- 22 hours ago
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake near the Philippines has sent shockwaves across the Pacific, prompting tsunami advisories along parts of Japan's coastline. Authorities are closely monitoring sea levels as residents in vulnerable areas are urged to stay alert and follow official warnings. While the full impact is still unfolding, the event has raised concerns about potential waves reaching distant shores in the hours ahead.
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00:02Japan is preparing for something scientists say is no longer a question of if, but when.
00:09Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, pressure has been building along one of the most dangerous fault zones on Earth.
00:16And according to recent government estimates, a future megaquake near Japan could trigger destruction on a scale the country has
00:24never experienced before.
00:25The warning centers around the Nankai Trough, a massive underwater fault stretching for roughly 900 kilometers off the southern coast
00:35of Japan.
00:36This zone marks the boundary where the Philippine Sea Plate is slowly sliding beneath Japan.
00:42But the plates do not move smoothly. Instead, they lock together for decades or even centuries while pressure builds underground.
00:51Eventually, that pressure releases violently in the form of gigantic earthquakes and tsunamis.
00:58And scientists believe the region may now be entering another dangerous period.
01:03Recent seismic activity and updated risk models pushed Japanese authorities to revise their disaster projections.
01:11According to newer estimates, a major rupture along the Nankai Trough could affect more than 700 cities and towns across
01:18Japan.
01:19The numbers are difficult to comprehend.
01:22Government simulations suggest that in the worst case scenario, tsunami waves could exceed 30 meters in some coastal regions.
01:31Millions of buildings may lose power almost instantly.
01:35Transportation systems across major cities could shut down within minutes.
01:39And some areas may have less than 10 minutes to evacuate before tsunami impact.
01:44The reason the threat is taken so seriously is history.
01:49The Nankai Trough has produced repeated megaquakes for more than a thousand years.
01:54Historical records show major ruptures occurring approximately every 100 to 200 years, including devastating events in 1707, 1854, and 1946.
02:06Some of those earthquakes triggered massive tsunamis that destroyed entire coastal communities.
02:12And researchers now believe stress may once again be accumulated beneath the fault.
02:17Japan already experiences thousands of earthquakes every year, most too small to cause major damage.
02:23But scientists closely monitor patterns of underground movement, slow slip events, and changes in seismic behavior near major fault systems.
02:31In recent years, researchers observed unusual pressure changes and seismic activity in parts of the Nankai region that continue attracting
02:39attention.
02:40At the same time, Japan faces another problem.
02:44The country sits near multiple volcanic systems, connected to intense tectonic activity beneath the Pacific Ring of Fire.
02:52Japan contains over 100 active volcanoes, including several that have shown increased geothermal and seismic activity in recent decades.
03:02Some volcanologists warn that large earthquakes can sometimes influence volcanic systems by altering underground pressure conditions.
03:10That does not mean a megaquake would suddenly trigger eruptions everywhere, but it does mean Japan's geological systems are interconnected
03:18in ways scientists are still studying.
03:20One of the biggest fears involves cascading disasters.
03:25A major offshore earthquake could simultaneously trigger tsunamis, fires, landslides, infrastructure collapse, and widespread power failures.
03:35In densely populated coastal regions, evacuation routes could become overwhelmed extremely quickly.
03:41This is one reason Japan conducts some of the most advanced disaster preparation programs in the world.
03:48Entire cities regularly practice tsunami evacuations.
03:52Earthquake-resistant engineering standards are among the strictest on Earth.
03:56Emergency alerts, offshore pressure sensors, and early warning systems constantly monitor seismic conditions around the country.
04:02And yet, even with all that preparation, experts admit a sufficiently powerful megaquake would still be catastrophic.
04:11Some recent simulations estimate economic losses reaching trillions of dollars if the worst-case scenario occurs.
04:18There is also concern about underwater infrastructure.
04:21Modern Japan depends heavily on coastal industry, ports, transportation networks, and power systems located near vulnerable shoreline regions.
04:31Tsunami flooding could severely disrupt supply chains and communications across large parts of the country.
