At the end of 2020, the world was shaken by a series of strong earthquakes of magnitude 6.4 from Alaska to Croatia, tremors were felt in Vienna and Munich.
A wave of volcanic eruptions swept the world, their activation observed on all continents. Observational data showed that the energy of the underground element was increasing. Volcanologists and seismologists looked forward to a new year which should give them much “interesting work”.
Off Alaska’s southern coast is a string of small islets that have attracted increasing attention since a recent massive earthquake. Studies have shown that all of them may be related to a giant supervolcano, ripe for an explosion.
Modeling of a future cataclysm has indicated that Alaska could be the site of a monstrous eruption that will change life on Earth. The American Geophysical Union believes that a group of six volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands is connected to a much larger volcano. Seismic activity, gas emissions and geochemistry readings have indicated this. The activity of the six volcanoes may be fueled by a huge volcanic structure nearby.
American scientists are now trying to estimate the potential of a giant caldera filled with molten magma. It has been compared to the Yellowstone National Park system in terms of power. So far, researchers have avoided making predictions, explaining that they do not yet know everything about what is going on in the subsurface under the islands.
The Aleutian Islands have 40 active and 17 dormant volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The explosive area extends 1,860 miles from Alaska to Russian shores. Two tectonic plates collide in southwestern Alaska, with the Pacific plate creeping under the North American plate. This is one of the most active seismic zones in the world. Over the past century, 100 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater have been observed here. Tectonic earthquakes, the most powerful natural phenomenon on the planet, are thought to increase pressure on magma sources and cause volcanic eruptions. That is why scientists expect volcanic eruptions after every underground tremor. In the Pacific fire ring zone 90% of earthquakes on the Earth are recorded, 75% of active volcanoes are located here.
In Europe, the most dangerous Italian volcano Vesuvius will be watched with particular anxiety in 2021, the Japanese are watching Mount Fuji with anxiety, while the residents of the USA should fear four volcanoes at once: Yellowstone, Mount Rainier with a stratovolcano, which can affect 150 thousand people, Novarupta in Alaska and the treacherous scenic Mount St. Helens in Washington State.