Experts warn that Earth’s most powerful volcanoes are showing signs of awakening—and the countdown may have already started. From Yellowstone to Campi Flegrei, seismic activity, rising magma, and gas emissions suggest something big is brewing beneath our feet. Could we be heading toward a series of catastrophic eruptions that reshape life on Earth? Discover the science, the warning signs, and what this volcanic unrest could mean for the planet’s future. This is not a drill—Earth may be closer to its next explosive chapter than we think. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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FunTranscript
00:00:00Guess who's awake and caused a ruckus after a 40-year snooze?
00:00:04Hawaii's very own Mauna Loa volcano.
00:00:06This big guy is the largest active volcano on the planet and was recently spewing out
00:00:10incredible lava flows.
00:00:12The US Geological Survey even listed a warning level, which means things got pretty serious.
00:00:17Thankfully, it seems like the eruption was well kept under control, at least for now.
00:00:22But when it comes to volcanoes, it's best not to let your guard down.
00:00:27Each one of these potential massive eruptions could cause trouble in everything from transportation,
00:00:31trade, energy, finance, and communication.
00:00:35Even the food we eat and the water we drink could be affected.
00:00:38Yikes.
00:00:39Hard to imagine what that might be, am I right?
00:00:42It would be like a huge game of, the floor is lava.
00:00:45Except the lava would be real, and the game would be seriously hard to win.
00:00:50And let's not forget about the impact it would have on our weather and temperature.
00:00:55Mauna Loa is not the only volcano that might cause trouble, though.
00:00:59Did you know that underneath Yellowstone National Park lies one of the world's largest volcanoes?
00:01:04The Yellowstone Caldera, at the summit of the volcano, is so massive that it's called
00:01:09a supervolcano.
00:01:11This means that it has the potential to produce quite the eruption.
00:01:14But don't worry, it's not going to happen anytime soon.
00:01:20You may have heard people say that Yellowstone is overdue for an eruption because the last
00:01:24one was 70,000 years ago.
00:01:27However, that's just a common misconception about volcanoes.
00:01:31They don't work on timelines.
00:01:33They erupt when there's enough eruptible magma beneath the surface and pressure to cause
00:01:37that magma to ascend.
00:01:39Currently, neither of these conditions are in place at Yellowstone.
00:01:43Experts keep a close eye on Yellowstone's subterranean activity to give warnings if
00:01:47a major volcanic eruption is about to happen.
00:01:50They use a lot of techniques to monitor movements, ground deformation, and temperatures and collect
00:01:55gas and water to check their chemistry over time.
00:01:59While Yellowstone is stable right now and hasn't displayed any unusual seismic activity
00:02:03lately, if it were to erupt, the aftermath could be pretty bad.
00:02:08Experts predict that ash could end up coating the surrounding region in a layer more than
00:02:12four inches thick.
00:02:14This could really mess up Midwest agriculture for a short period of time.
00:02:18The effects would also be felt beyond the United States' borders.
00:02:22But let's not worry about that right now.
00:02:25Yellowstone is a beautiful and exciting place to visit, with its incredible wildlife, geysers,
00:02:30hot springs, and breathtaking views.
00:02:33Next time someone asks you if Yellowstone's supervolcano is going to erupt soon, just
00:02:38tell them not to worry for the time being.
00:02:42There are around 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth.
00:02:46That's a lot of lava.
00:02:47And while it's true that between 10 and 20 volcanoes are erupting every day, it's highly
00:02:53unlikely that they would all go off at the same time.
00:02:56But let's imagine for a moment that they did.
00:02:59Would Earth survive?
00:03:00According to some geologists, the answer is a big fat no.
00:03:04You see, the problem with a worldwide volcanic event is not just the explosions and lava
00:03:10flows, which are problematic enough, but also the ash and volcanic gases.
00:03:15That pesky ash would completely block out the sun, pitch the planet into complete darkness,
00:03:19and affect the way plants perform photosynthesis.
00:03:23Crops would be destroyed, and temperatures would drop significantly.
00:03:26And that's not all.
00:03:28Acid rain would wipe out any crops that survived being covered in ash.
00:03:33That same rain would contaminate our waters too.
00:03:36This would make the ocean itself more acidic, causing problems for corals and marine life
00:03:40with hard shells.
00:03:41It might even wipe out entire species of fish.
00:03:45There is a silver lining, sort of.
00:03:48Some resilient organisms could survive in these really acidic environments, such as
00:03:52Yellowstone's hot springs, or in deep undersea areas that wouldn't be exposed to the eruption.
00:03:58As for humans, it's a bit more complicated.
00:04:01I mean, if you've got the funds for it, you could build yourself a legit underground bunker
00:04:05and stay there until the atmosphere clears.
00:04:09Weird volcanic scenarios aside, interesting volcanic activity doesn't just happen in America.
00:04:15Ever heard of Katla, the infamous Icelandic volcano?
00:04:18It's been a while since it last erupted, back in 1918.
00:04:22But here's the thing.
00:04:23If it decides to blow its top, things could get pretty crazy.
00:04:27You see, Katla is no ordinary volcano.
00:04:30If it erupts, it's predicted to be ten times stronger than its nearby sibling, which caused
00:04:35quite a frenzy back in 2010.
00:04:38The ash plume from Katla would be enormous, reaching high into the sky and covering vast
00:04:43areas of Europe for an extended period.
00:04:46That means air travel and economic trade would be severely impacted, potentially pushing
00:04:50Europe and maybe even the entire world into some rough times.
00:04:54Now don't worry just yet.
00:04:56The likelihood of Katla erupting soon is fairly low.
00:05:00If you're part of the history buffs and volcano enthusiasts, you've surely heard of Mount
00:05:05Vesuvius.
00:05:06On the 24th of August, 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius woke up from centuries of sleep and decided
00:05:12to throw a massive tantrum.
00:05:15Well it wasn't exactly a tantrum, more like a volcanic eruption that shook southern Italy
00:05:19and the entire Roman Empire, destroying the prosperous city of Pompeii.
00:05:24Fast forward to the 18th century, and this ancient city was rediscovered and excavated,
00:05:29revealing a wealth of knowledge about the everyday life of ancient Romans.
00:05:33It's like a time capsule from the past, frozen in time and waiting to be explored.
00:05:40Before Vesuvius decided to throw this surprise party, Pompeii was a thriving trade hub and
00:05:45summer vacation spot for the wealthy.
00:05:47But when the volcano erupted, it rained ash and pumice for 12 hours straight, forcing
00:05:52people to flee.
00:05:53On the bright side, the layers of ash and pumice formed a natural time capsule that
00:05:58preserved the buildings, frescoes and sculptures until their rediscovery almost 1700 years
00:06:03later.
00:06:04That means we can now study the culture, customs, beliefs, physical characteristics, food and
00:06:10health of the ancient Romans like never before.
00:06:13Pliny the Younger's was one of the most detailed eyewitness accounts of the disaster,
00:06:18which gave us a rare insight into the events that occurred in the first hours of the eruption.
00:06:24But the Vesuvius eruption wasn't just a tragedy for the ancient Romans, it also contributed
00:06:29significantly to the field of volcanology and our understanding of natural disasters.
00:06:35In fact, the particular type of volcanic eruption that doomed Pompeii is now recognized
00:06:40as Plinian, named after Pliny and his uncle.
00:06:43So while it may have been a rough day for the Romans, it left a lasting impact on the
00:06:47world that we still feel today.
00:06:50Samaru, the tallest mountain on Java, was also at it again with another eruption, back
00:06:55in 2022.
