Chaiten volcano

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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Chaiten volcano

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

Gary;
had thought that Krakatoa in 1883 was the most violent recorded eruption and the most devastating......

You could be right RF, I dont know - I was always under the impression it was Tambora, if anyone can clarify then please do.

Eruptions are classified by their VEI or Volcanic Explosivity Index. Krakatau explosion of 1883 was VEI 6 whists Tambora`s 1815 was a VEI 7. Both of them are nothing compared with Toba`s 77,000 BC explosion of VEI 8.

The VEI is not an arithmetic escalation but a geometrical one: a VEI 1(Strombolian), for example produces an ejection of tephra of less than 10,000 m3 with a plume of some 100-1000 meters. A VEI 3 (Vulcanian), like those of my country`s volcanoes, are of 10,000,000 m3 of tephra expelled and with plumes of 15 km. A VEI 4 (Pelean) like the one of Mount Peleè at Martinique in 1902 that killed some 30,000 persons expells some 0,1 km3 of tephra with a plume of 25 km. The famous eruption of Vesubius that destroyed Pompei in 79 BC was a VEI 5 (Plinian) with 1 km3 of tephra and a plume of more than 25 km. Mount Saint Hellens 1980 eruption was equivalent to Pompey`s one. A VEI 6 is Krakatau`s one with an expulsion of more than 10 km3 and a plume of 25 km. VEI 7 ejects more than 100 km3 of tephra whilst the Ultra Plinian erution VEI 8 represents 1,000 km3 of tephra. There has been no VEI 8 eruptions in historical records but scientists estimated that at least one occured every 1,000 years (for VEI 7) and 10,000 years (VEI 8). There are 5 registers of VEI 7 in the last 10,000 and 0 in for VEI 8. That means that maybe our grandchildren will witness one of those and, very certainly, we or our sons will see Vesubius`in one of it´s VEI 5 explosions.

There is a very interesting article in Wikipedia on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_e ... _eruptions

I hope you will enjoy this. I love volcanoes, however I´m praying for the one I live on not to do anything stupid during my lifespan.

Regards
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RF
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Re: Chaiten volcano

Post by RF »

If it does Karl, are you still likely to go to Iceland?
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Chaiten volcano

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

RF:
If it does Karl, are you still likely to go to Iceland?
It seems more safe than Yellowstone... :whistle:
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
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RF
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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Well, if Yellowstone blows, Iceland is right in the jetstream path for annihilation - Costa Rica is far better sheltered initially, but eventually wiill get the fallout, and your chances of survival would be better there.
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Kyler
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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RF is correct, when Yellowstone goes you'll be much safer from the ash in S. America than Europe. Though the eventual climatic problems could probably kill you in the next few years after famine and a mini ice age across the globe
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RF
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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Kyler, I think survival would initially be grim, but after a year or so, when the ''nuclear winter'' sets in I think the position regarding our species surviving, albeit with catastrophic loss of life won't be so bad, if the technology and capacity for power generation substantially survives. Heating and water quality would be the key factors for survival.

Given the position of Yellowstone and the prevailing jetstream it looks to me that California, the richest state of the US, would have most of its infrastructure left intact, and would provide a technological base for survival and leave the US as still the world's leading industrial power. From that it would be a matter of adapting to the conditions and securing a food supply, and as unlike an actual nuclear war there shouldn't be problems of radiation and permanent contamination from fallout to contend with.

We haven't yet experienced a supervolcanic eruption. Given that most forecasted disasters turn out to be less severe in effect than originally predicted I think, apart from loss of life, the ultimate survivability isn't as bad a problem as we might think.
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Kyler
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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RF,

I don't doubt the human race will survive another super volcano. I am just stating the reality if such an event would occur again that a significant portion of the world's population would probably perish from the eruption and climatic changes. Most likely people in industrial countries would survive, though people in other portions of the world would could face little real shelter from the climate problems, i.e. most of Africa, some of Asia, & some of South America. Famine would become a massive problem across the entire world since growing seasons for a few year would be cut very short if they existed at all. Remember when Krakatau in Indonesia erupted it snowed in Northeast of the US during July.

Let us not forget there would be a very good chance such an event could lead to world conflicts due the loss of food resources and other issues.
"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
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RF
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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Kyler wrote: Let us not forget there would be a very good chance such an event could lead to world conflicts due the loss of food resources and other issues.
Yes. I would hope that the human race and its leaders have the sense to pull together and overcome these problems, but sadly I think you are right.
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Gary
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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I hadnt realised that we Brits had 2 super volcanoe's in our midst 400 odd million years ago.
One in the Scottish highlands and one in the lake district!!!
God created the world in 6 days.........and on the 7th day he built the Scharnhorst
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RF
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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Yes indeed. We are fortunate that we are no longer threatened by them.

From where I live in Wolverhampton we have on the skyline an extinct fissure volcano - the Wrekin.
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RF
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Re: Chaiten volcano

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Just three years on and we have an even more spectacular volcanic eruption in Chile, with reports of ash clouds reaching across Argentina into the South Atlantic. Its also reported in the British press that dust and ash has blown as far north as Buenos Aires, is this right?
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