Index – Abroad – A catastrophic volcanic eruption threatens the lives of millions in Russia

The massive 3,000-meter-high volcano in Russia’s far east was considered extinct until 2019, when a groundbreaking study showed it was active again and could erupt.

Scientists have warned that the eruption of the Bolshaya Udina volcano can cause as much destruction as it did Pompeii He has not been seen since. In their study, the geophysicists determined that the seismic increase and “magma intrusion” measured at Bolshaya Udina volcano since the end of 2017 justify the reclassification of the volcano to the active category.

The first rush can be devastating after a long sleep

If the volcano remains quiet for a long time, its first eruption could be catastrophic, said Ivan Kulakov, deputy director of the Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, the lead researcher on the study.

Large amounts of ash are released into the air, spreading widely, and not only surrounding settlements, but also large areas of the entire planet may suffer. Let us remember Pompeii: a Vesuvius Her awakening preceded the cessation of thousands of years. The eruption of the volcano in Peru in 1600 resulted in cold in Europe and famine in Russia

Professor said pass to me

Until the publication of the current study, Bolshaya Udina had never been considered an active volcano, as it was only one among other groups of lava-flowing rocks, some of which are permanently active. Bolshaya Udina has not shown any seismic activity since permanent monitoring of these volcanoes began in 1961, so it has always been considered dormant. Moreover, geological signs indicate that there has been no seismic activity at the volcano for thousands of years, so geologists cannot even estimate when Oudena last erupted.

Suddenly, some seismic activity began in Udina in December 2017. At first, it was very difficult for researchers to confirm that earthquakes occurred directly under Udina because the monitoring network was about 30 kilometers away. In the summer of 2018, there were several earthquakes with a magnitude greater than three. In February 2019 And there was a 4.2-magnitude earthquake, which is too strong for any volcano.

Its influence may extend beyond Russia

Geophysicist Ivan Kulakov said villages around the volcano would be greatly affected by the eruption. The effects of a volcanic eruption could extend beyond Russia, with Kulakov warning that a volcanic eruption would affect the climate in “completely different parts” of the world.

A volcanic eruption threatens to cover large areas with lava and volcanic ash and fill the atmosphere. This could cause the effects of long-term climate change, such as a Little Ice Age or a nuclear winter.

(Cover image: Bolshaya Udina volcano. Photo: Shutterstock)