Supervolcano

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For the docudrama, see Supervolcano (docudrama)

A supervolcano is a volcano that produces the largest and most voluminous kinds of eruption on Earth. The explosivity of such eruptions varies, but the volume of ejected tephra is enough to radically alter the landscape and severely affect global climate for years, with cataclysmic consequences for life (see also volcanic winter).

The term was originally coined by the producers of the BBC popular science program, Horizon, in 2000 to refer to these types of eruption.[1][2] That investigation brought the subject more into the public eye, leading to further studies of the possible effects.

Volcanologists do not use the term "super volcano or mega caldera," except when dealing with the media as it seems it is the only way the media and hence some non-scientific people understand the scale of the phenomena.

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[edit] Large igneous provinces

Main article: Large igneous province

A large igneous province (LIP) e.g. the Siberian Traps, Deccan Traps, Ontong Java Plateau are an extensive region of basalts on a continental scale, resulting from flood basalt eruptions. When created, these regions often occupy several thousand km² and have volumes on the order of millions km³. In most cases, the majority of this is laid down over several million years.

Such outpourings are not explosive though fire fountains may occur. Some volcanologists consider that Iceland may be a LIP that is currently being formed. The last outpouring occurred in 1783-1784 from the Laki fissure which is about 40 km long. An estimated 14 km3of basaltic lava was poured out during the eruption.

The Ontong Java Plateau has an area of about 2 million square km.

[edit] Massive eruptions

Eruptions with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7 or 8 (VEI-7 or 8) are colossal events that eject at least 1,000 km³ Dense Rock Equivalent (DRE) of pyroclastic material.

VEI-7 or 8 eruptions are so powerful that they often form circular calderas rather than cones because the downward withdrawal of magma causes the overlying mass to collapse and fill the void magma chamber beneath.

One of the classic old calderas is at Glen Coe in the Grampian Mountains of Scotland. First described by Clough, Maufe and Bailey its geology and volcanic succession has recently been re-analysed in the light of new discoveries. A detailed description is given in the publication "Glencoe caldera volcano, Scotland." [3]

[edit] Known eruptions

Satellite image of Lake Toba.
Satellite image of Lake Toba.

VEI-8 volcanic events have included eruptions at the following locations. Estimates of the volume of erupted material are given in parentheses.

The Lake Toba eruption plunged the Earth into a volcanic winter, eradicating an estimated 60%[4][5][6][7][8] of the human population (although humans managed to survive, even in the vicinity of the volcano[9]), and was responsible for the formation of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.

Many other supermassive eruptions have also occurred in the geological past. Those listed below measured 7 on the VEI scale. Most of these were larger than Tambora's eruption in 1815 (160 km³), which was the largest eruption in recorded history.

For large flood basalt eruptions, see large igneous province.

[edit] Media portrayal

A National Geographic documentary called Earth Shocks portrayed the destructive impact of the rapid eruption of Lake Toba some 75,000 years ago, which caused a phenomenon known as the Millennial Ice Age that lasted for 1000 years and wiped out more than 60%[11][12][13][14][15] of the global population of the time.

An eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano was originally one of the scenarios depicted in the docu-drama End Day, but was excluded from all airings to date for unknown reasons and is only presently mentioned at the show's BBC website (dead as of May 18, 2007; Internet Archive version).

In 2005, a two-part television docudrama entitled Supervolcano was shown on BBC, the Discovery Channel, and other television networks worldwide. It looked at the events that could take place if the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted. It featured footage of volcano eruptions from around the world and computer-generated imagery depicting the event. According to the program, such an eruption would have devastating effect across the globe and would cover virtually all of the United States with at least 1 cm of volcanic ash, causing mass destruction in the nearby vicinity and killing plants and wildlife across the continent. The dramatic elements in the program were followed by Supervolcano: The Truth About Yellowstone, a documentary about the evidence behind the movie. The program had originally been scheduled to be aired in early 2005, but it was felt that this would be insensitive so soon after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The program and its accompanying documentaries were released on DVD region 2 simultaneously with its broadcast. Nova featured an episode Mystery of the Megavolcano, examining such eruptions in the last 100,000 years.[16]

In 2006, the Sci Fi Channel aired the documentary Countdown to Doomsday which featured a segment called "Supervolcano".

In the Stargate Atlantis episode Inferno, the main characters are caught in the eruption of a supervolcano and escape using an Ancient warship.

In 2008, the Yellowstone supervolcano was featured in the BBC program "10 things you didn't know about Volcanoes", presented by Dr Iain Stewar, a volcanologist.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ BBC TV Horizon, 3 February 2000, Supervolcanoes
  2. ^ USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
  3. ^ British Geological Survey. ISBN 0852725252.
  4. ^ Stanley H. Ambrose, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998
  5. ^ Knight, M.D., Walker, G.P.L., Ellwood, B.B., and Diehl, J.F., 1986, Stratigraphy, paleomagnetism, and magnetic fabric of the Toba Tuffs: Constraints on their sources and eruptive styles: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 91, p. 10,355-10,382.
  6. ^ Ninkovich, D., Sparks, R.S.J., and Ledbetter, M.T., 1978, The exceptional magnitude and intensity of the Toba eruption, Sumatra: An example of using deep-sea tephra layers as a geological tool: Bulletin Volcanologique, v. 41, p. 286-298.
  7. ^ Rose, W.I., and Chesner, C.A., 1987, Dispersal of ash in the great Toba eruption, 75 ka: Geology, v. 15, p. 913-917. Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.
  8. ^ Williams, M.A.J., and Royce, K., 1982, Quaternary geology of the Middle Son Valley, north central India: Implications for prehistoric archaeology: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 38, p. 139-162.
  9. ^ Michael Petraglia et al., Science v.317, p.114 (2007)
  10. ^ Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. The Ashfall Story. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.
  11. ^ Stanley H. Ambrose, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998
  12. ^ Knight, M.D., Walker, G.P.L., Ellwood, B.B., and Diehl, J.F., 1986, Stratigraphy, paleomagnetism, and magnetic fabric of the Toba Tuffs: Constraints on their sources and eruptive styles: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 91, p. 10,355-10,382.
  13. ^ Ninkovich, D., Sparks, R.S.J., and Ledbetter, M.T., 1978, The exceptional magnitude and intensity of the Toba eruption, Sumatra: An example of using deep-sea tephra layers as a geological tool: Bulletin Volcanologique, v. 41, p. 286-298.
  14. ^ Rose, W.I., and Chesner, C.A., 1987, Dispersal of ash in the great Toga eruption, 75 ka: Geology, v. 15, p. 913-917. Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.
  15. ^ Williams, M.A.J., and Royce, K., 1982, Quaternary geology of the Middle Son Valley, north central India: Implications for prehistoric archaeology: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 38, p. 139-162.
  16. ^ Mystery of the Megavolcano official site, PBS.org

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

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