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A pyroclastic flow is a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. The flows are fast-moving currents of hot gas and rock, which travel away from the volcano at speeds generally as great as 450 miles per hour. So imagine- if you will- getting blasted with a super heated boulder traveling at hurricane-force speed? Not much left to write home about, that's for sure.
The "red zone" is an area around the volcano that is in direct effect of the pyroclastic flow. If you are in this area during an eruption- you will die.
French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft were killed by Mount Unzen's pyroclastic surge in 1991. A day before his death, Maurice made the statement "I am never afraid because I have seen so many eruptions in 23 years that even if I die tomorrow, I don't care."
Instead of being driven to extinction by death from above, dinosaurs might have ultimately been doomed by death from below in the form of monumental volcanic eruptions.
The Age of Dinosaurs ended roughly 65 million years ago with the K-T or Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, which killed off all dinosaurs save those that became birds, as well as roughly half of all species on the planet, including pterosaurs. The prime suspect in this ancient murder mystery is an asteroid or comet impact, which left a vast crater at Chicxulub on the coast of Mexico.
Another leading culprit is a series of colossal volcanic eruptions that occurred between 63 million to 67 million years ago. These created the gigantic Deccan Traps lava beds in India, whose original extent may have covered as much as 580,000 square miles (1.5 million square kilometers), or more than twice the area of Texas.
Arguments over which disaster killed the dinosaurs often revolve around when each happened and whether extinctions followed. Previous work had only narrowed the timing of the Deccan eruptions to within 300,000 to 500,000 years of the extinction event.
Now research suggests the mass extinction happened at or just after the biggest phase of the Deccan eruptions, which spewed 80 percent of the lava found at the Deccan Traps. >>source msnbc.com
overview
By reading through this site and the information it holds, you will become more aware of volcanoes, their impact on history and their impact on the future. You will learn key terms in geology and how a volcano works.
the basics
[vol-kay-noh]:
1. a vent in the earth's crust through which lava, steam, ashes, etc., are expelled, either continuously or at irregular intervals.
2. a mountain or hill, usually having a cuplike crater at the summit, formed around such a vent from the ash and lava expelled through it.
1. a vent in the earth's crust through which lava, steam, ashes, etc., are expelled, either continuously or at irregular intervals.
2. a mountain or hill, usually having a cuplike crater at the summit, formed around such a vent from the ash and lava expelled through it.
pyroclastic flow
A pyroclastic flow is a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. The flows are fast-moving currents of hot gas and rock, which travel away from the volcano at speeds generally as great as 450 miles per hour. So imagine- if you will- getting blasted with a super heated boulder traveling at hurricane-force speed? Not much left to write home about, that's for sure.
The "red zone" is an area around the volcano that is in direct effect of the pyroclastic flow. If you are in this area during an eruption- you will die.
French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft were killed by Mount Unzen's pyroclastic surge in 1991. A day before his death, Maurice made the statement "I am never afraid because I have seen so many eruptions in 23 years that even if I die tomorrow, I don't care."
fun facts
- Active volcanoes in the U.S. are found mainly in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington. Active areas around the world include; Italy, the Philippines, Iceland, Indonesia, and Japan.
- More than 80 percent of the earth's surface is volcanic in origin. The sea floor and some mountains were formed by countless volcanic eruptions. Gaseous emissions from volcano formed the earth's atmosphere.
- The name "volcano" has its origin from the name of Vulcan, a god of fire in Roman mythology.
- Strato volcanoe eruptions have the cability of changing global temperature- while their big brother, the caldera or super volcano is thought to be a large factor in changing global temperatures so drastically that it pushes the planet into glacial ages.
- Volcanism exists on other planets and satellites such as Mars, Jupiter Venus and our own moon.
extinction theory
Instead of being driven to extinction by death from above, dinosaurs might have ultimately been doomed by death from below in the form of monumental volcanic eruptions.
The Age of Dinosaurs ended roughly 65 million years ago with the K-T or Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, which killed off all dinosaurs save those that became birds, as well as roughly half of all species on the planet, including pterosaurs. The prime suspect in this ancient murder mystery is an asteroid or comet impact, which left a vast crater at Chicxulub on the coast of Mexico.
Another leading culprit is a series of colossal volcanic eruptions that occurred between 63 million to 67 million years ago. These created the gigantic Deccan Traps lava beds in India, whose original extent may have covered as much as 580,000 square miles (1.5 million square kilometers), or more than twice the area of Texas.
Arguments over which disaster killed the dinosaurs often revolve around when each happened and whether extinctions followed. Previous work had only narrowed the timing of the Deccan eruptions to within 300,000 to 500,000 years of the extinction event.
Now research suggests the mass extinction happened at or just after the biggest phase of the Deccan eruptions, which spewed 80 percent of the lava found at the Deccan Traps. >>source msnbc.com
volcanic activity index
Scientists indicate how powerful volcanic eruptions are using the VEI. The VEI stands for Volcanic Explosivity Index. It records how much volcanic material is thrown out, how high the eruption goes, and how long it lasts.
An increase of 1 indicates a 10 times more powerful eruption.
A value of 0 is your every day grumpy Hawaiian volcano that flows steadily and non-aggressivley. A value of 8 is more along the lines of "it's been nice knowing you." If the value was 8 and you were in a 2,000km radius- you'd be dead.
The scale goes from 0 to 8.
An increase of 1 indicates a 10 times more powerful eruption.
A value of 0 is your every day grumpy Hawaiian volcano that flows steadily and non-aggressivley. A value of 8 is more along the lines of "it's been nice knowing you." If the value was 8 and you were in a 2,000km radius- you'd be dead.