04:37At the same time, researchers continue improving seismic models to better understand how stress is accumulating beneath the non-kai
04:46trough.
04:46The most important thing scientists emphasize is this.
04:50A future megaquake is not considered imminent in the sense of days or weeks.
04:56No one can predict the exact moment such an earthquake will happen.
05:00But geological evidence strongly suggests the region will rupture again eventually.
05:05And because Japan sits directly on top of one of the most active tectonic zones on Earth,
05:11the country remains in a constant race between preparation and geology itself.
05:16Right now, millions of people continue living, working, and building along coastlines
05:22that scientists know will one day face another major test from the Pacific Ocean.
05:31Not an earthquake, but a mega-earthquake could happen in Japan.
05:36It's scarier, bigger, and more destructive than ordinary tremors.
05:40However, the problem is that it will occur underwater, which means it will trigger a giant tsunami 100 feet high.
05:48A column of water nearly as high as a 10-story building will collapse on coastal cities, wiping out hundreds
05:55of houses.
05:56The water flow can destroy everything in its path like a bowling ball that knocks down pins.
06:02And then another wave may come. And another one.
06:06Anyone who is at risk should be on their guard.
06:08How to survive? You'll find out later in this video.
06:12But first, let's find out what a mega-earthquake is.
06:18This is an earthquake with a magnitude 9 or more.
06:22This is a very rare phenomenon, and it depends not on the power of the shock,
06:27but on the length of the fault where it occurs.
06:30The longer the fault, the stronger the earthquake.
06:32But what are these faults?
06:35These are cracks in the rocks of the Earth's crust that move relative to each other.
06:40Imagine a large puzzle where every detail is a giant tectonic plate.
06:45When one part of the puzzle moves away from another or when they collide,
06:49that's when earthquakes begin.
06:51If the fault between the parts is long, then the magnitude of the earthquake is great.
06:56The largest mega-earthquake ever recorded occurred on May 22, 1960, in Chile.
07:03The fault was almost 1,000 miles long.
07:07It's almost half the way between Chicago and Los Angeles.
07:10And now, a similar mega-earthquake can happen underwater.
07:17That's how it all started.
07:18Last year, on August 8, at 4.42 pm, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 occurred in southern
07:27Japan.
07:27The tremors appeared off the coast of the mainland island of Kyushu.
07:32Everyone was terrified as they expected a large tsunami to appear.
07:36But, fortunately, they faced only a small wave.
07:39It collapsed on the shore, but didn't destroy buildings.
07:43About 15 people got hurt, which is sad, of course.
07:46But it could have been worse.
07:48It seemed that the disaster had passed.
07:50The residents breathed a sigh of relief.
07:53However, after that, the Japan Meteorological Agency sent a warning about a possible mega-earthquake
08:00that could be incredibly devastating.
08:02A previous earthquake of 7.1 magnitude could be a harbinger of an impending catastrophe.
08:09A disaster that could affect a quarter of a million people.
08:12As soon as people heard this, they ran to buy groceries.
08:16Increased demand and a slight panic led to shortages of rice and several other basic products.
08:22People were stocking up on food and preparing for the worst.
08:25But, a week later, the Japan Meteorological Agency canceled the warning.
08:30It turned out that the small tsunami on Kyushu Island was not a harbinger.
08:37No one knows whether a mega-earthquake and tsunami will happen in this region, but the chances are very high.
08:43To understand the nature of this danger, we need to dive underwater in a place called the Nankai Trough.
08:50It is a 500-mile-long underwater fault that runs almost parallel to the Pacific coast of Japan.
08:57This is where the two giant sections of the Earth's crust meet, the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
09:03And the Philippine Plate is subducting and slowly slipping under the Eurasian Plate, on which Japan is partly located.
09:12During this movement, the plates get stuck, accumulating energy.
09:16Afterward, when they move and align again, they release a powerful burst of energy.
09:21And this energy is capable of causing one of the most powerful earthquakes in the world.
