Supervolcanoes

1.2.4 Case study: Eyjafjallajökull 2010

1.3.1 Location and cause

Supervolcanoes

  1. Characteristics

    1. A supervolcanoes is a volcano capable of producing a volcanic eruption with an ejecta volume greater than 1000 km3
    2. They are formed when magma rises from a hotspot but is unable to break through the crust, causing the pressure to build up in a growing magma pool until the crust is unable to contain it
    3. Supervolcanoes typically do not have cones; instead, they have calderas, which form after large eruptions when the emptied magma chamber is unable to support the volcanic edifice above it, causing it to collapse
  2. Effects of an eruption: Yellowstone

    1. Destroy 10,000 km2
    2. Kill 87,000 people
    3. Buildings within 1000 km would be covered with 15 cm of ash
    4. 1 in 3 people affected would die
    5. Ash would reach the UK within 5 days
    6. Global climates would change, crop would fail and many people would die