The Looming Threat of Super volcanic Eruptions
Oh dear! Scientists predict that a volcanic eruption, if it occurs, could be among the most destructive in human history. There is a probability of one in six that it might occur within the next hundred years; it would probably be another serious blow to the climate and put millions of lives at risk. In January 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted in the South Pacific, exploding to colossal proportions. The eruption generated tsunamis that reached Japan, North America, and South America. The damage to Tonga was immense, about 20 percent of the entire economy of the country. Now researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen study ice samples taken from Greenland and Antarctica, and the results are alarming as they foretell a global volcanic disaster. They say that there is a fair chance that an even more significant eruption, by 10-100 times Tonga's, is possible. In earlier times, eruptions of this magnitude have altered the climate and even led to the collapse of civilizations. Despite this impending threat from volcanoes, there is an utter absence of any deliberate preparation. Michael Cassidy, a volcanologist from the University of Birmingham, has warned that no meaningful preparation is underway for something that is expected to be far worse than a volcanic eruption. He said already that obviously, there is billions spent by NASA and other agencies in asteroid defense, yet the likelihood of the super eruption of a volcano is way beyond the possible impact of an asteroid. As far as plans for dealing with an eruption are concerned, they do not exist in any coordinated or even national manner at the moment, even though the volcanic eruption is expected to be far worse. The economic fallout from such an eruption would be historic; it would sever supply chains and production, and cause worldwide financial turmoil.