09:26Experts report that the probability of a mega-earthquake and a tsunami is about 80%.
09:33Over the past 1,400 years, mega-earthquakes have occurred every 100 to 200 years in this region.
09:40The last time this happened in Japan was in 1946.
09:44The entire country felt a powerful tremor that destroyed 36,000 houses in the southern part of Honshu Island.
09:51Every year, the probability of a repeat of this disaster increases by 1%.
09:56And do you know how many years have passed? 79!
10:01According to experts, a mega-earthquake with a magnitude of 8 to 9 can trigger a tsunami that will flood
10:07small islands off the coast of Japan.
10:09And areas with large populations on the islands of Honshu and Shikoshu can be flooded in minutes.
10:17Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk.
10:19It can be billions and even trillions of dollars worth of damage.
10:23According to some reports, about 530,000 people may lose their homes.
10:28To save lives, the country needs to carry out a large-scale evacuation.
10:32But the problem is that no one knows the exact date.
10:36In general, no one in the world can predict in advance when the next big earthquake will occur.
10:42In the case of the Nankai Trough, it can happen in a few days, or a few years, or even
10:47centuries.
10:48So, what should people do? Prepare.
10:53Japan has been experiencing earthquakes for a long time.
10:57So, the country has learned to survive a disaster with minimal losses.
11:01Almost every building in Japan is equipped with dampers,
11:04which are devices that suppress any vibrations and make houses more resistant to shaking.
11:09In addition, on the shores of Japan, residents have built long and high shields that don't allow powerful waves to
11:16break through to land.
11:18Japan also has an advanced earthquake warning system.
11:22It's impossible to predict powerful seismic activity in a few days or weeks.
11:27But it's possible to detect small tremors that may portend an impending earthquake.
11:33Special devices monitor seismic signals and transmit the data to certain programs.
11:38Then, they evaluate the magnitude and intensity of the tremors and send warnings to people's phones.
11:43This can save seconds and even minutes for locals to reach the nearest shelter in time.
11:50These systems are also used to slow down the speed of trains, to stop work at factories, hospitals, and office
11:56buildings.
11:57It's much safer for a train driver to slow down during an earthquake than to rush forward at full speed.
12:02But what if you're on the street and you can't hear your phone messages?
12:06How to act in case of disaster?
12:09This applies not only to Japan, but also to any place where a tsunami or earthquake may occur.
12:17To survive a tsunami, you need to prepare for it long before a big wave hits.
12:22It's very important to have good relations with neighbors, be friendly with them, help them, and treat them well.
12:28In times of trouble or disaster, it's great to have people with whom you have a good relationship.
12:33They can help you get out of a difficult situation, and you can also help them.
12:38Be kind and compassionate to people.
12:40This way, it's much easier to survive any disaster.
12:44Prepare a backpack with necessities in advance.
12:47These are a first-aid kit, canned food, flashlights, a battery-powered radio, and bottled water.
12:53All this will not only save your life, but will also help other people in trouble.
12:58So, if you feel an earthquake start, immediately run for cover.
13:02If you're at home, try to stand against a wall closest to the center of the building,
13:07or crawl under heavy furniture that stands firmly on the floor, such as a desk or a regular table.
13:13Stay away from windows and front doors, and never use an elevator.
13:19If you're on the street, don't come close to power lines and any objects that may fall.
13:24During a tsunami, you may need to get as high as possible to avoid getting swallowed by water.
13:29Stay as far away from the shore as you can, and don't go down until you're sure it's safe.
13:38But how can you find out about an approaching wave if you haven't received the warning?
13:43When a tsunami approaches the shore, you will hear a roar similar to the rumble of a passing train or
13:49plane.
13:49If there's no elevation nearby, then try to get to the upper floors.
13:53It must be at least the third floor.
13:56But it has to be a building that can resist a tsunami, such as a massive house made of concrete.
14:01If there are no such high buildings nearby, try to climb a massive tree.
14:06When the disaster is over, look around and find those you can help.
14:10Listen to messages from rescuers via radio or TV.
