Replies to post #39411 on A.I.M. Users Bulletin Board (AIMUSERS)

[SFSecurity]

Great pun, Tom. I wouldn't worry about that volcano as it is below 41 degrees in the Southern Hemisphere and most food production is well above this. Also it is not anywhere near as explosive as Krakatoa was. It is estimated that Krakatoa was roughly equivalent to 13,000 times the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

To get an idea of the effect of Krakatoa is to look at Mount Pinatubo in the Luzon Volcanic Arc, also a VEI of 6 on June 15th, 1991, where the global temperature fell by 0.4 °C

But Krakatoa was not as big as Mount Tambora located in the Lesser Sunda Islands which had a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) of 7 on April 10th, 1815, and created the "Year Without a Summer" in 1816. Krakatoa had a mere VEI of 6.

Also, the key to the effect on the environment is not just the eruption but how much it stinks! Hydrogen sulfide that gets into the upper atmosphere creates sulfuric acid which makes clouds more reflective and cools the earth. It also causes acid rain.

However, have you seen the list of volcanoes in Chile? Holy guacamole! I had no clue, though I did know there were more than one or two.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Chile

Amusing tidbit. I was just looking this up and noticed that someone had already updated the last activity date for Calbuco.

If you can read Spanish, Chile's National Mine and Geology Service is at:

http://www.sernageomin.cl/index.php

There is a link near the top of the page to more details about Calbuco.

Best,

Allen