We may be much nearer to a cataclysmic volcanic ‘super-eruption’ than previously thought, warns new research. That is the conclusion of Bristol University scientists after analyzing a database of geological records dated within the last 100,000 years. They discovered the average time between so-called volcanic super-eruptions is actually much less than previously understood.

Volcanoes and ‘bolides’ – such as asteroids – are geohazards powerful enough to be destructive on a global scale. One recent assessment described them as capable of returning humanity to a ‘pre-civilisation’ state. The largest explosive eruptions are termed ‘super-eruptions’and produce in excess of 1,000 gigatons of erupted mass – enough to blanket an entire continent with volcanic ash, and change global weather patterns for decades. READ MORE