14:14If all is well, then you can deal with the consequences.
14:18Yes, there's a lot of work ahead, but you've survived and helped others survive.
14:22And that's the most important thing.
14:29Hey, can you lift a truck with your hands?
14:32No?
14:32Shocker.
14:33But let me introduce you to nature's original strongman, the ocean, which casually tossed 700-ton boulders around like they
14:42were pebbles during a mega tsunami that hit Africa thousands of years ago.
14:46This wasn't just a bad day at the beach.
14:49This mega tsunami was so powerful, it made the 2004 Indonesian and 2011 Japanese tsunamis look like kiddie pool splashes.
14:58Now, to give you an idea of how terrifying regular tsunamis already are, the Japan tsunami produced waves 133 feet
15:06tall.
15:06The Indian Ocean tsunami was slightly smaller, but it took over 200,000 lives across many countries.
15:13Now, imagine something way worse.
15:16You see, for a long time, scientists thought waves that big were just science fiction.
15:21But then they found these enormous boulders, massive chunks of rock, flung far inland, and did the math.
15:28It turns out only waves around 800 feet tall could have pulled off that kind of rocky vandalism.
15:35And the culprit?
15:36A volcano that literally fell apart into the ocean and triggered one of the most powerful tsunamis Earth has ever
15:42seen.
15:44Usually, tsunamis are blamed on underwater earthquakes, you know, tectonic plates getting into slap fights.
15:50But volcanoes?
15:52Oh, they've got tsunami potential, too.
15:55In 1883, for example, a volcano in Indonesia named Krakatoa erupted for six months nonstop until it exploded.
16:04And the explosion was heard all the way in Australia.
16:07This triggered many tsunamis, some almost 100 feet tall.
16:12Still, that was more like a toe dip compared to the full cannonball from the mega tsunami.
16:17Back in ancient times, the volcano that crumbled during the mega tsunami was huge.
16:22And it didn't just fall apart.
16:24It lost a chunk that was ten times the size of Mount Everest.
16:28Ten Mount Everests.
16:30It was like the Earth wanted to see what would happen if we threw a mountain into the ocean just
16:35for fun.
16:36It was so massive that when the entire side of the volcano belly flopped into the Atlantic, it created waves
16:43that could cover the Statue of Liberty three times.
16:46It also destroyed an island more than 30 miles away.
16:49The volcano behind this real-life Michael Bay scene was called Fogo, located on, you guessed it, Fogo Island.
16:58This island is basically just a whole single volcano that rose from the sea thanks to a magma hotspot, a
17:05place in the ocean where a lot of magma escapes and erupts like an underwater volcano.
17:10Over time, this magma cooled and stacked up like pancakes until, voila, after seven major eruptions, the island popped out
17:18of the ocean like it was playing peek-a-boo.
17:21Surprise!
17:21It's a volcano!
17:23But Fogo's dramatic entrance was also a ticking time bomb.
17:27You see, the more a volcano grows, the heavier it gets, and if there's not enough magma inside it to
17:34support it, the whole thing can just collapse.
17:36Sometimes, it doesn't take much. A minor earthquake, some erosion, or just a poor foundation made of soft sediment can
17:44trigger a collapse.
17:46It's like a really tall guy trying to balance over a bunch of marbles.
17:50Fogo had all the bad luck ingredients. Too tall, too heavy, and built on squishy ground.
17:56And it gets worse. As the volcano grows heavier, it starts squishing the magma underneath.
18:02That lava can't rise, so it just simmers down there, slowly thickening like soup left on a burner for too
18:09long.
18:09Gases build up, pressure increases, and eventually, kaboom!
18:14It's the volcanic version of eating too many burritos and then trying to hold in a sneeze.
18:19This massive pressure and imbalance can trigger what's called a flank collapse, which is science-speak for oops, half the
18:26volcano just fell into the ocean.
18:27That's what happened with Fogo.
18:30Most of the volcanic islands that formed this way are long gone.
18:34But Fogo is still very much alive and kicking.
