Volcanoes Accelerate Evolution: 27 Interesting Facts About Volcanoes
● The term "volcano" comes from the Latin "Volcanus" or Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. Initially, the Romans used the term to refer to Mount Etna, where, according to their beliefs, Vulcan's forge was located.
● Volcanoes accelerate evolution - volcanic eruptions, especially prehistoric volcanic activity, constantly changed the climatic conditions on the planet. As a result, animals and plants were forced to adapt to these changes and evolved.
● Ancient Greeks believed that the god of fire Hephaestus lived beneath Mount Etna. According to myth, the Titan Prometheus stole fire from Hephaestus's volcano and gave it to humans.
● Centuries ago, Aztecs living in Mexico and the people of Nicaragua believed that gods resided in lava. They sacrificed beautiful young girls to these mighty gods.
● There are approximately 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide.
● In the Middle Ages, many believed that volcanoes were entrances to the fiery underworld.
● Over the past 400 years, almost a quarter of a million people have died directly as a result of volcanic eruptions. Secondary effects such as famine, climate changes, and diseases likely tripled this number.
● The most dangerous active volcano today is Popocatepetl, nicknamed El Popo, located just 33 miles from Mexico City, Mexico. El Popo emits thousands of tons of gas and ash into the air each year.
● In 1963, an underwater volcano gave birth to a new land surface on Earth, Surtsey Island, located near the southwest coast of Iceland. Today, Surtsey Island covers an area of approximately 2.5 km² and was named after Surtr, a fire giant from Norse mythology.
● The myth of the lost island of Atlantis, which sank into the ocean, may be based on the story of the Greek island of Santorini (Thera), part of which submerged into the sea after a devastating volcanic eruption in the Bronze Age.
● To measure the temperature of a volcano, volcanologists use a special electric thermometer called a "thermocouple." The lava is so hot that glass thermometers melt in it.
● Australia has no active volcanoes because it is located in the center of a tectonic plate.
● Earth with a large number of volcanoes is one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the world. Volcanic eruptions enrich the Earth's soil with nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus. Weathering of volcanic rocks also produces nutrients for the soil.
● "Lava" comes from the Latin "lavara," meaning "to wash, to wash away." It is magma that has erupted onto the surface. Lava can flow at speeds of up to 90 km/h.
● The largest volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. As one of the five volcanoes on the island, it rises 4,000 meters above sea level.
● Volcanoes form through subduction (when two tectonic plates collide), oceanic rifts (when two plates diverge), or hot spots (weak areas of the Earth's crust).
● The most horrific volcanic disaster of the twentieth century is considered to be the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902 on the island of Martinique in the West Indies, which killed 30,121 people. Only two people survived: a shoemaker who lived on the edge of the island and a prisoner who was locked in a prison cell with thick stone walls.
● There are approximately 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth, not counting underwater ones. Of these, only 20-30 erupt each year.
● The supervolcanic eruption at Lake Toba in Indonesia about 75,000 years ago plunged the Earth into a volcanic winter (known as the Ice Age epoch). It also led to the formation of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.
● The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, had the power of 500 atomic bombs. Geologists classified it as a moderate eruption.
● The Pacific Ring of Fire is the border of a large Pacific plate that slowly moves under or collides with other plates. Most of the world's largest volcanoes are concentrated here.
● Volcanologists measure the power of eruptions on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), where 0 means the weakest eruption and 8 means the strongest. Eight is typically assigned to the most powerful eruptions, commonly known as "supervolcanoes."
● In 79 AD, a powerful eruption of Vesuvius destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Accounts from witnesses of that time, recent excavations, and preserved remains have conveyed to us the horrifying story of that eruption.
● In some volcanic areas, such as Iceland, the hot energy of magma can be used to heat water and operate power plants. This type of energy is called geothermal energy.
● Some volcanic islands, such as Iceland and Hawaii, have black sand beaches. Their sand consists of basalt, pyrogenic stone, which is unformed when lava cools and disintegrates into grains.
● Approximately 20% of all volcanoes are located underwater.
● Volcanoes are big business. Today, the total budget of the American tourism business is estimated at $232,000,000,000, and the European one is $289,000,000,000. A significant portion of the revenue comes from tours to "volcanic" regions, which attract many tourists. Additionally, a huge amount of postcards and other printed materials with
