Should we be more worried? Scientists are counting down the hours until a major volcano erupts in Iceland with bated breath. It is not the only volcano that could shut down our world.
Hours to go before Iceland volcano erupts
Should we be more worried? Scientists are counting down the hours until a major volcano erupts in Iceland with bated breath. It is not the only volcano that could shut down our world.
Clouds of volcanic ash, rivers of red hot moltenLiquefied by heat. rock and over 3,000 earthquakes in two days. Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano is about to erupt, with scientists from The Icelandic MeteorologicalMeteorology is the science of weather. Office warning that it could happen within hours.1
A major eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano could be devastating. Volcanic ash can travel hundreds of miles and can cause serious problems.
Scientists have long warned that a volcanic eruption could be catastrophic, possibly even causing mass extinctionCompletely dying out..2 Here are four volcanoes that could completely shut down our world.
Catastrophic Katla: Katla, a volcano in Iceland, last erupted in 1918. If it erupts again, it is expected to be 10 times stronger than the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull. The volcano is known for its ferocitySavagery; brutality..
Mega-tsunami: Cumbre Vieja, a volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma, last erupted in 2021. A major eruption of this volcano could cause the entire western flank of the volcano to fall into the sea, creating a "mega-tsunamiA Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water." with waves hundreds of metres high.
Pompeii II?: Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy, last erupted in 1944. If it erupts again, it is expected to cause billions of dollars in damage due to the high population densityThe compactness of a substance or object. in the surrounding area.
Yellowstone extinction: The Yellowstone supervolcano in the US, last erupted 640,000 years ago. If it erupts again, it is expected to have a worldwide impact. The ash plume could coat a surrounding region 500 miles across in more than four inches of ash, destroying agriculture and plunging the world into a volcanic winter.
So why isn't anyone taking the threat of an eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano more seriously? Some say we are just so desensitised to all the bad news that we cannot find it within ourselves to care.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper" id="question"><strong>Should we be more worried?</strong></h5>
Yes: Volcanic eruptions can have devastating consequences. The eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano is a reminder that we need to be prepared for the possibility of a major eruption.
No: Technology is constantly improving, and it is possible that we will develop new ways to protect ourselves from volcanic eruptions in the future. For example, we could develop new ways to filter volcanic ash from the air, or we could build new infrastructure that is more resistant to lava flows.
Or... There are many other planet-threatening risks, such as climate change and asteroid impacts. It is important to be aware of these risks, but it is also important to focus on the things that we can control.
Molten - Liquefied by heat.
Meteorological - Meteorology is the science of weather.
Extinction - Completely dying out.
Ferocity - Savagery; brutality.
Tsunami - A Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.
Density - The compactness of a substance or object.
Hours to go before Iceland volcano erupts

Glossary
Molten - Liquefied by heat.
Meteorological - Meteorology is the science of weather.
Extinction - Completely dying out.
Ferocity - Savagery; brutality.
Tsunami - A Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.
Density - The compactness of a substance or object.