18:37In fact, it last erupted in 2014, and considering that it goes off every 20 years, maybe don't travel to
18:45Fogo Island in around 2034.
18:48For the longest time, scientists believe only big, bulky volcanic islands could collapse like this.
18:54But new research says that even smaller, skinnier guys, like the Danny DeVitos of the island world, aren't safe either.
19:01The thing is that small volcanic islands only seem stable because of their small mass.
19:07It's like Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger both slipping on the ice.
19:12Arnie's fall might cause more chaos, but Danny can still go flying.
19:16And those little collapses?
19:17Yes, they matter.
19:19Take Santa Maria, a tiny island that's about 170 times smaller than Hawaii.
19:25It has collapsed multiple times, not because it wanted to, but because it's basically standing on soggy breadcrumbs.
19:32Its foundation is loose marine sediment.
19:35And to make things worse, it's sitting right next to the East Azores Fault, where three tectonic plates meet up
19:42for daily slap fights.
19:45This fault is responsible for many earthquakes and even some tsunamis that happened in Lisbon in the past.
19:51So you can imagine what it's like living right above it.
19:55Every time the volcano in Santa Maria erupts and grows, it also sinks.
20:00But when a chunk collapses, it bounces back up like a buoy.
20:05This seamount-to-island-to-seamount-to-island-again roller coaster means that Santa Maria has popped in and out
20:11of the ocean like a submarine playing peek-a-boo.
20:14And with every peak comes a potential tsunami.
20:18Another volcano with similar trust issues is Paquea, located in Guatemala.
20:23Between 2011 and 2013, scientists spotted strange movements in the soil.
20:29Tiny shifts that suggested something underneath was getting restless.
20:34Sure enough, in 2014, Paquea erupted.
20:37Luckily, it didn't collapse.
20:39But that risk still looms, especially if magma gets trapped in it like it did with FOGO.
20:44The consequences could be explosive, literally.
20:47In fact, about a thousand years ago, Paquea experienced a collapse that sent debris avalanches more than 15 miles away.
20:57Since then, it's rebuilt itself like a fiery phoenix, but it could still crumble again.
21:02That's why volcanologists obsess over the tiniest wobbles.
21:06It's not paranoia if the mountain really might fall.
21:10Now, you might be thinking here, okay, but that was the past.
21:14Surely, that kind of ridiculous megatsunami collapse can't happen again, right?
21:19Well, welcome to the 21st century.
21:22Islands like Hawaii, La Palma in Spain, and various parts of the Caribbean are sitting on the same kind of
21:29geological whoopee cushions.
21:30All it takes is the right combo.
21:33Loose foundation, steep slopes, maybe some trapped magma, and boom, flank collapse.
21:39In fact, it's already happened recently.
21:41In 2018, Anak Krakatoa, the volcanic baby of the infamous Krakatoa, lost a big chunk of itself during an eruption.
21:50It caused a tsunami, but it was more awkward than devastating.
21:54Like a volcano losing its pants on stage.
21:57Embarrassing, but survivable.
21:58But that's just amateur hour compared to history's real showstoppers.
22:04Ritter Island's 1888 collapse was so intense that the island literally got shorter.
22:10It went from being more than 2,000 feet tall to a mere 460 feet.
22:15But the record holder is the legendary Latua Bay Megasplash from 1958,
22:21where a 7.8 magnitude earthquake triggered a massive landslide that sent a wave taller than the Empire State Building
22:29roaring through Alaska at highway speeds.
22:32Strangely enough, only five people lost their lives here.
22:36But on the other hand, the destruction path it left behind can still be seen today, all the way from
22:42space.
22:43Melting glaciers and ice caps can make volcanoes collapse too.
22:47When they melt, there's a sudden decrease in pressure on Earth's crust that can destabilize entire volcanoes.
22:54It's called isostatic rebound.
22:57It's like suddenly yanking a chair out from under someone who's been sitting still for centuries.
23:02Whoops!
23:03Also, here's something you probably never thought you'd worry about on your island getaway.
