Tag

Volcanic Ash

All articles tagged with #volcanic ash

travel10 days ago•4 min saved

Etna Eruption Triggers Travel Chaos in Sicily as Catania Flights Grounded

Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption on Sicily’s eastern coast has produced ash clouds and lava activity, prompting the closure of Catania–Fontanarossa Airport and hundreds of flight cancellations (some reports put disruptions as high as 1,350). Palermo and Comiso have handled diverted traffic, while travellers should check current status with airlines, expect possible rebooking or refunds under extraordinary circumstances, and review travel-insurance coverage for natural-disaster disruptions as authorities monitor ash and aviation alerts.

via Time Out Worldwide|

#catania-airport #etna #sicily

science16 days ago•9 min saved

Toba eruption’s climate punch turned out to be modest and short-lived, study finds

New high-resolution lake records from Lake Chala near Kilimanjaro show Mount Toba's 74,000-year eruption cooled eastern Africa by about 0.5°C for roughly 18 months, a far milder regional impact than once imagined and not clearly indicating a global threat; researchers caution that conclusions come from a single site and more records are needed to assess worldwide effects.

via Ars Technica|

#climate-impact #lake-chala #paleoclimatology

science19 days ago•2 min saved

NZ cave fossils reveal a forgotten million-year avifauna

An excavation at Moa Eggshell Cave near Waitomo, New Zealand, yielded 12 bird species and 4 frog species preserved between two volcanic ash layers dated about 1.55 million and 1.0 million years ago, providing a clean Early Pleistocene window. The find fills roughly a 15-million-year gap in New Zealand’s fossil record between the St Bathans fauna and the pre-human era, revealing extinct relatives such as Strigops insulaborealis (a kakapo relative), an extinct takahē ancestor, and a pigeon related to bronzewings. Evidence from bone and wear marks suggests diverse lifestyles, while climate shifts and volcanic eruptions repeatedly reshaped habitats—showing natural upheaval drove diversification and extinctions long before humans arrived.

via Futura, le média qui explore le monde|

#avian-evolution #fossils #new-zealand

science4 months ago•2 min saved

Mars Express Detects Rapid Dark Patch Spreading Across Utopia Planitia

ESA's Mars Express images show a fast-growing dark ash blanket spreading across the Utopia Planitia basin, possibly from volcanic ash or winds removing ochre dust. The patch, made of mafic minerals like olivine and pyroxene, has expanded hundreds of kilometres in under 50 years, far quicker than typical Martian surface changes.

via Futurism|

#mafic-minerals #mars #marsexpress

science4 months ago•32 min saved

Mars Express spots rapid dark wave creeping across the Martian surface

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express captured an HRSC image showing a fast-spreading dark patch across Utopia Planitia on Mars, created by winds blowing ash from ancient eruptions or revealing buried igneous rock. A side‑by‑side with a 1976 Viking view highlights the change. Scientists say winds are moving surface material and exposing new geology, with features suggesting buried water ice and impact scars revealing Mars’s complex past.

via Yahoo|

#light-and-darkness #mars-express #martian-winds

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Ancient Tropics Frozen in Time: 300-Million-Year Forest Buried by Volcanic Ash in China

A 300-million-year-old tropical forest near Wuda, Inner Mongolia, was rapidly buried by volcanic ash, preserving plants in situ and preserving a diverse Permian ecosystem—tree ferns, Sigillaria, Cordaites, and abundant Noeggerathiales—providing a rare time capsule to study ancient climates and flora.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#china #fossil-forest #paleontology

science9 months ago•7 min saved

Surviving the Eruption of a 74,000-Year-Old Supervolcano

Despite the catastrophic Toba supereruption 74,000 years ago, humans survived and even thrived, as archaeological evidence shows adaptive behaviors and technological innovations post-eruption, challenging earlier theories that it caused a severe population bottleneck.

via SciTechDaily|

#archaeological-evidence #climate-impact #human-survival

science9 months ago•5 min saved

Ancient Saber-Toothed Predator Tracks Discovered in Volcanic Ash

Scientists discovered 29-million-year-old fossilized footprints of a cat-like predator in Oregon's volcanic ash, providing rare behavioral insights into ancient life and demonstrating how volcanic eruptions can preserve delicate traces of prehistoric animals, with modern digital techniques enhancing study and preservation.

via Indian Defence Review|

#fossil-tracks #paleontology-technology #prehistoric-predators

science11 months ago•7 min saved

Ancient volcanic eruption shaped human survival, archaeologists reveal

The article discusses the 74,000-year-old Toba supereruption in Indonesia, its global impact, and how archaeological evidence shows that humans survived and adapted to the catastrophic event, challenging earlier theories that it caused a severe population bottleneck.

via Space|

#archaeology #cryptotephra #human-survival

science11 months ago•1 min saved

Mount St. Helens' 1980 Ash Remains Stirred by Strong Winds

Strong winds in Washington have stirred up ash from the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, causing hazy conditions and potential hazards for aircraft and health, though the volcano remains at a normal alert level and no recent eruption has occurred.

via ABC News|

#air-quality #ash-resuspension #mount-st-helens

science11 months ago•7 min saved

Prehistoric Humans Survived Massive Supervolcano Eruption

Despite the massive Toba supereruption 74,000 years ago, evidence from archaeological sites shows that humans not only survived but also adapted and thrived afterward, challenging the idea that the eruption caused a severe population bottleneck. The study of volcanic ash layers and archaeological remains reveals human resilience and behavioral flexibility in the face of catastrophic events, offering insights into our capacity to adapt to future disasters.

via Gizmodo|

#adaptability #archaeology #human-survival

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Potential Global Impact of a Yellowstone Eruption

If Yellowstone's supervolcano were to erupt, it could cause devastating local destruction from pyroclastic flows and ash fall, and lead to global climate cooling with temperatures dropping up to 12 degrees for several years, potentially causing widespread famine. However, scientists believe such an eruption is unlikely in the near future, as the volcano is dormant and the magma chambers are cooling.

via Green Matters|

#eruption-effects #global-climate-impact #pyroclastic-flows

science1 year ago•5 min saved

Underwater Eruption Chokes Marine Life with Ash Clouds

The 2022 eruption of the Hunga volcano caused significant ash deposition on the seafloor, damaging deep-sea ecosystems and affecting Tonga's coral reefs and local livelihoods. The study highlights the environmental impact of underwater volcanic activity and raises concerns about future deep-sea mining, which could cause similar or greater ecological harm.

via Earth.com|

#deep-sea-mining #hunga-volcano #marine-ecosystems

science1 year ago•8 min saved

Deep-Sea Creatures Struggle as Ocean Eruption Blankets Seafloor in Ash

The 2022 eruption of the underwater Hunga volcano released a massive ash plume that settled on the seafloor, suffocating deep-sea organisms and impacting marine ecosystems, with potential implications for future deep-sea mining and ocean health.

via Phys.org|

#deep-sea-life #marine-biodiversity #ocean-eruption

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Mysterious Black Iceberg Discovered Off Labrador Sparks Curiosity

A sailor off Labrador, Canada, spotted a rare black iceberg possibly up to 100,000 years old, with its dark coloration potentially caused by volcanic ash or meteorite debris, highlighting the melting of ancient ice and its secrets from the past.

via Yahoo|

#ancient-ice #black-iceberg #climate-change