Space colonization, geological events, part 1

If humans want to survive, as soon as possible they have to emigrate out of Earth. As time is passing, possibility for global catastrophe is increasing. Yes, we may prevent some of them, like wars are. However, our technology is not able to exert influence on natural events. Dangerous pandemics are still possible, more then 90% of asteroids and comets which may be dangerous for life on Earth may be discovered too late, volcano on Java 70.000 years ago destroyed 98% of human population.

This article is about geological reasons why to emigrate into the space.

This idyllic lake on the left side is known as Taupo. It is on the North Island of New Zealand. Climate on North Island is subtropical and I am sure that it is very nice to be near and to swim in the lake.

But, this lake was dangerous place in the past. Lake Taupo is caldera of former volcano. The most famous eruption of this volcano happened 26,500 years ago and last one was 181 AD. Taupo is supervolcano with Volcano Explosivity Index 7.

Geological events, like supervolcano eruptions are very dangerous for human specie. Eruption of supervolcano Toba, today Lake Toba (satellite image of Lake Toba is on the right side) which was happened around 70,000 years ago, according to Toba catastrophe theory, left human population on few tens of thousands. This event probably caused different skin colours of modern humans.

Our contemporary knowledge about events inside of the Earth is not so big. There are only statistics which say how much time would take from one to another eruption.

Volcano Krakatoa, which is responsible for existence of two islands instead of one (Java and Sumatra), has has Volcano Explosivity Index 6 and eruptions occur once per 100 years or more. The last eruption occurred at 1883.