00:06:57The eruption spewed a cloud of ash up to 9 miles into the sky and prompted the evacuation
00:07:02of nearly 2,000 people.
00:07:04Most roads were closed, and volcanic ash covered the view of the mountain.
00:07:10But let's not forget, this isn't Samaru's first rodeo.
00:07:14It also erupted a year prior, displacing thousands of people.
00:07:18It's definitely better to be safe than sorry around this feisty volcano.
00:07:22Nearby Japanese authorities had initially been on alert for the possibility of a tsunami,
00:07:26but fortunately that hasn't been the case.
00:07:29Indonesia is home to 8.6 million people living within 6 miles of one of its 142 volcanoes.
00:07:36Yes, you read that right.
00:07:38142 volcanoes.
00:07:40That's a lot of lava if you ask me.
00:07:42Despite being quite the fussy volcano, Samaru is still a place people want to visit.
00:07:47One of its main attractions is a special type of savanna.
00:07:50What makes it so interesting is its color, purple.
00:07:54When this region is experiencing its rainy season, the whole area gets covered with beautiful
00:07:59flowers which are often confused with lavender.
00:08:01Spoiler, it's not lavender.
00:08:04And if you've ever visited the area, you'll know it's actually a type of verbena.
00:08:09Frankenstein, unreasonably cold weather, and tons of lava.
00:08:15What do these things have in common?
00:08:17They all trace their origins back to Mount Tambora.
00:08:20This volcano in Indonesia had such a massive impact that the aftermath could be felt in
00:08:25Switzerland even a year later.
00:08:28And these spots are thousands of miles apart.
00:08:31Soon, we might be facing something similar again.
00:08:35Stick around because I'm about to reveal the exact spot where the next eruption is
00:08:39expected to happen in 2025.
00:08:44Back in 1815, Mount Tambora erupted with unprecedented force, sending a colossal cloud of fine particles
00:08:52into the atmosphere.
00:08:53This cloud reflected sunlight, leading to global cooling and even the year without a
00:08:58summer in 1816.
00:09:01Temperatures plummeted, crops failed, and families worldwide faced food shortages, compounded
00:09:07by various health issues.
00:09:10Fun fact, Frankenstein appeared because of abnormally cold weather in the summer of 1816.
00:09:16The author got stuck indoors in Switzerland and wrote this story to pass the time.
00:09:22But that is the only positive aftermath.
00:09:25In England and Ireland, people struggled to find food.
00:09:28The crops were too bad that year, and this year without summer cost them lives.
00:09:33All because of the eruption in Indonesia.
00:09:37While many other volcanoes have erupted since then, none have had consequences as dramatic
00:09:43as Tambora.
00:09:44However, climate professor Marcus Stoffel from the University of Geneva believes potential
00:09:50serious eruptions aren't just a matter of luck, it's only a matter of time.
00:09:55So it's up to us.
00:09:57We can sit back and wait for the inevitable, or we can start preparing today.
00:10:02This future eruption will happen in a world that's vastly different from the one in 1815.
00:10:09Not only is our planet more densely populated now, but we've also experienced irreversible
00:10:14changes that affect our daily lives.
00:10:18Now if you think volcanoes are always the bad guys, think again.
00:10:23They've actually played a crucial role in shaping our planet.
00:10:26They help with land formation, atmospheric development, and climate modulation.
00:10:31Just look at Yellowstone, for example.
00:10:34When thick lava oozed to the surface, it spread across the landscape and transformed the area
00:10:39forever.
00:10:41When volcanoes blow their tops, they release a mix of lava, ash, and gases, including carbon
00:10:47dioxide.
00:10:48But don't worry, compared to the emissions from fossil fuels, the amount from volcanoes
00:10:53is pretty tiny.
00:10:55What scientists are really keeping an eye on is sulfur dioxide, because it can have
00:11:00a big impact on our climate.
00:11:04When a major volcanic eruption happens, it can send sulfur dioxide soaring into the stratosphere,
00:11:10which is about 7 miles up in the atmosphere.
00:11:14Once there, it transforms into tiny aerosol particles that scatter sunlight, helping to
00:11:19cool the planet.
00:11:21This cooling effect isn't immediate, though.
00:11:24Those particles can hang around for a couple of years and even circulate all around the
00:11:28globe.
00:11:29Nowadays, we've got special equipment to monitor sulfur dioxide emissions from space.
00:11:37Take Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
00:11:39During its eruption in 1991, it released around 15 million tons of sulfur dioxide.
00:11:46Now, while that's a lot, it wasn't quite as massive as the eruption of Tambora.
00:11:51Still, Pinatubo managed to lower global temperatures by about 0.5 degrees Celsius for several years.
00:11:58Tambora, on the other hand, dropped average global temperatures by about 1 degree Fahrenheit.
00:12:04I know what you might be thinking.
00:12:06That's not much, but trust me, it makes a difference.
00:12:10If the planet warms up by just 1 degrees Fahrenheit, it could really mess with sea levels.
00:12:15Experts think we might see a rise of up to 8 inches by the end of this century.
00:12:19This could wipe out a lot of farmland and coastal habitats, which would be a huge blow
00:12:25to many communities.
00:12:27So maybe a volcano eruption that can cool off the planet is like a natural mechanism
00:12:31helping us out?
00:12:33Not exactly.
00:12:35While it does cool the planet off, don't get tricked into thinking it's the kind of coolness
00:12:39our planet needs.
00:12:41Such temperature shifts can severely mess up with the crops, like they did in 1816.
00:12:47There's also evidence that major eruptions can disrupt rainfall patterns, leading to
00:12:51drier conditions in monsoon regions across Africa and Asia.
00:12:56You see, the summer monsoon relies on the temperature difference between land and ocean,
00:13:01which can be altered by volcanic activity.
00:13:05Interestingly, a warmer climate may enhance the cooling effects of volcanic eruptions.
00:13:12Experts explain that the formation and movement of aerosol particles depend on climate conditions.
00:13:18As global temperatures rise, faster air circulation can lead to smaller aerosol particles, which
00:13:24are more effective at scattering sunlight, and thereby intensifying the cooling effect.
00:13:31Volcanic eruptions also contribute to this dynamic.
00:13:33A warming ocean surface creates a stratified layer, hindering the mixing of warm and cold
00:13:38water, which could mean that volcanic eruptions primarily cool the upper ocean layer and the
00:13:44atmosphere above it, according to Stoffel.
00:13:48Moreover, climate change may influence volcanic systems directly.
00:13:52The melting of ice can trigger more eruptions by reducing the pressure that allows magma
00:13:57to ascend more easily.
00:13:59Additionally, increased rainfall associated with climate change can seep into the ground
00:14:05and interact with magma, potentially sparking eruptions.
00:14:09While the prospect of a cooling period due to a volcanic eruption might seem beneficial
00:14:14amid climate change, scientists warn that the effects could be dire.
00:14:20The immediate consequences could be severe, particularly for the estimated 800 million
00:14:27individuals residing near active volcanoes.
00:14:31A major eruption could devastate entire cities.
00:14:34For example, Campi Flegrei, located near Naples, Italy, is showing signs of increased activity
00:14:41and threatens the lives of about one million people.
00:14:45Now if you're from Oregon, beware, as experts say this state might experience volcano eruptions.
00:14:51Are you scared?
00:14:53Don't be.
00:14:54It's actually not as scary as it seems.
00:14:56Let me explain why.
00:14:58There are more than 80 volcanoes in Oregon, but we're not interested in a single one of
00:15:02them because it's an underwater volcano that is likely to erupt in 2025.
