Remember when we were all complaining about the Icelandic volcano eruption of 2010? Well things could be about to be far worse
When Eyjafjallajökull erupted -try saying that after a few Christmas drinks- it created an ash cloud that disrupted global travel, and probably gave your car a nice showering of ash as it sat in the drive. Now scientists fear an Italian supervolcano could be close erupting on a far greater scale.
As reported by Tech Times, Campi Flegrei has had its threat level raised from green to yellow meaning it must be constantly monitored.
The eight-mile wide caldera of the supervolcano lies beneath the bay of Naples and is believed to have led to the death of most European Neanderthals when it erupted 40,000 years ago.
That eruption is thought to have been one of the largest in Earth’s history, and a repeat could set off a volcanic winter.
Volcanologist Oded Navon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has said:
If it does erupt, it certainly could be a very serious matter. It isn’t a volcano, it’s a supervolcano.
He added that huge quantities of magma would be spewed from the Earth, and the lava would cover large areas of southern Italy, with thousands of residents who live near the caldera being immediately at risk.
Toxic gases could also linger in the atmosphere for over a year, and the climate would be altered dramatically, with a volcanic winter a likely possibility with temperatures plunging.
Just the sort of news we all wanted this Christmas, seriously fuck you 2016.
