Every time we think about an event capable of triggering a global catastrophe, we lean toward things like an asteroid impact, a new epidemic, nuclear conflict, or even an alien invasion, but there are other possibilities on the list, and one of them is the supervolcano. History shows that on more than one occasion we came very close to disappearing because of these sleeping titans, and under the right conditions their power would be enough to wipe humanity off the map…
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in the year 79 is one of the best known in the Western world, a compelling example of nature's power and of what happens when nearby populations are unprepared. Today eruptions are quickly reported, and we have much more robust prediction and prevention systems. However, there is a remote possibility that one day even that will not be enough. The volcano does not negotiate. Once it becomes active, the best we can do is get out of its reach and withstand what comes next. What does that mean exactly? Let's see…
The Danger of Supervolcanoes
Experts use what they call the “Volcanic Explosivity Index” (VEI) to calculate the strength of an eruption. Its scale goes from 0 to 8, and in general each additional point represents ten times more power. Despite the damage it caused and the loss of life, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius ranks at level 5 on the scale, and there we can find a much more recent example: the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
Both were surpassed by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 (the second most powerful of the 20th century), which had remained dormant for about 500 years. Still, to find theoretical planetary killers we must keep climbing. The closest case was Mount Tambora. Its eruption places it at level 7 on the index, and experts consider it the main reason behind the “Year Without a Summer”.
The impressive amount of toxic gas and ash thrown into the atmosphere by Mount Tambora caused a global drop in temperature, as well as crop failures across Europe. The agricultural crisis spread across the entire continent, food prices soared, and hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives amid the famine and subsequent incidents. That said… what about level 8 supervolcanoes?
It is estimated that one of those occurs every 50,000 years on average, and a major candidate lies in Yellowstone Caldera. Three level 8 supereruptions (the last one 640,000 years ago) turned the caldera into what it is today, and if one were to happen now, the entire West Coast of the United States would have to be evacuated. Added to that would be a new food crisis and worldwide economic collapse. A volcano like that might not kill us directly, but everything that follows is not something we would like to see.