00:15:09Axial Seamount is the most active volcano in the Pacific Northwest, yet it remains largely
00:15:14unknown to the public due to its location approximately 300 miles offshore and nearly
00:15:21a mile beneath the ocean's surface.
00:15:24While its upcoming eruption is expected to pose no threat of a tsunami or significant
00:15:29land-based earthquakes because of its depth and distance from the Cascadia Fault, the
00:15:34data gathered from studying its eruptions can enhance our monitoring of potentially
00:15:39more hazardous volcanoes.
00:15:42Let's call it a friendly eruption, shall we?
00:15:45In reality, predicting eruptions is a complex endeavor.
00:15:49We often encounter alarming headlines, such as, Yellowstone is about to erupt.
00:15:55Should we take these claims seriously?
00:15:58Not really.
00:15:59Yes, Yellowstone sits atop an active supervolcano that has experienced three major explosive
00:16:05eruptions in the past 2.1 million years.
00:16:09The last eruption occurred approximately 70,000 years ago, with the most significant explosion
00:16:14taking place around 631,000 years ago, forming the massive Yellowstone Caldera.
00:16:21Naturally, many people are curious about whether Yellowstone will erupt again and when that
00:16:27might happen.
00:16:28Fortunately, scientists are employing new techniques to delve into these questions.
00:16:33A recent study suggests that Yellowstone is unlikely to experience another major eruption
00:16:38anytime soon.
00:16:40The reason is that the magma beneath the park is divided into a network of separate chambers.
00:16:46While there is a substantial amount of magma present, it's not sufficiently interconnected
00:16:51to support an eruption.
00:16:54Previous studies proposed that the existence of a massive layer of magma beneath Yellowstone,
00:16:59but these latest findings changed that notion.
00:17:02To gain a clearer understanding of the subterranean dynamics, researchers utilized a technique
00:17:07called magnetotellurics, which employs Earth's natural electromagnetic fields rather than
00:17:13seismic waves.
00:17:16Since magma is a good conductor of electricity, this method is particularly effective for
00:17:21mapping molten rock and comprehending underground activity in volcanically active regions.
00:17:27By using magnetotellurics, scientists created a detailed map of the magma under Yellowstone,
00:17:33enabling them to make more informed predictions about future eruptions.
00:17:39But what will happen if an eruption similar to Mount Tambora occurs?
00:17:43By and large, there will be huge climate chaos.
00:17:46Yeah, the best scientists are looking for the solution should it really happen, but
00:17:51they don't have it yet.
00:17:52So technically, we're not ready for the second Mount Tambora.
00:17:57But for now, we're pretty much safe.
00:17:59No major eruptions are predicted.
00:18:01Phew!
00:18:03These ominous rumbling sounds, the ground shaking under your feet – wait a minute,
00:18:08that's my tummy!
00:18:09Or it might be Washington State's Mount Adams waking up!
00:18:13It's the largest volcano in the state by both area and volume, and it's recently
00:18:18started to show signs of life after staying silent for thousands of years.
00:18:24Scientists have noticed an alarming uptick in seismic activity around the mountain.
00:18:28And since the last eruption here happened between 3,800 and 7,600 years ago, humanity
00:18:34was still in the Stone Age at that time.
00:18:36This sudden chattiness has scientists, let's say, curious.
00:18:41The U.S. Geological Survey has hurriedly installed temporary seismic stations around Mount Adams
00:18:46to keep an eye on the situation.
00:18:48At the same time, they reassure the public there's no need to panic.
00:18:53Mount Adams doesn't reach the height of the better-known Mount Rainier, and still
00:18:57it covers a massive area, making it Washington's largest active volcano.
00:19:03Interestingly, records show that before September of this year, Mount Adams had experienced
00:19:08an average of just one small earthquake every 2-3 years since 1982.
00:19:13And then, the Cascades Volcano Observatory and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
00:19:19detected a staggering six earthquakes in just one month – September.
00:19:24These quakes were all rather tiny, with magnitudes ranging between 0.9 and 2 on the Richter scale.
00:19:31It means they were so weak you wouldn't feel them at the surface.
00:19:34Plus, satellite imagery confirmed there was no ground deformation in the area.
00:19:40At the moment, the USGS keeps Mount Adams' alert level at green or normal, so we shouldn't
00:19:45worry about the ground opening and swallowing towns and cities.
00:19:49But the most recent seismic blips have encouraged the agency to install additional equipment
00:19:55for more precise monitoring.
00:19:57Such an expanded network will help scientists notice even the smallest earthquakes, which
00:20:02will help them understand what's happening under Mount Adams.
00:20:05This extra equipment might also shed light on whether this recent activity is a signal
00:20:10of future eruptions or just a random anomaly.
00:20:15If Mount Adams eventually erupted, it would likely produce slow-moving lava flows rather
00:20:20than explosive eruptions like Mount St. Helens.
00:20:23After all, past eruptions have only led to lava flows that travel just a few miles from
00:20:28the volcano.
00:20:29So, that's not what we'd need to worry about.
00:20:32A much more dangerous thing would be lahars.
00:20:35These are mudflows that can happen when volcanic ash, rock, and melted ice mix during eruptions.
00:20:41These have occurred near Mount Adams without even eruptions.
00:20:45Rock, weakened by hydrothermal processes at the volcano's summit, suddenly broke loose,
00:20:50creating fast-moving, destructive mudflows.
00:20:54Exactly for this reason, the USGS categorizes Mount Adams as a high-threat volcano.
00:21:00While it doesn't erupt frequently, it still poses serious risks to nearby settlements.
00:21:07Another volcano we should carefully watch is Kaldla in Iceland.
00:21:12It's one of the country's most powerful and dangerous volcanoes.
00:21:15It last erupted over a century ago in 1918, but if it erupts again, it could be 10 times
00:21:21as powerful as another Icelandic volcano whose name I can't pronounce.
00:21:27That one erupted in 2010, completely disrupting air travel all over Europe.
00:21:32An eruption of Kaldla could release large amounts of sulfur dioxide, which could form
00:21:37sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere.
00:21:40Such aerosols reflect sunlight, which could even cause temporary global cooling.
00:21:45This phenomenon often followed catastrophic volcanic eruptions in the past.
00:21:50Although eruptions are common in Iceland, Kaldla's ash cloud would likely shoot higher
00:21:55into the sky and cover larger areas of Europe than that other one did.
00:22:00It would ground flights and negatively affect economies.
00:22:03If Kaldla erupted, it would also harm agriculture, water supplies, and air quality.
00:22:09In 2014, scientists noted that a large eruption could even cause a tsunami that might travel
00:22:15along Iceland's south coast and out to sea.
00:22:18But the potential impact of such a tsunami is still unclear.
00:22:22Kaldla tends to erupt on a regular schedule, every 40 to 80 years, which means that another
00:22:28eruption is statistically very likely soon.
00:22:31That's why Kaldla remains under close scientific observation.
00:22:38The Canary Islands' Cumbre Vieja erupted recently in 2021, reminding people of its
00:22:44destructive potential.
00:22:45The lava flow from this eruption was devastating.
00:22:49It covered whole neighborhoods and flowed into the ocean, destroying more than 3,000
00:22:53homes.
00:22:54Thousands of people had to be evacuated.
00:22:57But the craziest thing?
00:22:58Even though the damage was significant, scientists believe it could've been far worse.
00:23:03A massive eruption of Cumbre Vieja could've caused the volcano's entire western flank
00:23:09to collapse into the Atlantic Ocean, triggering a mega-tsunami.
00:23:14This hypothetical tsunami could've potentially created waves hundreds or even thousands of
00:23:18feet high.
00:23:19They could've flooded coastlines around the Atlantic Basin, including parts of the
00:23:24US and Europe.
