellowstone Caldera
The caldera is 80 km
long and 50 km wide.
The caldera and its magma chamber are due to a hot spot in the mantle
that has moved several hundred kilometres over the past 12.5 million
years.
The movement is due to the drift of the north American continent over
the hot spot.
Ancient, inactive
calderas mark the path
of the hot spot.
The current caldera was formed with an eruption 640,000 years ago (the
Lava Creek Eruption).
A smaller eruption
happened 1.3 million
years ago, releasing
280 km3 of debris.
Eruptions appear to have a 600,000 year period (that long between
eruptions) so we’re overdue for another one.
Previous eruptions spread ash over thousands of km2 across the US.
Heightened monitoring of the Yellowstone Caldera in recent years has
led to media concern of an impending eruption.
If such an eruption were to take place, North America and the rest of the
world could experience another “Dark Ages”.
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