Volcanoes have been around for many centuries and will continue to exist for many more to come. Many people have their ideas of what they believe volcanoes are. Most believe that it is basically a mountain that shoots out lava, destroying anything and everything nearby. This assumption is actually proven accurate. Volcanoes are considered one of the most dangerous natural disasters; they can erupt suddenly, destroying everything in its way. People tend to be so afraid of volcanoes that most of them don’t realize that there is one concept far more terrifying than just a volcano: a super volcano. Most have never even heard of them, but it has been proven that they are much worse than just normal volcanoes. Super volcanoes are known for being larger and more powerful than your typical volcano. According to National Geographic Magazine, a super volcano is a term used which describes explosions with exceptional violence and volume. The USGS states within the magazine article that super volcanoes are known for ejecting more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of pumice and ash. Super volcanoes are known to be approximately ten times larger and more powerful than an average volcano. This magazine also makes a known analogy that compares volcanoes and super volcanoes in a better perspective. It states that “volcanoes form mountains, super volcanoes erase them; Volcanoes kill plants and animals for miles around; super volcanoes threaten whole species with pure extinction by changing the climate across the entire planet. In order to assess the meaning of a super volcano, we must look at the different impacts it can have on the climate, how they are known for flaring up, the most current form of measurement, and even a little bit of history to compl...
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...lcanic Area, South America: Evidence from InSAR." Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 174.4 (2008): 337-44. Print.
Reid, Mary R., Jorge A. Vazquez, and Axel K. Schmitt. "Zircon-scale Insights into the History of a Supervolcano, Bishop Tuff, Long Valley, California, with Implications for the Ti-in-zircon Geothermometer." Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 161.2 (2011): 293-311. Print.
Best, M. G., E. H. Christiansen, and S. Gromme. "Introduction: The 36-18 Ma SouthernGreat Basin, USA, Ignimbrite Province and Flareup: Swarms of Subduction-related Supervolcanoes." Geosphere 9.2 (2013): 260-74. Print.
Jones, Morgan T., R. Stephen J. Sparks, and Paul J. Valdez. "The Climactic Impact of Super Volcanic Ash Blankets." (2007): 553-64. Print.
"Scientists Solve Supervolcano Mystery." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
The Franciscan Terrane of central California represents an accretionary complex formed by long-term subduction of an oceanic plate under the Western margin of the North American craton. The Franciscan complex is composed of three distinguishable belts: the eastern belt (Yolla Bolly and Pickett Peak terranes), the central belt, and the coastal belt. Age and metamorphic grade of the belts decreases to the west (Blake and Jones, 1981). Formation of the accretionary complex began during the late Jurassic in the eastern belt and has continued into the Miocene along the western coastal belt. The complex trends NNW and is bounded by the San Andreas Fault to the east and by the coastal range fault to the west. The coast range fault separates the Franciscan complex with the partly coeval Great Valley sequence. Debate exists over the tectonic evolution of the Franciscan, centered around the geographic origin of the Franciscan rock units.
Harris, Ann G., Esther Tuttle, and Sherwood D. Tuttle. "Katmai National Park and Preserve." Geology of National Parks. 4th ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Pub., 1990. 441-48. Print.
Merali Z., Skinner B.,2009, Visualizing Earth Science, 1st Ed, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey.
Many will attest to the grandeur of the natural feature that exists in northern Arizona, but the formation of the Grand Canyon has befuddled geomorphologists to this day. This confusion can be attributed to the Kaibab Plateau, an anomaly considering the Colorado River traverses it seamlessly. Four prevalent hypotheses have been proposed since the 19th century, starting with the lake overflow proposition first brought up by John Newbury and then reinforced by Eliot Blackwelder. Newbury argued that a structure must have ponded an ancient lake causing an overspill to cut into the Grand Canyon. This argument holds that the river must have come after the plateau’s existence. Unbeknownst to Newbury, the structure would be the Kaibab Plateau.
What is a super volcano, what is a volcano? A volcano itself is a hill or mountain with vents to the crusts of the earth that let magma sit under or in the mountain. “A super volcano is any volcano capable of producing a volcanic eruption with an ejecta volume greater than 1,000 km3 (240 cu mi). This is thousands of times larger than normal volcanic eruptions. Super volcanos are on a much bigger scale than other volcanoes. Unlike composite volcanoes, with their steep sides, they are difficult to spot.” (Internet Geography, geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk) An average volcano in the world would just cause local damage, but this super volcano could end life on earth. Not just with the eruption but the ash would cause a volcanic winter blocking the sun to long and then even more the ash would choke everything out and collapse roofs. Yea Rainier would kill thousands of people, but Yellowstone would literally kill billions plus of people. In comparison, Rainier is a little fly and Yellowstone is a Griffin {The big eagle lion bird thing}. Yellowstone has the capability to erupt 1,000 times stronger than Rainier ever could.