00:23:25Luckily, recent studies claim that a collapse of that scale is unlikely.
00:23:31Even though the chance of a mega-tsunami is low, scientists still think it's wise to
00:23:36prepare for possible eruptions because there's a chance of extensive damage.
00:23:41The lava flows that occur at this volcano tend to be extensive and dangerous to both
00:23:46human life and the infrastructure on the island.
00:23:51If you decide to travel to Ecuador, you should be wary of Cotopaxi, one of the most active
00:23:57volcanoes in this country.
00:23:59It's been rumbling with minor eruptions since 2022.
00:24:02While these eruptions have been relatively small, Cotopaxi's has a great potential for
00:24:07a major eruption, and it has scientists on high alert.
00:24:11If Cotopaxi erupted on a large scale, it could produce a massive ash cloud over 12 miles
00:24:17high, threatening the lives of around 200,000 people in the neighboring area.
00:24:23A serious danger is Cotopaxi's snow-capped summit.
00:24:27It would melt super-rapidly in a major eruption.
00:24:30It could lead to destructive floods and landslides that would flow down the mountain and potentially
00:24:35reach populated areas.
00:24:37This combination of volcanic activity and glacial floods makes Cotopaxi a high-risk
00:24:43volcano.
00:24:44A powerful eruption could occur soon, or it could be years or even decades away.
00:24:50But monitoring efforts are in place to catch any warning signs.
00:24:56The next volcano we should watch out for is already infamous – Mount Vesuvius.
00:25:02Its catastrophic eruption in 79 CE destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
00:25:09Its last eruption occurred in 1944, but Vesuvius remains highly active and poses a great risk
00:25:16to nearby Naples, one of Italy's largest cities.
00:25:19A large eruption would threaten over 3 million people.
00:25:23Many of them live in the vicinity or even directly on the slopes of the volcano.
00:25:28If Vesuvius erupted, it would be an explosive event, with ash, rocks, and volcanic gas ejected
00:25:34at extremely high speeds.
00:25:37And even though such a destructive event isn't expected for a few hundred years, Vesuvius
00:25:42remains one of the world's most closely watched volcanoes.
00:25:46After all, it has a real potential to cause catastrophic damage in a densely populated
00:25:51area.
00:25:54Then we have Popocatépetl, often called El Popo.
00:25:58It's one of North America's tallest active volcanoes, which lies about 40 miles from
00:26:03Mexico City.
00:26:04Exactly this proximity to a metropolitan area with a population of 22 million people makes
00:26:11Popocatépetl especially hazardous.
00:26:14A large eruption could send a massive ash cloud over Mexico City, causing widespread
00:26:19disruptions.
00:26:20Ash could clog the city's drainage systems, contaminate water supplies, and even cause
00:26:25power outages by short-circuiting electrical systems.
00:26:28Plus, lahars could rush down the volcano, reaching nearby towns.
00:26:33Popocatépetl has been showing near-constant seismic activity since the early 2000s, and
00:26:39smaller eruptions are pretty common here.
00:26:42In early 2024, there were 13 recorded minor eruptions, which alarmed nearby towns.
00:26:48At the same time, volcanologists consider such eruptions normal for Popocatépetl.
00:26:56While talking about super dangerous volcanoes, we can't skip Yellowstone National Park.
00:27:02It houses one of the world's largest supervolcanoes.
00:27:05Its last massive eruption occurred about 640,000 years ago.
00:27:10But if this monster were to erupt today, the impact would be much more devastating
00:27:15for the entire planet.
00:27:17States closest to Yellowstone, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, would be most affected,
00:27:23likely experiencing disastrous pyroclastic flows.
00:27:27These flows, which are made of a dangerous mix of lava, ash, and gases, can obliterate
00:27:32everything in their path.
00:27:34Large parts of the country would also be blanketed in volcanic ash, over 3 feet in some areas.
00:27:41On a global scale, an eruption at Yellowstone would send tons of ash and gases into the
00:27:46stratosphere, potentially blocking sunlight and causing global temperatures to drop for
00:27:51a few years.
00:27:53This would disrupt agriculture, collapse transportation systems, and create food shortages on a massive
00:27:58scale.
00:27:59Still, even though there's a popular myth that Yellowstone is overdue for an eruption,
00:28:05geologists clarify that this isn't true.
00:28:09Volcanoes don't follow precise timetables, and the activity at Yellowstone doesn't indicate
00:28:14an imminent eruption.
00:28:15So yeah, that's good news.
00:28:18Phew, you can finally send that last report for the day and breathe out.
00:28:24The weekend is around the corner, but just when you're about to hit send, you're alarmed
00:28:28by the low rumbling under your desk.
00:28:31Is it the light rail passing by?
00:28:33Unfortunately, that's not the case.
00:28:35It's a volcano speaking.
00:28:37What, here?
00:28:39In Arizona?
00:28:40That's right, the ground keeps shifting under Arizona, reminding us that Earth is alive.
00:28:46No panic though, let's arm ourselves with some context.
00:28:5020 American states have extinct, active, and dormant, currently sleeping, volcanoes.
00:28:57Among such states, you can find California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.
00:29:09On the bright side, Arizona's volcanoes are dormant at the moment, but it doesn't mean
00:29:13they won't go off in the near, or not-so-near future.
00:29:18Now how about traveling to Arizona to check the traces of its active volcanic past?
00:29:24They dot the desert landscapes of this state like spots dot a Dalmatian.
00:29:29There are entire volcanic fields southwest of Phoenix, east of Douglas, near Flagstaff,
00:29:39north of Kingman, and near the Mexico border.
00:29:44The most worrying thing about these fields is that even though they're not active at
00:29:48the moment, eruptions in this region might happen every thousand years or so.
00:29:53Well, the time seems to be up.
00:29:56The last powerful and destructive volcanic eruption occurred around 1,000 years ago at
00:30:01the Sunset Crater.
00:30:03Oh, this place is worth paying more attention to.
00:30:06And we will, but a bit later.
00:30:09First, we have to talk about hotspots.
00:30:11No, not that place where you can surf the web.
00:30:15In our volcanic context, a hotspot is a place where insane amounts of heat melt the overlying
00:30:21crust, Earth's thin outer layer, and form volcanoes.
00:30:25This heat rises from the mantle, which is located between our planet's dense, superheated
00:30:30core and the crust.
00:30:34Want to see an example of this type of volcanism?
00:30:37Welcome to the Hawaiian Islands.
00:30:40The Big Island has its active volcanoes because, at the moment, it's situated on top of the
00:30:45Hawaiian hotspot.
00:30:47The older Hawaiian Islands were once there too.
00:30:51But later they drifted off towards the northwest.
00:30:54It happened because that's where the oceanic crust on top of which they sat, namely the
00:30:59Pacific Plate, moved.
00:31:02Now look at the world's ocean basins.
00:31:04Yes, they're literally dotted with islands that sit on top of hotspots, like Hawaii,
00:31:10Iceland, Samoa, the Galapagos.
00:31:15Those are probably the most famous examples.
00:31:18But don't think that continents can't host hotspots.
00:31:20They can.
00:31:21But those are far less common.
00:31:24One of the most famous continental hotspots is, ah, I bet you know it, yep, the one beneath
00:31:29the Yellowstone Caldera.
00:31:32By the way, the caldera is a vast volcanic crater, especially one formed as a result
00:31:37of a massive eruption that led to the collapse of the mouth of a volcano.
00:31:43The Yellowstone Hotspot is basically the creator of Old Faithful and the rest of the hot springs
00:31:49and mud pots for which the national park is famous.
