Underwater Supervolcano Could Erupt Without Warning
A submerged volcano off the coast of Japan that erupted 7,300 years ago could be preparing to make a comeback.
Scientists have discovered evidence of a giant dome of lava in the Kikai volcano’s collapsed magma chamber.
They believe it contains about 32 cubic km (7.68 cubic miles) of magma, and distortions on its surface suggest the dome is growing.
Currently the dome is around 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) wide and 1,968 feet (600 meters) tall.
Scientists say an eruption could take place without warning, and if it does, it could kill as many as 100 million people and trigger a ‘volcanic winter’.
The study, conducted by researchers with the Kobe Ocean-Bottom Exploration Center (KOBEC) at Kobe University, confirmed that the giant lava dome was created after a caldera-forming supereruption 7,300 years ago.
That eruption is thought to have wiped out the prehistoric Jomon civilisation in southern Japan.
If the new lava dome erupts, it could eject huge amounts of debris into the atmosphere, potentially blocking out the sun for some areas to trigger a ‘volcanic winter’.
It could also cause tsunami that would hit southern Japan and the coasts of Taiwan and China, before striking the coasts of North and South America.
The paper says such supereruptions are ‘rare but extremely hazardous events, and also have severe global impacts such as ‘volcanic winter’.
A relief image map of Kikai Caldera. Inner and outer caldera rims are shown by solid lines. Magma movement (yellow) can be seen in this image along the caldera’s rim. Dredge (yellow diamond), ROV diving (blue diamonds), and scuba diving (yellow triangles) points where researchers conducted their studies are shown
‘Many of these super-volcanoes repeat super-eruptions in their multi-million year histories’, the report said, adding that the scientists hope to be able to use their research in ‘preparation for the next super-eruption’.
The lava dome is in a caldera – a cauldron-like depression that forms following the collapse of a volcano into itself, forming a crater.
These collapses are usually triggered when a magma reservoir beneath a volcano is emptied as the result of a volcanic eruption.
Since KOBEC was established in 2015, the Center has carried out three survey voyages.
The lava dome rises to 600 metres (1,968.5 feet) above the seabed and is now only 30.5 metres (100 feet) beneath the surface.
According to the study, the outer and inner caldera rim may overlap on Satsuma Iōjima and Takeshima Islands, which belong to the southerly Ōsumi Islands Archipelago off southern coast of Japan.
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