Volcanoes and supervolcanoes: eruptions with global impact
PublicThe Siberian Traps: the greatest volcanic catastrophe ever
massive, prolonged volcanic eruptions in Siberia that coincided with the largest mass extinction in the history of life on earth
The Deccan Traps: volcanism at the end of the age of the dinosaurs
Enormous lava flows in India that may have contributed to the mass extinction in which the non-avian dinosaurs died out.
Huckleberry Ridge eruption of Yellowstone
One of the largest supervolcano eruptions in the history of North America, which spread enormous ash clouds across the continent.
The Toba supereruption
A gigantic eruption on Sumatra that may have brought humanity to the brink of extinction through a volcanic winter.
The eruption of Thera near Santorini
A devastating volcanic eruption in the Aegean Sea that may have fatally weakened the Minoan civilization.
The eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii
The famous eruption that buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and pumice.
The eruption of Tambora and the 'Year Without a Summer'
The largest volcanic eruption in recorded human history, which led to worldwide climate disruption.
the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa
A devastating eruption that largely destroyed the island of Krakatoa and caused deadly tsunamis.
The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska
The largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century, which covered a vast area of Alaska in ash.
The eruption of Pinatubo
One of the largest volcanic eruptions of the twentieth century, which caused a measurable global cooling.
Eruption of the Rabaul volcanoes
The twin volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, erupt simultaneously and destroy the city.
The destruction of Plymouth by the Soufrière Hills
The Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat awakens from a long dormancy and gradually destroys the capital Plymouth.
Global monitoring network keeps watch on supervolcanoes
geological surveys installing extensive networks of seismometers, GPS stations and gas monitors around potential supervolcanoes such as Yellowstone and the Campi Flegrei to detect early signs of a mega-eruption
Ash cloud from Eyjafjallajökull disrupts airspace
The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull spews an enormous ash cloud that grounds European airspace for weeks.
eruption of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle
A large explosive eruption in the Chilean Andes spreads ash far across South America and the Southern Ocean.
collapse and tsunami of Anak Krakatau
A partial collapse of the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait causes a devastating, unannounced tsunami.
undersea super-blast of Hunga Tonga
The underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai explodes with one of the most powerful blasts ever recorded and causes an ocean-wide tsunami.
Global monitoring network keeps watch on supervolcanoes
Since the realization grew that supervolcanoes can have catastrophic, global consequences, scientists have begun permanent monitoring of the world's most dangerous caldera systems. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, established in 2001 as a collaboration between the United States Geological Survey, Yellowstone National Park and the University of Utah, continuously measures ground deformation, earthquake swarms and changes in geysers and hot springs. Similar vigilance applies to the Campi Flegrei near Naples, where the ground measurably rises and falls, and to Toba in Indonesia. Despite this intensive monitoring, the exact timing of a next super-eruption remains unpredictable: the systems can signal unrest, but cannot guarantee when or whether a catastrophe will occur.