00:31:53Speaking of Old Faithful, let's make a small detour and pay more attention to this wonder
00:31:58of nature.
00:32:00It's one of the most well-known geysers in the world.
00:32:02People have been coming from all over the globe to see it for more than a century.
00:32:07The cool thing about this geyser is that the likes of it can only form under very specific
00:32:13conditions.
00:32:14That's why they're pretty rare.
00:32:17Magma under the surface superheats pockets of underground water.
00:32:21The pressure there keeps growing until it eventually pushes the water upward with immense
00:32:26strength.
00:32:27A certain volcanic rock with a high silica content lines the tunnel through which this
00:32:32water escapes.
00:32:34Basically, it creates a unique pipe that can withstand unbelievable pressure and heat created
00:32:40by the water erupting above the ground.
00:32:45Old Faithful was the very first named geyser in Yellowstone.
00:32:48If you come to visit it expecting the thing to erupt every hour on the hour, you're gonna
00:32:53be disappointed.
00:32:55On average, Old Faithful erupts every 91 minutes or so, which isn't that bad either.
00:33:00Plus, you can download a special app which will provide you with the approximate time
00:33:05of the next eruption.
00:33:07But be very careful while visiting and stay away from the site.
00:33:10The water erupting from the powerful geyser reaches 204 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:33:16The steam is even more scorching, up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:33:22It's hot enough to bake a cake.
00:33:25But let's get back to our volcanic hotspots.
00:33:28We still don't clearly understand why there aren't many hotspot volcanoes on continental
00:33:33crust.
00:33:35One reason might be that the continental crust is much thicker than the oceanic crust, which
00:33:40is about four times as thick on average.
00:33:44Another reason could be that most of Earth's crust, about two-thirds of it, is oceanic.
00:33:50This means that there's less continental crust for hotspots to form under.
00:33:56Now, I bet those of you living in Arizona will appreciate the following info.
00:34:01We'll talk about a volcanic field right in the heart of this state, the San Francisco
00:34:06Volcanic Field.
00:34:09That's a massive area filled with over 600 volcanoes.
00:34:12Yes, they're mostly small, but it doesn't make them any less impressive.
00:34:17They're scattered across 1,800 square miles in northern Arizona, a giant territory.
00:34:23Interestingly, scientists are still debating about whether this volcanic field is actually
00:34:28sitting on top of a hotspot.
00:34:31But one thing they agree upon, the volcanoes in this area get younger as you move east.
00:34:36And this pattern matches up with the North American Plate moving west over what could
00:34:41be a stationary hotspot beneath the surface of our planet.
00:34:45Cool, huh?
00:34:48The volcanic Holopaloo in that area started around 6 million years ago, so in geological
00:34:55terms, it's relatively young.
00:34:58As for the most recent eruption, it happened less than 1,000 years ago.
00:35:03The Sunset Crater, which I mentioned before, the one near Flagstaff, is the most famous
00:35:07vent from that eruption.
00:35:09The Sinagua people had to leave their homes at Wupatki Pueblo because of the eruption.
00:35:15That site is now part of the Wupatki National Monument.
00:35:18There you can see how people lived in this volcanic region many years ago.
00:35:25If you go to explore this area, you'll notice that most of the volcanoes there are basalt
00:35:29cinder cones, small and steep.
00:35:33The Colorado Plateau has quite dry weather conditions.
00:35:36That's why the volcanoes haven't worn down much.
00:35:39Some of the best examples of those cones, like this one, called the SP Crater, still
00:35:44look like they appeared yesterday.
00:35:48But look around.
00:35:49It's not just cinder cones.
00:35:51The San Francisco Volcanic Field also has a stratovolcano, as well as some lava domes
00:35:57that formed from volcanic rocks with more silica than basalt you can find in places
00:36:02like Hawaii.
00:36:05It means they're thicker and don't flow as easily.
00:36:08Anyway, the stratovolcano is going to be one of the most epic sites you'll come across
00:36:13while exploring this volcanic field.
00:36:15Well not the stratovolcano itself, but the San Francisco Peaks, the remains of that giant
00:36:21formation.
00:36:22They stand tall at more than 12,600 feet.
00:36:26That's four and a half Burj Khalifas placed on top of one another.
00:36:30It makes the peaks some of the biggest landmarks in Northern Arizona.
00:36:35They're not only stunning, but also sacred to the Native American people who have lived
00:36:40in the area for many generations.
00:36:45Now unlike those super active volcanoes in Hawaii, the San Francisco Volcanic Field takes
00:36:50its time, thousands of years between eruptions.
00:36:54But you shouldn't relax just yet.
00:36:56Geologists say another eruption is likely to happen one day.
00:37:01It will probably occur in the remote eastern part of the field, away from big towns.
00:37:07Phew!
00:37:08But if that next eruption is anything like the one that formed Sunset Crater, it would
00:37:12be quite the show.
00:37:14Lava fountains and rivers of lava flowing.
00:37:17At the same time, the next eruption might not happen for centuries, maybe even millennia.
00:37:24Until then, the San Francisco Volcanic Field will remain a hidden gem of volcanic history,
00:37:30waiting for its next fiery performance.
00:37:36The largest volcanic region on Earth is not in Africa or Japan, but under the ice of Antarctica.
00:37:43Scientists found 138 volcanoes in its western part, and if they decide to go wild, you'll
00:37:49surely notice it.
00:37:50They could melt huge amounts of ice that will move into the ocean, raise its level, and
00:37:55make our planet uninhabitable for humans.
00:37:58But before you pack your things to fly away to another planet, hear me out.
00:38:03Only two of the Antarctic volcanoes are officially classified as active now, and it would take
00:38:08a whole series of eruptions decade after decade to seriously impact the whole world.
00:38:15Mount Erebus, one of the two Antarctic volcanoes currently in action, proudly bears the title
00:38:21of the world's southernmost active one.
00:38:23It has been continuously erupting since at least 1972.
00:38:28It emits plumes of gas and steam and sometimes even spews out rocks, and scientists call
00:38:33it strombolian eruptions.
00:38:35One of the coolest features is a lava lake in one of its summit craters, with molten
00:38:40material on the surface.
00:38:42Such lakes are rather rare because they need certain conditions to make sure the surface
00:38:46never freezes over.
00:38:48The second active volcano is Deception Island, a horseshoe-shaped landmass.
00:38:53It is the caldera of an active volcano that last erupted over 50 years ago.
00:38:59Scientists who monitor it say it shouldn't go wild any time soon.
00:39:03Antarctica also has plenty of fumaroles.
00:39:06Those are volcanic vents that release gases and vapors into the air.
00:39:10In the right conditions, they can spew out enough stuff to build fumarolic ice towers
00:39:15up to 10 feet tall.
00:39:18Scientists keep an eye on the Antarctic volcanoes with seismometers that detect when the Earth
00:39:23starts trembling from volcanic activity.
00:39:26Sometimes they also use more complicated tech, but it's all really challenging because
00:39:30of how far away this polar region is and how tricky it is to get there.
00:39:35That's why no one can predict when one of the continent's volcanoes that are now sleeping
00:39:39might erupt.
00:39:41We can guess what this waking up would look like if we analyzed the events from nearly
00:39:4520,000 years ago.
00:39:47So shall we?
00:39:50One of Antarctica's sleeping volcanoes, Mount Takahe, had a series of eruptions and
00:39:55spewed out a good amount of halogens rich in ozone back then.
00:40:00Some scientists say these events warmed up the southern hemisphere.
00:40:03Glaciers started to melt and helped finish the last ice age.
