Super Volcanoes

Super Volcanoes: Understanding the Science and Potential Impacts

• The Earth's core is hot enough to melt rock into liquid, and the heat is carried to the surface by currents of rock, which can cause eruptions.
• Volcanoes are caused by tectonic plates colliding, which creates magma that rises to the surface, or by mantle plumes, which are columns of hot rock rising from deep within the Earth.
• Volcanoes come in many types, but the most powerful are categorized on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), which measures the volume ejected during an eruption.
• VEI 2 eruptions occur about 10 times per year and fill 400 Olympic swimming pools with lava. VEI 5 eruptions can cause tsunamis and are catastrophic, while VEI 7 eruptions are super colossal and can change the world.
• Super volcanoes are not a scientific term, but they are volcanoes that have been waiting to erupt for hundreds of thousands of years, and when they do, they can cause a super eruption that impacts every corner of the globe.
• The most recent super eruption was the Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago in New Zealand, which caused the southern hemisphere to undergo abrupt cooling.
• Supervolcanoes are not an unavoidable apocalypse, but they can cause natural disasters that can do serious damage to civilizations.
• The chance of a VEI 8 eruption in the next few hundred years is less than 2%, and it wouldn't come as a sudden surprise.
• Slow changes in magma reservoirs can give early warning signs of an eruption, which can save lives and allow for solutions to be developed to remove sulfur and ash from the stratosphere.
• While super volcanoes are a concern, more frequent eruptions can also do serious damage to civilizations and are a much greater concern.
• Ground swelling and temperature increases can be warning signs of an eruption, and early detection can save lives and allow for solutions to be developed.
• Brilliant.org offers interactive lessons that make science accessible and can help deepen understanding of fundamental science concepts, including those related to super volcanoes and climate change.