23:08Some volcanic islands grow outward as lava pours into the sea, creating unstable platforms known as lava deltas.
23:16These deltas can collapse without warning, taking newly formed land, and sometimes turrets too, right back into the ocean.
23:24No pressure though, just thought, you know, maybe you want to stay off steaming new land.
23:29So yeah, next time you're lounging on a beachy volcanic island thinking, wow, this place is paradise.
23:36Just remember, it might also be a ticking geological time bomb with a flare for the dramatic.
23:42From ancient mountain-sized cannonballs to surprise lava deltas, volcanoes have a history of keeping things spicy.
23:55At the end of December 2021, an underwater volcano with a rather exotic name, Hunga Tonga, woke up after several
24:03years of sleeping.
24:05It did that with so much energy and strength that people heard the eruption from over 100 miles away.
24:12Then it went back to sleep.
24:13But a couple of weeks later, it woke up again with a force seven times greater than the first time.
24:19It broke the island above it in two parts.
24:23The lightning storm that started because of the eruption was the most intense in recorded history.
24:28The sound waves from the eruption traveled around the planet several times.
24:32Someone even heard a loud boom from it in Alaska.
24:35And it started the first known mega tsunami since ancient times.
24:40This tsunami took the lives of two people as far as Peru and caused trouble for two fishermen in California.
24:46But that's not all.
24:48This eruption could change the weather patterns on Earth for years.
24:52You may see the first proof in the summer of 2024, which is forecast to become much wetter than usual.
25:00Scientists believe the eruption was caused by gas building up to a critical point.
25:05Different minerals, including anhydrite quartz and sulfides, were building up for several months until they blocked the flow paths and
25:13sealed the gas within Hunga Tonga.
25:16Normally, when a volcano erupts, the fumes cause a temporary cooling effect on Earth's surface.
25:21But Hunga Tonga's eruption was different.
25:24It didn't produce much fumes, but released a massive amount of water vapor, roughly equal to 60,000 Olympic swimming
25:32pools.
25:32The intense heat of the eruption turned huge amounts of seawater into steam, which then blasted high into the atmosphere.
25:40All that water vapor ended up in the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere that's too dry to form clouds
25:46or rain.
25:47Scientists don't have any observations of volcanic eruptions like Hunga Tonga to predict its effects on our weather patterns.
25:54They can't tell exactly how long these effects might last either.
25:58This is because the only way to measure stratospheric water vapor is with satellites, which have only been around since
26:051979, and there hasn't been an eruption similar to Hunga Tonga in that time.
26:13Experts from different countries started analyzing satellite data right after the Hunga Tonga eruption.
26:19They wanted to find out how long water vapor would stay in the stratosphere, where it would go, and, most
26:25importantly, what this would mean for the planet.
26:28The first big result of the eruption, at least partially, was a huge hole in the stratosphere that was hanging
26:34on for several months in 2023.
26:37By the time it appeared, the water vapor had reached the polar stratosphere over Antarctica.
26:41In the following years, there wouldn't be enough water vapor left to enlarge this hole.
26:47It looks like Hunga Tonga will have just a minimal effect on global average temperatures.
26:52But there are some surprising, lasting regional impacts.
26:56One of the scientific models forecasts colder and wetter winters for northern Australia until about 2029.
27:03In North America, it predicts warmer winters and Scandinavia could have even colder winters.
27:08This is just one study, though, and one approach to understanding how the eruption of Hunga Tonga can change our
27:15weather.
27:18We do have at least one example from history when a volcano eruption changed the world.
27:23Over two centuries ago, in 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and caused the Year Without a Summer.
27:30In the following year, the winter was unusually cold and wet weather across Europe and North America.
27:36A recent study confirms that 1816 wouldn't have been this cold without the volcanic eruption.
27:42The immediate effects of the eruption were catastrophic,
27:46with tsunamis destroying homes claiming 10,000 lives and 80,000 more who fell ill in the aftermath.
