Did you know that Lake Taupo is a caldera created following a huge volcanic eruption ( supervolcano) approximately 26,500 years ago and has erupted 28 times in the last 27,000 years and the most recent major eruption, which occurred in 180 AD The 180 eruption was one of the largest in recorded history. The skies and sunsets formed from this eruption were noted and herd by Roman and Chinese observers. Any possible climatic effects of the eruption would have been concentrated on the southern hemisphere due to the southerly position of Lake Taupo and it is over due for a huge volcanic eruption The volcano is considered to be dormant not extinct. There goes New Zealand and astronomy
Last edited by Baron von Richthofen; 24-10-2009 at 06:05 PM.
Yes....and it was 180AD, not BC. The last eruption was about 30 years later. It was the largest eruption in the last 10000 years...or near to it.
You're worried about Taupo...I can think of 3 places that I'd be more worried about...Lake Toba (Sumatra, Indonesia), Yellowstone (Wyoming, USA) and Long Valley (California, USA). All three have had significantly larger eruptions than Taupo, one in particular (Yellowstone) is very active. The first eruption of Yellowstone was the largest in the last 3 million years. It was about the same size as Lake Toba...that eruption (74Ka) was a good one. May have significantly reduced the human population on the planet.
The one to be really impressed with was La Garita (around 28Ma). That's the largest ever recorded in the rock record....5000km^3 or more of eruption debris was flung out of that one. If something like that happened again, it'd be time to switch on the "bend over and kiss your rear end goodbye" sign. That would do in this present civilisation...wouldn't wipe us all out, but a great many would perish.
Last edited by renormalised; 24-10-2009 at 06:14 PM.
From the immediate effects of the blast and such...several thousand kilometres. A super-eruption could conceivably cover an area the size of the U.S. or Oz under a metre of ash, if it was big enough (something like the La Garita eruption).
Dormant.....hmmm, how much material is it capable of spewing out if it decides to become active again?
Don't know under Taupo, but under Yellowstone, the magma chamber covers about 25000km^3. If that filled right up with potentially eruptive melt, then emptied itself...you can figure out what the damage would be.
The caldera would end up several thousand feet deep and 120km across, probably closer to a mile deep.
However, that scenario is unlikely to happen, simply because the magma chamber isn't completely hollow or molten. No magma chamber really is, especially large ones like that. But if the chamber did completely melt and filled with the right type of magma (sticky and highly gaseous), then we'd be in real trouble.
The eruption of a supervolcano eg Yellowstone or Toba would wipe out almost ALL urban humans. Blackening of the skies would lead to widespread crop failure. As roads would be clogged with ash, food would simply not get into cities.No way would this feed the billions that inhabit the world currently. What would be the biggest source of food left ? ................fellow humans.
All the more reason to head for the hills and dark skies, although astronomy would have to be put on hold for a while
Better still beam me up Scotty, and wait it out with the aliens out where the skies are always clear.
Lake Taupo is indeed a supervolcano. There's a huge volume of water in it too, which is allowing more pressure to build up. I don't think it'll erupt in my lifetime though. Mt Taranki (a few hundred kilometres west of Taupo) is due to erupt sooner.
While i am not in a hurry for a super volcano to errupt, i am eagerly awaiting my trip to Vanuatu in mid next year as i am going to see Mount Yasu in action
While i am not in a hurry for a super volcano to errupt, i am eagerly awaiting my trip to Vanuatu in mid next year as i am going to see Mount Yasu in action
I was on Tanna just over 11 years ago.
Yassur was terrific.
It has a double vent. One goes choof the other goes boom. Clouds of dust and gas. It was like it was alive and breathing.
We were staying fairly close to it too. You could hear it over the sound of the surf.
The drive up to the volcano was good too. There were sulphuric vents dotting the side of the track.
We wanted to see it at night, but the people who took us there don't like being there at night cause Yassur is where all the dead people are.
Enjoy your time there.
I don't think I've seen you in a bad mood on IIS yet. Suck up mode +1 engaged. lol!!!
Dave
PS the girls reckon I'm sickening when I'm sucking up to them (usually after tormenting them lol - my recent thing is throwing blueberries at Meg. Of course, she just eats them, or throws them back at me).
Sound waves...distant volcanic eruptions of this size produce infrasound which produces induced sound within objects. Also, the normal booms from the explosions can travel enormous distances. They can be audible from thousands of kilometres away.
Sound waves...distant volcanic eruptions of this size produce infrasound which produces induced sound within objects. Also, the normal booms from the explosions can travel enormous distances. They can be audible from thousands of kilometres away.
Haha, I don't think you quite understood what he was asking
Thanks for the info but I am no worried at all I was thinking it would be a spectacular show at this distance
I will wait for the DVD to come out before I get that close, what would be a safe distance
. 
beam me up Scotty, and wait it out with the aliens out where the skies are always clear.
