The probability of a massive volcano erupting this century is one in six

 In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted in Indonesia, killing 100,000 people. But that wasn't the end of it. Due to soot threw into the stratosphere, the average global temperature has dropped by about one degree. The harvest has diminished, the summer has turned cold and there has been a hunger. According to scientists, with a probability of 1 in 6, a volcanic eruption of the same magnitude could repeat itself in this century, and people are not ready for it.

In the journal Nature, British scientists wrote that the world is 'appallingly unprepared for such an event', which could have 'consequences for supply chains, climate and food supply around the world'. Michael Cassidy, professor of volcanology at the University of Birmingham, and Lara Mani of the Center for Existential Risk Research at the University of Cambridge, compare efforts in this direction with efforts to counter space threats.

According to scientists, over the next century, massive volcanic eruptions are hundreds of times more likely than hitting asteroids and comets combined. The climate impacts of these shocks are comparable, but the responses are radically different. Although NASA is allocating over $ 200 million to asteroid deflection projects, no investment has yet been made to prevent or mitigate large-scale eruptions.

Scientists say improved predictive tools for such events could help mitigate their impact. For example, you can send recommendations by SMS: for example, advise you to clean the roof of your house to prevent it from collapsing, as volcanic ash will fall down to 50 centimeters thick in the next two hours.

Experts concluded that countries could agree on how to transport food and fertilizers in the event of a sudden drop in average temperatures, which could have a devastating effect even in warmer climates. While the cooling effect of sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere may be partially offset by the warming caused by greenhouse gases, the impact of a powerful volcanic eruption will be sharp and enormous, and its effects on weather, precipitation and temperature will be uneven.

Over time, eruptions may not be inevitable at all. Perhaps humans will be able to find a way to drill a well all the way to the magma to relieve the pressure. A direct influence on the behavior of volcanoes may seem unthinkable, but until recently asteroid deflection technologies seemed equally unthinkable.