27:53The eruption of Mount Tambora was one of the strongest in the last thousand years.
27:57It had ejected an enormous amount of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, which quickly spread across the world.
28:04It resulted in the coldest year in at least the last 250 years.
28:09In May, frost wiped out most of the crops in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
28:16By June, heavy snow covered the ground in Albany, New York, and Denysville, Maine, and New Jersey had five straight
28:23nights of frost.
28:24The cold continued into late summer, which should have been the harvest season.
28:28In July, lakes and rivers were still frozen as far south as northwestern Pennsylvania, and frost stayed in Virginia until
28:36late August.
28:37Temperatures would drop from above normal summer highs to near freezing within just a few hours.
28:43The weather was completely unpredictable.
28:45Prices of food skyrocketed.
28:47The cost of oats for horses, which were the main mode of transportation, also rose sharply.
28:53Some people believe this situation inspired Carl Draes to invent the bicycle in 1817 as an alternative transportation method.
29:04Tambora changed weather patterns completely for not just one, but three years.
29:09The whole planet got colder, and as crops failed, probably at least a million people starved.
29:15Scientists don't have solid evidence of volcano eruptions that have taken more lives than Tambora.
29:21But the Krakatoa eruption in Indonesia in 1883 is far more famous than Tambora
29:28because information about it spread worldwide via telegrams and photos.
29:32Its final blast was the loudest recorded sound in history, and people could hear it on 10% of the
29:39entire Earth's surface.
29:41The eruption started a tsunami with waves about half as tall as the Statue of Liberty.
29:46Still, it was less powerful than Tambora's eruption.
29:50The island that once hosted Krakatoa disappeared in the eruption, but new eruptions began less than 50 years later
29:57and created the child of Krakatoa cone in the center of the caldera of the old eruption.
30:03The new volcano still comes to life from time to time.
30:09Mount Vesuvius' eruption, which took down Pompeii, is one of the most well-known volcanic disasters in history.
30:16It took around 2,000 lives, much fewer than Tambora.
30:20According to a famous Roman author of that time, the eruption lasted 18 hours.
30:25Pompeii was covered by a layer of ash and pumice that was thicker than twice an average human height.
30:31The nearby coastline also changed dramatically.
30:36In today's world, the after-effects of volcanic eruptions are often more dangerous than the eruption themselves.
30:43Thanks to advances in technology, we can now predict volcanic eruptions more accurately
30:48and use safety measures like evacuations and flight cancellations.
30:53But there's still a lot of risk that changes in weather patterns and drought all over the world,
30:58especially in areas like India, East Asia, and East Africa that are affected by monsoons.
31:07Volcano eruptions can also have effects you wouldn't probably expect, like the evolution of dinosaurs.
31:13These guys were once the size of cats, waiting for their time to shine.
31:18It came around 230 million years ago.
31:21This time is known as the Carnian Pluvial episode.
31:24Before it, Pangaea was a dry and arid supercontinent.
31:28But then, there were four major volcanic events that pumped huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
31:34Global temperatures and humidity spiked because of it.
31:38These massive eruptions most likely happened because of the Rangelia Large Igneous Province eruption
31:44in what is now British Columbia and Alaska.
31:47This prolonged volcanic activity created the right conditions for dinosaurs to blossom and diversify,
31:53and also for the rise of other groups, like modern conifers, ferns, crocodiles, turtles, insects, and early mammals.
32:02With higher temperatures and more rainfall, terrestrial plants have evolved,
32:07and humidity-loving ones have become dominant.
32:10Without those changes in the world, we could have a completely different natural history.
32:15There's some solid proof that volcanic activity has really changed the weather patterns back then.
32:21Scientists have found layers in the Earth's core that showed different types of carbon.
32:26It means there were four massive releases of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
32:31The data on mercury and carbon together shows that the spike in mercury levels was thanks to a major volcanic
32:37event
32:38that affected the global carbon cycle and not just local eruptions.
32:42it means there were three main signs.
32:43Yes, of course!
32:45There is no doubt being wrong.
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