00:40:07For these events to repeat, we'd need a series of eruptions with substances rich in
00:40:11halogens from one or more volcanoes that are now above the ice.
00:40:16It's an unlikely scenario, but since it already happened in the past, it's not completely
00:40:21impossible.
00:40:23As for volcanoes hiding under a thick layer of ice, it looks like their gases would hardly
00:40:28make it to the atmosphere.
00:40:30But they would be strong enough to melt huge caverns in the base of the ice and produce
00:40:34a serious amount of meltwater.
00:40:37The West Antarctic ice sheet is wet and not frozen to its bed, so this meltwater would
00:40:42work as a lubricant and set the overlying ice into motion soon.
00:40:47The volume of water that even a large volcano would generate in this way is nothing compared
00:40:52to the volume of ice beneath it.
00:40:54So a single eruption wouldn't make a difference.
00:40:57But several volcanoes erupting close to or beneath any of the western Antarctica's big
00:41:02ice streams would.
00:41:04Those ice streams are rivers of ice that take most of the frozen water in Antarctica into
00:41:09the ocean.
00:41:10If they change their speed and bring unusual amounts of water into the ocean, its level
00:41:15will rise.
00:41:17As the ice would get thinner and thinner, there would be more and more new eruptions.
00:41:22Scientists call it a runaway effect.
00:41:24Something like that happened in Iceland.
00:41:26The number of volcanic eruptions went up when glaciers started to recede at the end of the
00:41:31last ice age.
00:41:33So it looks like, for massive changes, several powerful volcanoes above the ice with gases
00:41:39full of halogens need to get active within a few decades of each other and stay strong
00:41:44over many tens to hundreds of years.
00:41:47Antarctica stores around 80% of all the fresh water in the world, and if they melted all
00:41:52of it, global sea levels would rise by almost 200 feet.
00:41:57And then we'd have to look for a new planet to live on.
00:42:00But this again is an unlikely scenario.
00:42:03It's more likely that the eruptions under the ice will lubricate ice streams and seep
00:42:07water into the ocean.
00:42:09But it wouldn't be the end of the world.
00:42:13A super-strong, super-angry supervolcano could do it, though, and it has already happened
00:42:19in the past.
00:42:20Over 200 million years ago, the world went through a major makeover with not one, not
00:42:26two, but four massive volcanic eruptions and huge pulses.
00:42:31The supervolcano, called Camp, had been erupting over and over for 600,000 years.
00:42:37It all happened in Rangelia, a large chunk of land that used to be a supermassive volcano
00:42:42stretching across what's now British Columbia in Alaska.
00:42:46And it wasn't the lava or the volcanic ash that ruined the environment.
00:42:50The eruption made carbon levels skyrocket.
00:42:53The planet would never be the same again.
00:42:55This volcanic activity might've helped dinosaurs grow from cat-sized critters into giants we
00:43:00saw in Jurassic Park.
00:43:02It kicked off a two-million-year rainy season.
00:43:05It made the whole world hot and humid.
00:43:08And the dinos just loved it.
00:43:10Researchers dug deep into sediment layers beneath an ancient lake in Asia to uncover
00:43:15these secrets.
00:43:16They found traces of volcanic ash and mercury, clear signs of those epic eruptions.
00:43:21There were carbon signatures showing huge spikes in carbon dioxide levels.
00:43:26It made the atmosphere toasty, and the rain poured down.
00:43:30So the bad news is, another eruption like this could happen.
00:43:35The supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park has been sleeping for nearly 70,000 years.
00:43:42But if it wakes up, it would be many times more catastrophic than the eruption of Mount
00:43:47St. Helens in 1980.
00:43:48It's considered the most disastrous volcanic eruption in U.S. history.
00:43:52It followed two months of earthquakes and injection of magma below the volcano that
00:43:57weakened and destroyed the entire north face of the mountain.
00:44:01The eruption column went 80,000 feet into the atmosphere and spread ash over 11 U.S.
00:44:07states and several Canadian provinces.
00:44:09The last Yellowstone eruption was 1,000 times greater than that.
00:44:15The ground above Yellowstone sits on a hot spot made of molten and semi-molten rock called
00:44:20magma.
00:44:21This magma stuff flows into a chamber beneath the park, about 4 to 6 miles down, making
00:44:26the ground puff up like a balloon.
00:44:29But then, as it cools down, the ground goes back to its usual state.
00:44:34Volcano watchers have been keeping an eye on this for a century.
00:44:37They noticed the ground lift up about 10 inches around 20 years ago.
00:44:41But since 2010, it's been going back down.
00:44:44The experts say we have no big eruptions on the horizon, so doomsday isn't coming any
00:44:49time soon.
00:44:51But there's some underground activity going on lately which keeps us interested.
00:44:56Since humans haven't been around to witness every little thing Yellowstone does, it's
00:45:00kinda tough to say for sure what's brewing down there.
00:45:04Yellowstone has had some epic eruptions within the last couple million years.
00:45:08They happen like clockwork, with gaps of 6 to 800,000 years between them.
00:45:13The last big one was around 640,000 years ago, and it basically reshaped the entire
00:45:18landscape, spreading ash and debris as far as Louisiana.
00:45:23You can still see the aftermath of the last big eruption in the Yellowstone caldera today.
00:45:28Experts say a massive eruption like the last one is an unlikely scenario.
00:45:33We're more likely to see eruptions of steam and hot water or lava flows.
00:45:38When and with what force it will wake up remains a mystery to scientists.
00:45:43Whoa, Earth's surface is shaking!
00:45:47Long cracks split the ground open.
00:45:49River rivers are rapidly flowing down the slopes.
00:45:52Deafening noise is filling the air.
00:45:54Rocks and other debris are flying high up.
00:45:57Clouds of volcanic gas and ash cover the sky.
00:46:01This is not a plot of a blockbuster disaster movie.
00:46:04It's what happens when supervolcanoes decide to erupt.
00:46:08But this is likely not the scenario that will take place when the world's largest volcano,
00:46:13Mauna Loa, decides to finish its long, long nap.
00:46:16In 2021, scientists were sure it would happen soon.
00:46:20But so far, nothing.
00:46:22The volcano's seismicity keeps increasing and then going back to normal.
00:46:27But you never know when this giant will finally come back to life.
00:46:31That's why experts have been monitoring geological activity
00:46:34on Hawaii's largest island for quite some time.
00:46:38The Big Island of Hawaii is made up of five volcanoes,
00:46:42including the most active on the planet, Kilauea, and the largest, Mauna Loa.
00:46:47This gigantic thing makes up almost half the landmass of the island.
00:46:51And what lava Kilauea emits in one day, Mauna Loa could spew out within 20 minutes.
00:46:57That's what it did in 1984.
00:47:00While Mauna Loa's smaller sibling has been throwing tantrums for a while,
00:47:04the giant has been slumbering ever since its last eruption.
00:47:08But very recently, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory
00:47:12has recorded more than 200 mini-earthquakes below Mauna Loa.
00:47:16It likely means an increased flow of magma down there.
00:47:19Good morning!
00:47:20The volcano might be waking up.
00:47:23Or not.
00:47:24If Mauna Loa did suddenly erupt, lava flows could reach the ocean and the most populated
00:47:30and touristy places like Captain Cook very, very quickly, in a matter of hours.
00:47:35In 1984, the last time the volcano erupted,
00:47:38lava got as far as the outskirts of Hilo on the other side of the island.
00:47:43That's where a campus of the University of Hawaii is found.
00:47:46Luckily, people had a few weeks' warning to get ready for the disaster.
00:47:51These days, locals have special go-bags ready with the most important stuff,
00:47:55including documents and money.
