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With This Many Volcanos Blowing, Has Anyone Seen Vader

All this volcanic activity reminds me of the planet Mustafar in Star Wars. Could Earth end up that way?

By Jason Ray Morton Published about a year ago 3 min read
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With This Many Volcanos Blowing, Has Anyone Seen Vader
Photo by Piermanuele Sberni on Unsplash

I can’t remember a time when so many volcanoes were erupting at the same time. From the North Pacific down and across to Chile, Volcanoes are popping off everywhere. The Earth might just be fed up with us abusing her so much and this is just a sign. Here’s a rundown on the five rumblings, fire-spitting, ash-blowing, nightmares that people have to worry about.

The Five Erupting Volcanos

Volcanos erupting everywhere? That is the status of the world. Authorities and the scientific community are monitoring active eruptions and potential eruptions in not one but four different countries. If you haven’t been paying attention to the news, that’s a lot of hot gas (CO2), ash, and lava spewing into our atmosphere.

Chile’s Villarrica volcano has been shaking lately and kicking out flames. Starting in October, the 9300-foot-mountain has been a site of gas explosions and quakes. Firey pillars have shot up 220 meters out of the lava pool. Chile remains on alert as scientists and authorities monitor the situation.

Mount Villarrica is only about 10 miles from the city of Pucon, which places approximately 28,000 people within dangerous proximity should a major eruption occur.

On Sunday and Monday, rescue workers in Indonesia evacuated people from villages around Mt. Semeru. It’s only been a year since the last major eruption at Mt. Semeru. The last major eruption occurred a year ago, on December 4, 2021. Last year's eruption killed more than 50 people, damaged 5,000 homes, and sent 10,000 people seeking refuge.

In Russia, the Shiveluch Volcano shows signs of an imminent eruption as smoke and gas flow out of the significantly heated dome. According to Ria Novosti, a Russian news outlet, the dome is incandescent at night because of all the heat and all the signs are there that usually precede a “powerful eruption.”

In Mauna Loa, Hawaii the world’s largest active volcano continues to vomit up molten lava and gasses into our air, the lava going as high as 150 feet. The eruption at Mauna Loa is now in its second week.

Even if you’re not in one of the affected areas, volcanic eruptions may have a negative effect on you. As scientists continue to alert us about the dangerous levels of CO2 in our atmosphere, having not one but five volcanoes erupting at nearly the same time should aggravate the problem. According to the United States Geological Survey, volcanic eruptions add an additional 200 million tons of CO2 to our climate. With five of them roaring to life and the massive Tongan Island eruption at the beginning of the year, if CO2 is warming our planet, an extra billion tons of it will only add to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions and global temperature rises.

Takeaways

First, if you’re anywhere near one of these, get to safety when told to evacuate. Humans have a tendency to think we can fight natural disasters and withstand mother nature. A volcano is a natural disaster that mother nature shot up with steroids and methamphetamines. There isn’t a way to fight one of these, unlike in some movies. The only thing to do is get clear, pray, and prepare to rebuild.

Second, volcanoes erupt. It’s a part of life on Earth. But, as scientists study the Tongan island eruption from January, it’s obvious that the gases being spewed into our atmosphere will only serve to aggravate the already tense climate situation. All around the world, we’ve seen droughts, megadroughts, and record heat waves, and have been told it’s partly our fault because of the CO2 we emit into the air. When giant stone formations start spewing gases from middle earth, flinging lava and ash into the environment, and at times sending flaming boulders into the air, the last thing we want to hear is about global warming.

However, what the scientists say is likely true. These events will not help our situation. The more carbon dioxide in the air, the more we’re going to feel the heat.

Scienceshort storyClimate
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About the Creator

Jason Ray Morton

I have always enjoyed writing and exploring new ideas, new beliefs, and the dreams that rattle around inside my head. I have enjoyed the current state of science, human progress, fantasy and existence and write about them when I can.

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