What geological events could cause a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) level 9 eruption?

Asked by: Aaron Howell

Is a VEI 9 eruption possible?

It is possible that evidence for a VEI 9 eruption exists and is buried in the geologic record. Eruptions that large would be very rare events, but it is impossible to say that eruptions that large have never occurred.

What is VEI what were the factors that determine the VEI?

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a numeric scale that measures the relative explosivity of historic eruptions. Volume of products, eruption cloud height, and qualitative observations (using terms ranging from “gentle” to “mega-colossal”) are used to determine the explosivity value.

How is the Volcanic Explosivity Index VEI related to actual eruptions?

Classification. With indices running from 0 to 8, the VEI associated with an eruption is dependent on how much volcanic material is thrown out, to what height, and how long the eruption lasts. The scale is logarithmic from VEI-2 and up; an increase of 1 index indicates an eruption that is 10 times as powerful.

What would a VEI 8 eruption be like?

Volcanic eruptions that rated 8 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. Such eruptions release a tephra volume of at least 1,000 km³ (240 cu mi) with annihilating long-term effects on the surrounding area and devastating short-term effects on global climate, leaving profound effects on the climate for years to come.

Has a human ever fell into a volcano?

An elderly man has died after falling into Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano, according to authorities. “A 75-year-old Hilo man died after falling from a closed area within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park late Sunday night,” the National Park Service said in a statement shared on Monday.

What VEI was the Pompeii eruption?

For example, the eruption of Vesuvius Volcano in A.D. 79, which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, only rates a VEI of 5.
18 мая 1980

What is the VEI scale based on?

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a scale that describes the size of explosive volcanic eruptions based on magnitude and intensity. The numerical scale (from 0 to 8) is a logarithmic scale, and is generally analogous to the Richter and other magnitude scales for the size of earthquakes.

What causes volcanoes to erupt?

When enough magma builds up in the magma chamber, it forces its way up to the surface and erupts, often causing volcanic eruptions. In the ocean, volcanoes erupt along cracks that are opened in the ocean floor by the spreading of two plates called a mid-ocean ridge .

What determines how strong a volcanic eruption will be?

The amount of dissolved gas in the magma provides the driving force for explosive eruptions. The viscosity of the magma, however, is also an important factor in determining whether an eruption will be explosive or nonexplosive.

What volcanic eruption has the highest VEI?

1. Yellowstone eruption, 640,000 years ago (VEI 8)

What is the volcanic explosivity index VEI )? Quizlet?

Definition. 1 / 25. a relative scale that enables explosive volcanic eruptions to be compared with one another. Tap the card to flip 👆

What volcano has a VEI of 8?

2 – Lake Toba



This last major eruption occurred around 75,000±900 years ago and had an estimated VEI= 8, making it the largest-known explosive volcanic eruption within the last 25 million years. An estimated 2,800 km3 of dense-rock equivalent pyroclastic material, known as the youngest Toba tuff, was released.

What happens if you touch lava for 1 second?

Lava won’t kill you if it briefly touches you. You would get a nasty burn, but unless you fell in and couldn’t get out, you wouldn’t die. With prolonged contact, the amount of lava “coverage” and the length of time it was in contact with your skin would be important factors in how severe your injuries would be!

Can lava melt bone?

In addition to the “bones don’t melt” answers which can be supplemented with “meat does not melt”, it is interesting to note what happens on the rare occasions that people have fallen into lava. The lava is very close to its freezing point as it oozes across the ground- it is basically just barely molten.

Did a girl fall into lava?

This dramatic gif is fake. The original video shows the woman slipping into water, not lava.

What is the highest VEI ever recorded?

1. Yellowstone eruption, 640,000 years ago (VEI 8)

What is Max VEI for volcanoes?

The scale is open-ended with the largest volcanic eruptions in history (supereruptions) given magnitude 8.

What is the highest VEI scale?

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a scale that describes the size of explosive volcanic eruptions based on magnitude and intensity. The numerical scale (from 0 to 8) is a logarithmic scale, and is generally analogous to the Richter and other magnitude scales for the size of earthquakes.

What VEI is a super volcano?

The term “supervolcano” implies a volcanic center that has had an eruption of magnitude 8 on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI), meaning the measured deposits for that eruption is greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubic miles).

What is the VEI of a Yellowstone super eruption?

The relative sizes of several eruptions based on the volume erupted. The first and third Yellowstone eruptions are VEI 8 super eruptions.

What VEI was Yellowstone?

VEI 8 eruptions

Yellowstone is now perhaps the most famous of the world’s volcanoes that have produced VEI 8 eruptions.