• Question: Are there any volcanoes that have the potential to wipe us out?

    Asked by anon-174743 to Tim, Alex on 22 Jun 2018.
    • Photo: Alex Seeney

      Alex Seeney answered on 22 Jun 2018:


      For this to happen, it would have to be a supervolcano (basically a really, really big and powerful volcano!) The last time a supervolcano erupted was about 200 million years ago, which eradicated around 75% of the species on Earth.

      There is one of these below Yellowstone Park, which is about 89 x 32 kilometres in area – so pretty large! Predicting something like this erupting is probably more tricky, and not something I know a huge amount about to be honest. From what I can see, although we’re aware of it existing, there doesn’t seem to be too much concern that we’re in any immediate danger!

    • Photo: Tim Craig

      Tim Craig answered on 22 Jun 2018:


      Probably, yes. Based on geological records of the past, major eruptions have happened in the past that caused climatic shifts that would cause widespread devastation. But perhaps these days, we have the technology that humanity would survive.

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