On May 22, 1915, an explosive eruption at Lassen Peak devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash farther 200 miles to the east! This explosion was the most powerful in a series of eruptions from 1914 through 1917. ...
"NPS: Nature & Science» Geology Resources Division." Nature.nps.gov » Explore Nature. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .
Boom! A once ice-capped mountain peak explodes as ash fills the air. “‘Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!’”Those were the last words of expert geologist David Johnston (Gunn 561). In 1980, Mount Saint Helens of the state of Washington erupted, filling the air with ash and causing mudflows powerful enough to lift tons. It decimated everything in its path. The eruptions, mudflows, and ash caused great damage on the landscape, yet it gave us information on how catastrophes happen and how they affect society and the surrounding landscape. The data acquired can also help us understand the way the landscape was formed. Mount Saint Helens caused much damage, but also helped people understand the science behind it.
...ays. In Williams, A. L., Pinches, G. M., Chin, C. Y., McMorran, T. J. and Massey, C.I., Geologically Active. Taylor and Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-415-60054-7, 3609-3616.
The formation of Earth’s crust began during the Hadean eon, shortly after the Chaotian interval of core formation and solidification of the magma ocean (Allegre et al., 2008; Elkins-Tanton, 2008; Rudge et al., 2010). This process initiated with the differentiation of the crust-mantle zones from a bulk silicate Earth (BSE) reservoir, which is thought to have also produced the first continuous terrestrial crust (Allegre et al., 2008). However, whole rock signatures from original Hadean crust have not been preserved in the known geologic record and can only be inferred by isotopic analysis (Tessalina et al., 2010; Rizo et al., 2012). The one continuous trace of this early crust comes in rare detrital zircon grains within sandstone units (Jack Hills) of the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia (Compston and Pidgeon, 1986; Kemp et al., 2010). Intensive study has surrounded the Jack Hills zircon and has produced various geodynamic models for the early Earth, as well as controversial observations and interpretations (Valley et al., 2002; Harrison et al., 2008). For these reasons, research of the Late Archean igneous complexes has become a primary interest for crustal evolution insight from the Earth’s interior that is otherwise unavailable for study (Smithies et al., 2005; Nebel et al., 2013).
Since the beginning of modern science, volcanoes have drawn the attention of scientists around the globe. However, it wasn’t until about 25 years ago that our understanding of the physical and chemical processes that drive volcanic eruptions increased drastically. Due to our advances in geochemical and petrological sciences, we have been able to more accurately conclude as to why and how a volcano erupts. As a generalization, volcanologists primarily focus on the science behind how magma forms and moves to Earth’s surface, and how the specific chemical properties of magma (and the lithosphere though which it moves) contribute to eruptive activity. Volcanic ash is also significant in the volcanology, differing slightly with each eruption. Different eruptions possess different properties, such as composition and thickness of the erupting magma, the force of the eruption, and what gases are present, that make each eruption unique (3).
2. The ratio of drama to documentary in Supervolcano was probably 80:20. Although there was factual evidence presented in the film, it seems as though it was manipulated to fit the plotline, and did not actually coincide with any scientific theory. It could easily be construed that the normal fluctuations at Yellowstone are indicators of looming volcanic activity, but those fluctuations have also happened throughout history without consequences. The film, however, noted this fact and stated through the characters that the prediction of a volcanic event is never concrete or dependable. I feel the producers of this film created a successful docudrama in that they were able to present scientific information in a dramatic sense; making the film more widely acceptable.
Fresh volcanic ash, made from small-grained rock, may be abrasive, acidic, gritty, gassy and odorous. whereas not instantly dangerous to most adults, the acidic gas and ash will cause respiratory organ harm to tiny infants, to older adults and to those plagued by severe metabolism diseases. Volcanic ash can also harm machinery, as well as en...
Taupo Caldera is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The World 's 6 Known Supervolcanoes Photo: Erick Opena
The earliest outcropping volcanic deposits date back to about 25,000 years ago. The lavas observed at a -1125 m bore-hole are about 0,3-0,5 million years old. It is known for the first eruption of which an eyewitness account is preserved, in 79 AD. Geologically, Vesuvio is unique for its unusual versatility. Its activity ranging from Hawaiian-style release of liquid lava, fountaining and lava lakes, over Strombolian and Vulcanian activity to violently explosive, plinian events that produce pyroclastic flows and surges.