A question about volcanos...

[ChasingSuns]

I am currently working on a story in which a particular region is a barren wasteland due to a natural disaster. I wanted to make this due to a massive volcano eruption. My question is though... what would that really be like? Or rather, does anyone know of any good links on this subject? I tried searching and wasn't able to find any decent info. Perhaps more info about the destruction of Pompeii? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[X Equestris]

Pompeii would be a good place to start. I believe there is also some video from Mount St. Helens that survived the eruption there, not to mention the pictures of the area in the months afterwards. Wikipedia might be helpful in this, though it obviously isn't always the most reliable of sources.

You'll want to make sure that the way you describe the volcano itself is consistent with the way it erupts, as the three types of volcano are all different. I would supply that info myself, but it has been a while since high school geology.

 

[CupofJoe]

I'd search for "pyroclastic flow", "Toba", and "Krakatoa"...

 

[fshamas]

You would want to watch a few documentaries on youtube. Krakatoa gives a good perspective

 

[X Equestris]

Also, how long are you setting this after the eruption, and how large of an area do you want devastated?

 

[Terry Greer]

Volcanoes come in many sizes - you can even have Super (or Mega) volcanoes.
Supervolcano - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These are so big that they have global long-term effects way larger than smaller local ones such as Krakatoa (and I know that was large).
Eruptions such as the Deccan Traps:Deccan Traps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia are a major contender for global extinctions such as that at the end of the Cretaceous.

Eruptions vary hugely in explosive potential - based on if the volcano is at a constructive or destructive plate margin. Those on destructive plate margins (such as Mt St Helans) where the oceanic plate is pushed down below the continental plate contain a lot of water and are much more destructive than those on constructive plate boundaries such as iceland and the mid oceanic ridge where fresh magama merely emerges directly from the from the break forming new ocean floor or land.

 

[X Equestris]

For the maximum results, you could look at one of the largest known volcanic eruptions in history:

Toba catastrophe theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ChasingSuns]

Also, how long are you setting this after the eruption, and how large of an area do you want devastated?

We are talking about a massive volcano. Maybe even larger than Mount Doom. The story would be quite a few years after the eruption. I'm kinda wanting a bunch of the ground to be covered in solidified lava.

 

[X Equestris]

We are talking about a massive volcano. Maybe even larger than Mount Doom. The story would be quite a few years after the eruption. I'm kinda wanting a bunch of the ground to be covered in solidified lava.

In the worst case scenario of an eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano, you would see much of the upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain states covered in volcanic ash. Is that the size you're going for?

 

[Saigonnus]

Also consider hell's half acre. Relatively small area, but very volcanically active area. Basically the area is caused by lava tubes rupturing and smilling their magma out onto the ground. Could be used in concert with a volcano to give the ground that jagged, broken glass look.

 

[ChasingSuns]

In the worst case scenario of an eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano, you would see much of the upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain states covered in volcanic ash. Is that the size you're going for?

Yeah something like that. It's a whole kingdom that has been devastated by it.

 

[Saigonnus]

Yeah something like that. It's a whole kingdom that has been devastated by it.

A whole kingdom is relative. One kingdom might be large; say like the Roman Empire; which, if a volcano devastated an area that size, it would take an event that boggles the mind to get what you are after, and likely with repercussions that would last weeks at the minimum. Most kingdoms where smaller, able to be crossed in as little as a couple days by horseback. Something like this could be accomplished by a series of geologic events, that are fairly common from a geologic standpoint. When volcanoes that large erupt, the massive amount of dust and ash thrown in the air blocks the sun. If it goes on for a significant length of time, say six weeks, vegetation dies from lack of sunlight. In turn there would be a reduced animal population from the lack of fodder.

Technically though, to accomplish what you want, you'd simply have to place this event in the most inopportune place. Imagine if the majority of the land the kingdom uses for agriculture is affected, leaving everywhere else relatively unscathed. Financially, the kingdom would be ruined, there would widespread famine, struggling to survive where the ground isn't that good for crops. Maybe even a war over the last remaining resources.

Could be a good history for the region.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

With volcanoes the danger can come in various ways. Lava obviously, but more for starting fires that can spread faster; Shaking of the ground like an earthquake; Flying rocks and boulders; probably the most dangerous is volcanic ash- It burns and chokes.
Here are three links that may help.
Search Results This is a link for PBS NOVA volcano information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZ-SGfp6Os
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRV4xTT8FB8
Hope this helps.

 

[Laurence]

Volcanoes usually make the area around them even more fertiler, rather than a wasteland.

http://volcanology.geol.ucsb.edu/soil.htm

 

[X Equestris]

Volcanoes usually make the area around them even more fertiler, rather than a wasteland.

http://volcanology.geol.ucsb.edu/soil.htm

That's only when they aren't erupting, however. If you have an area of extremely high volcanic activity, or an area devastated relatively recently by a large eruption, it will be a wasteland.

 

[Saigonnus]

It is also only if there is alot of ash. If you have say, lakes of lava, that soldify or ruptured lava tubes, it might be years before the ground will be viable for crops.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

As a kiwi I feel the need to add Lake Taupo to the list of super-volcanic eruptions. Here's a good link from the wiki which gives a little detail of what happened. Taupo Volcano - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If it ever erupts again, it'll be a case of lets get out of New Zealand fast!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[ChasingSuns]

A whole kingdom is relative. One kingdom might be large; say like the Roman Empire; which, if a volcano devastated an area that size, it would take an event that boggles the mind to get what you are after, and likely with repercussions that would last weeks at the minimum. Most kingdoms where smaller, able to be crossed in as little as a couple days by horseback.

It would take about 3 or 4 days to ride from border to border (if you were going north or south, east to west would be about 2 or 3 days). I definitely see what you're getting at, and it reminded me about a fact that i forgot to mention. A large portion of the northern half of the kingdom was already a desert. So the piece of land that would be covered would take about 1 to 2 days to ride from north to south, and about 2 to 3 days to ride from east to west. I do like the idea of using a series of geological events to turn it into the wasteland.

 

[Velka]

Here's some interesting photos/video of Mount Sinabung in Indonesia. It's been erupting for about a year now. I can't imagine how surreal it would be to live in its shadow.

These Photos Of An Erupting Volcano Are Literally, Actually Awesome