00:47:58Such precautions can come in handy in case of an emergency evacuation.
00:48:02Even though most Mauna Loa eruptions have so far only affected the summit area,
00:48:07several of them sent lava all the way down to the ocean.
00:48:10And you never know how powerful the next eruption will be.
00:48:15Now, what is the highest mountain on Earth?
00:48:17Mount Everest, you say?
00:48:18Well, it depends.
00:48:20From seafloor to the summit, Mauna Loa is 1,000 feet taller than the famous Himalayan Peak.
00:48:26The volcano is so big, it makes the Pacific Plate it's sitting on
00:48:30literally slump under its weight.
00:48:33Scientists say that when this monster of a volcano erupts,
00:48:36the volume of lava coming out per unit will be life-threatening.
00:48:40Over its recorded history, Mauna Loa has been erupting regularly, almost every 6 years.
00:48:46And even though the last eruption of the volcano occurred about 40 years ago,
00:48:51scientists are certain it'll happen again.
00:48:54Now, remember the scene I showed you at the beginning?
00:48:57Well, you can relax.
00:48:59It's not likely to happen with Mauna Loa.
00:49:01The thing is, big island volcanoes, including Mauna Loa, aren't very volatile.
00:49:06That's because they're shield volcanoes.
00:49:09These volcanoes got such a name because they aren't really very high
00:49:13and resemble a warrior's shield placed flat on the ground.
00:49:17Shield volcanoes get formed by very fluid lava.
00:49:20It travels farther and forms much thinner flows.
00:49:23Then lava erupted from a stratovolcano, which is conically shaped and tall,
00:49:28like the infamous Krakatoa in Indonesia.
00:49:31So if, or should I say when, Mauna Loa erupts,
00:49:35there probably won't be ash clouds and tons of debris.
00:49:38The most dangerous thing will be lava.
00:49:41Since Mauna Loa is a shield volcano, its lava is extremely fluid and voluminous,
00:49:46which allows it to flow far and fast.
00:49:50Using theoretical vent maps, experts from the Hawaii Volcano Observatory
00:49:54have made charts of possible lava flows.
00:49:57They're kind of worried about earthquakes clustering at high rates.
00:50:01It likely means that lava is on the move under the surface.
00:50:05500 to 600 earthquakes per day are a serious reason to be on high alert.
00:50:11On the other hand, it doesn't necessarily mean a disaster or inevitable eruption.
00:50:17Around a decade ago, several earthquakes that happened at the same time
00:50:21signaled that something was happening under Mauna Loa.
00:50:24But an eruption didn't occur.
00:50:26Instead, half the volcano shifted a bit to the south.
00:50:30This way, it probably gave more room to magma,
00:50:33so that it had enough space to stay beneath the surface.
00:50:37Now let's get back to the catastrophic eruption we saw at the beginning of the video.
00:50:41That's what often happens when a supervolcano erupts.
00:50:44Those are volcanoes that have at least once had an eruption
00:50:48with a volcanic explosivity index of 8, which is the largest recorded number on the index.
00:50:54Supervolcanoes are often extremely large, with no cone at all.
00:50:58That's because they're typically the remains of gigantic magma chambers
00:51:02that once flared up, leaving behind a caldera.
00:51:06They're usually found over hot spots.
00:51:08Supervolcanoes can produce super-eruptions,
00:51:11and when they do, they blow more than 240 cubic miles of ash,
00:51:16molten rock, and hot gases up into the air.
00:51:19In other words, 4 super-eruptions could fill the Grand Canyon to the brim.
00:51:25Supervolcanoes get formed when gigantic volumes of scorching hot magma
00:51:29are trying to escape from deep underground.
00:51:31This magma rises close to the surface, but can't break through Earth's crust.
00:51:36That's why a huge pressurized pool of bubbling magma
00:51:40gathers at a depth of only several miles.
00:51:43The pressure keeps growing because more magma is trying to get to the surface,
00:51:47until, bam, a super-eruption occurs.
00:51:51The most recent super-eruption happened in New Zealand.
00:51:54Well, when I say recent, I mean around 26,500 years ago.
00:51:59Nah, I wasn't around then.
00:52:01That's when a supervolcano beneath the surface of Lake Taubo
00:52:05spewed into the air more than 300 cubic miles of ash and pumice.
00:52:10Imagine 500,000 Great Pyramids of Giza flying up at the same time.
00:52:15That's how incredibly powerful that eruption was.
00:52:18But the most exciting and confusing thing about the eruption
00:52:22was that the Taubo volcano simply didn't go off like many others.
00:52:26At first, everything was going as usual.
00:52:29More than 200 square miles of magma had built up under the surface,
00:52:33and the pressure was getting higher and higher.
00:52:36But after the rock cracked and the first part of lava rushed out of the crater,
00:52:40something went wrong, and the supervolcano took a break.
00:52:44Only several months later, the disastrous eruption shook the ground,
00:52:48and thousands of tons of lava, rocks, and ash flew high into the atmosphere.
00:52:54But the age of supervolcanoes isn't over.
00:52:57The most infamous of them all is probably the one in Yellowstone National Park.
00:53:02This giant handles at least three mega-powerful eruptions,
00:53:06and who knows how many smaller ones.
00:53:09If this monster erupted anywhere as strongly as it did 2.1 million years ago,
00:53:14it would spit out more than 588 cubic miles of red-hot material.
00:53:19You can probably picture it more vividly if I tell you that this volume is comparable to
00:53:2465 million capital rotundas in Washington, D.C. piled together.
00:53:29Wow.
00:53:30Anyway, scientists are sure that Yellowstone doesn't present any danger these days.
00:53:35For an eruption to happen, magma inside must be at least 50% molten.
00:53:40With the Yellowstone caldera, this number is just 5-15%.
00:53:45But of course, Yellowstone isn't the only supervolcano on our planet.
00:53:50There's also New Zealand's Tabo you already know about, Japan's Erikaldra, California's
00:53:55Long Valley, Indonesia's Toba – any of them can one day produce a super-eruption.
00:54:02There are also several so-called supervolcanoes that haven't lived up to this name yet
00:54:07because they've never produced anything like a super-eruption.
00:54:11For example, in 1883, Indonesian volcano Krakatoa went off.
00:54:17The power of the eruption tore the volcano's walls open,
00:54:20and cold seawater rushed into its molten insides.
00:54:24The difference in temperature made the volcano blow up with a deafening boom.
00:54:28It was clearly heard 2,000 miles away in Australia.
00:54:32It earned the blast the title of the loudest sound in history.
00:54:36But even though the consequences of this event were truly catastrophic,
00:54:40it still turned out not powerful enough to be called a super-eruption.
00:54:46Fraser Island sits off the coast of sunny Queensland, Australia.
00:54:50But don't fall for its beauty.
00:54:52It's home to the most dangerous beach in the world.
00:54:55There's nowhere on the island to seek medical attention.
00:54:58If you do run into danger, you're on your own.
00:55:02Dingo attacks are super common here.
00:55:04If you don't know what a dingo is, it looks like an adorable dog.
00:55:08But beware, this wild breed is extremely dangerous.
00:55:12And the dingo's gnashing teeth aren't the only thing to be scared of.
00:55:15The seas around the island are swimming with great white sharks.
00:55:20There's jellyfish in the water too.
00:55:22Fraser Island is home to some of the world's most dangerous kinds,
00:55:26including the Portuguese blue bottle.
00:55:28One sting from its venomous tentacle is enough to take down an adult human.
00:55:33Even if you manage to avoid the creatures on the island, the sea itself is perilous.
