Science Fiction Network, January 20 (Wang Ziyu) As the new crown epidemic ravaged the world, the news of the volcanic eruption in Tonga once again shocked us. It is understood that on January 15, 2022, the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific island nation of Tonga erupted violently. The eruption directly lifted an island formed by the previous eruption, and the ash caused by the eruption rushed to an altitude of 30 kilometers above the ground, forming a huge mushroom cloud with a diameter of 500 kilometers, which can be clearly seen on satellite maps. Not only that, but intense volcanic eruptions disrupted Tonga's communications with the outside world and triggered a violent tsunami that affected the entire Pacific Rim.
Don't look at its power, in history, its outbreak can be more than this time. It exploded four times in the 20th century, but this one in the 21st century was the largest. In addition, when scientists studied the sediments around Tonga's volcano, they found that it erupted violently almost every 1,000 years. The eruption can last from weeks to months, the last of which was around 1100 AD, and this year's eruption was on time.
In addition to punctuality, the power of this volcanic eruption is equally amazing, and it is understood that the energy released by the tonga volcanic eruption is equivalent to the explosion of 1,000 atomic bombs in Hiroshima. Experts estimate that if divided by technology, the Tonga volcanic eruption will reach at least VEI index 5, and even have the possibility of reaching VEI index 6. You know, the VEI index is only 8 levels full. But in the history of volcanic eruptions, there are not a few that are higher than the volcanic progression of Tonga.
The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 was the largest volcanic eruption in human history. The ash from that eruption lowered the global average temperature by at least 3°C, resulting in a massive crop failure, reduced food production and global famine, with 92,000 people worldwide dying directly or indirectly from the eruption.
In addition, there have been several eruptions that are equally alarming, with the eruption of Campi Flegrei near Naples, Italy, 39,000 years ago, which is considered by scientists to be an important cause of the extinction of Neanderthals; and the eruption of The Doba Volcano in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, 74,000 years ago, which caused more than 60% of the world's creatures to die. It can be said that volcanic eruptions above level 7 will have an immeasurable impact on the course of human history.
The frequency of the 8-level volcanic eruption is very small, generally only once in tens of thousands of years or hundreds of thousands of years. The earliest was the South Pacific Taupo eruption 26,500 years ago, and in general, if it erupts at magnitude 8, it could pose a serious threat to all life on Earth.
After counting the number of eruptions of various VEI-level volcanoes in the past 10,000 years, scientists found that the number of eruptions in VEI index 5 is 166, with an average of one occurrence every 60 years. The eruptions of VEI Index 6 are 51, with an average of one per 200 years. From this point of view, the current VOLCANO of Tonga with VEI index 5 is also a younger brother in the volcanic world. Although it is a younger brother, its power cannot be underestimated.