Cataclysmic ‘super eruption’ is MUCH closer than we thought, warns latest research
Scientists at Bristol University have analysed geological records from the last 100,000 years
Stephen Beech
(Image: Moment RF)
We may be much nearer to a cataclysmic volcanic ‘super-eruption’ than previously thought, warns new research.
That is the conclusion of Bristol University scientists after analysing a database of geological records dated within the last 100,000 years.
They discovered the average time between so-called volcanic super-eruptions is actually much less than previously understood.
Volcanoes and ‘bolides’ – such as asteroids – are geohazards powerful enough to be destructive on a global scale.
One recent assessment described them as capable of returning humanity to a ‘pre-civilisation’ state.
The largest explosive eruptions are termed ‘super-eruptions’, and produce in excess of 1,000 gigatons of erupted mass – enough to blanket an entire continent with volcanic ash, and change global weather patterns for decades.