00:55:39The waters are incredibly rough and have powerful riptides.
00:55:43These are strong currents that will pull you away from the shore.
00:55:47And remember, there are no lifeguards to come to your rescue if you get in trouble.
00:55:52Even the sand is dangerous.
00:55:55Car rollovers in the thick dunes happen all the time.
00:55:59It's definitely best to swap your car for a dune buggy.
00:56:02Travelers also often drive down the dunes straight into the lakes below.
00:56:06But the lakes are incredibly shallow, which is not very safe.
00:56:11Fraser Island is also known for its beautiful lookout points.
00:56:15But you'll need to watch your step.
00:56:17You might feel on top of the world,
00:56:19but stay well away from the edges as jagged rocks and crashing waves line the shore below.
00:56:25There's an island in Brazil known as Snake Island, which is equally dangerous.
00:56:30I wonder what the hazard could be here.
00:56:32It's home to thousands of golden lancehead vipers,
00:56:35which are one of the most venomous snakes on the planet.
00:56:39They grow to over 20 inches long,
00:56:42and their fast-acting venom melts the flesh from around their bites.
00:56:46There are around 4,000 snakes on the tiny 106-acre isle.
00:56:52Snake Island has become so dangerous
00:56:54that the Brazilian authorities had to ban everyone from going there.
00:56:58For years, the only human inhabitants to brave the island
00:57:01were a lighthouse keeper and his family.
00:57:04But local legend says that one night,
00:57:06a group of snakes crawled in through a window to attack,
00:57:09and the family was never seen again.
00:57:12Known as the Gas Mask Town,
00:57:14the island of Miyakejima is not one to visit in a hurry.
00:57:18It's home to a fiery, active volcano that has erupted several times over the past few years.
00:57:24There were several massive eruptions
00:57:26leading to the spread of a highly poisonous gas across the island.
00:57:30Residents are now required to carry gas masks at all times,
00:57:34and a terrifying alarm blares across the island whenever the poison levels get too high.
00:57:40The island is also in the middle of the Devil's Sea.
00:57:43Ships mysteriously vanish in the area, and experts have no idea why.
00:57:49The North Sentinel Island is home to a remote and unwelcoming tribe.
00:57:54They lived alone on the island without any modern technology
00:57:57or contact with the outside world for over 60,000 years.
00:58:01And that's just the way they like it.
00:58:03They've been known to fire arrows at anyone who attempts to enter the island.
00:58:07There are many stories of people visiting the island, and they are never seen again.
00:58:12It's not ghoulish ghosts or slithering snakes
00:58:15that you have to worry about on the Caribbean island of Saba.
00:58:18It's hurricanes.
00:58:20The tiny island has been hit by more severe hurricanes
00:58:22than anywhere in the world over the last 150 years.
00:58:26There have even been seven tropical cyclones, which is an intense circular storm.
00:58:31The winds in these storms can reach 254 kilometers per hour.
00:58:36Try standing up in that.
00:58:38You'll also struggle to find a pilot who'll even land on the island.
00:58:42It's incredibly dangerous not because of the winds,
00:58:44but because it's home to the shortest runway in the world.
00:58:48It's only 440 yards long.
00:58:51Two huge rocky ridges surround the runway, so there's no room for mistakes.
00:58:56The Kīlauea beaches of Hawai'i used to be one of the most dangerous in the world.
00:59:00The Kīlauea volcano has been almost consistently erupted
00:59:04The volcano has been almost consistently erupting for the past 35 years,
00:59:08spewing red-hot lava into the surrounding waters.
00:59:12The water temperatures have even passed boiling point as a result of the lava.
00:59:16Happily, it's no longer active.
00:59:19While the island of Bikini Atoll might sound like the perfect summer vacation destination,
00:59:24it's most certainly not.
00:59:26The problem is that this place has dangerously high radiation levels,
00:59:30and the locals had to leave it.
00:59:32Although the island was declared safe in the 90s,
00:59:34its original inhabitants have refused to return.
00:59:38The lack of fishing in the area has also led to a massive increase in sharks
00:59:42who swim the waters in search of their next meal.
00:59:45Strangely, the corals and reefs are thriving.
00:59:49From the distance, Ramree Island looks idyllic.
00:59:53White sand, swaying palms.
00:59:55But beware.
00:59:56They say thousands of hungry saltwater crocodiles
01:00:00used to lurk there, ready to strike at any time.
01:00:03The exact number of those animals was unknown,
01:00:06and some scientists claim that there are quite a few of them right now.
01:00:10I'd stay well clear of the island though.
01:00:12I don't really feel like becoming crocodile food.
01:00:16Skeleton Coast in Namibia is appropriately named as the harsh landscape
01:00:20and lack of water make life almost impossible.
01:00:24Whale carcasses, turtle shells and elephant rib cages litter the shore.
01:00:28If that isn't bad enough,
01:00:30lions and hyenas patrol the beach in search of their next meal.
01:00:35The surrounding waters are just as dangerous
01:00:37as they are home to 11 different species of shark.
01:00:41Many sailors have become lost on this coast and have never been seen again.
01:00:46Cape Tribulation in Australia also lives up to its name
01:00:49as it is packed, full of dangers.
01:00:52Swimmers have to wear special stinger suits
01:00:54because the water is teeming with stinging jellyfish.
01:00:58Saltwater crocodiles also hide in the water,
01:01:00but they don't make a suit to keep you safe from those.
01:01:04It's not just the jellyfish that sting.
01:01:06The area is covered in stinging trees.
01:01:09The trees have jagged leaves that give the croc's teeth a run for their money.
01:01:14On land, there's angry cassowary birds.
01:01:16There are flightless birds that are the same size as an ostrich.
01:01:20They have sharp talons that can easily slice through skin.
01:01:24The Atterkriv beach in Norway is one of the best places to see the northern lights,
01:01:29but you'll be lucky if you survive more than one night there.
01:01:32The seas surrounding the island can reach 46 degrees Fahrenheit,
01:01:36and that's just in the summer.
01:01:38It probably feels like swimming in ice cream.
01:01:41For years, Gansbai beach has remained a habitat
01:01:44for the most dangerous creatures on the planet.
01:01:47Sharks are particular fans of its waters,
01:01:49and the coastal stretch is known as the Great White Shark Capital.
01:01:54The sharks are attracted to the 60,000 sea lions that flock to the beach every year.
01:02:00Not just shark food,
01:02:01wild sea lions can be unpredictable and aggressive towards humans.
01:02:06Komaro Islands are the worst vacation destination for those who don't really like mosquitoes.
01:02:11The place is swarming with the little guys.
01:02:14Locals say all the water on the island must be contaminated because of them,
01:02:19so they like to sterilize water before drinking, making ice, and even brushing their teeth.
01:02:24If you're really into coconuts, there's one place you should probably go to grab some.
01:02:29I'm talking Danger Island.
01:02:30Yep, it's the real name of one of the islands in the Chagos archipelago.
01:02:35It shouldn't scare you off, though.
01:02:37The major problem it has is parking.
01:02:39I mean, safe anchorage for those who come there.
01:02:43Finally, while it may sound dreamy,
01:02:45you're probably going to want to avoid the beaches of the Amazon.
01:02:49Sharp-toothed, red-bellied piranhas, anacondas, and electric eels
01:02:53are just some of the beach's regular residents.
01:02:56It has one of the widest varieties of animal species on the planet,
01:03:00including the Amazonian giant centipede, which has a poisonous bite.
01:03:04It's not just the animals of the Amazon that you have to watch out for.
01:03:08Strychnos and curare are the two Amazonian plants that are super poisonous.
01:03:13That's it for today!
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