Is a super-volcano just 390 miles from London about to erupt?

It's similar in size to Mount Pinatubo, which in 1991 gave us the biggest eruption of the 20th century
Billions of tons of ash and magma would be ejected
Southern England would be covered in ash

By Ted Thornhill
Last updated at 1:39 PM on 2nd January 2012

A sleeping super-volcano in Germany is showing worrying signs of waking up.
It's lurking just 390 miles away underneath the tranquil Laacher See lake near Bonn and is capable of ejecting billions of tons of magma.
This monster erupts every 10 to 12,000 years and last went off 12,900 years ago, so it could blow at any time.

Hidden menace: Laacher See looks tranquil, but beneath its waters lies a volcano that could devastate Europe

Water deceptive sight: The lake was formed when the land collapsed following the last eruption

Monster: The Laacher See volcano is similar in size to Mount Pinatubo, which caused a 0.5C drop in global temperatures when it erupted in 1991

It covered 620 square miles of land with ash and rocks and several small earthquakes in the region last year indicate that it could be awakening from its deep sleep.

Experts believe that if it did go off, it could lead to widespread devastation, mass evacuations and even short-term global cooling from the resulting ash cloud blocking the sun.

The effect on the UK is hard to predict but it’s possible that large parts of southern England could be covered ash.

If the Laacher See eruption is as powerful as the last one, volcanic material could land over 600 miles away

It’s thought that the volcano is similar in size and power to Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which blew in 1991 and became the biggest eruption of the 20th century.
It ejected 10 billion tons of magma, 20 billion tons of sulphur dioxide 16 cubic kilometres of ash and caused a 0.5C drop in global temperatures.
Volcanologists believe that the Laacher See volcano is still active as carbon dioxide is bubbling up to the lake’s surface, which indicates that the magma chamber below is 'degassing'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2081219/Is-super-volcano-Laacher-See-lake-Germany-blow.html#ixzz1iSCtBoRT

Laacher See Caldera

By Charles Simmins

It is not considered extinct, merely inactive. An eruption of the Laacher See volcano would destroy much of Europe as we know it. London is 390 miles away. The German capital of Bonn is about 25 miles away.

The potential eruption of the Laacher See volcano is not the only geologic threat to the industrialized nations.

Tokai Earthquake -- Japan

The Japanese have been preparing for "the big one," a massive earthquake, for years. The earthquake and tsunami that resulted in the Fukushima nuclear accident was not it. Southwest of Tokyo, offshore, lies a fault that ruptures every 100 to 150 years, the Tokai. The last major earthquake on the fault was in 1854. It's due. It is expected to be a greater magnitude than the Fukushima event, and to generate a massive tsunami. Damage to Japan would be far greater than in 2011 which was primarily confined to the rural north of Honshu Island.

Print of 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquake on Mississippi River

New Madrid Earthquake -- United States

In 1811-1812, the Mississippi Valley was rocked by a series of earthquakes. Based on accounts from the era, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the area with severe shaking was 10 times greater than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Much of the region was sparsely inhabited but buildings collapsed in cities such as Cincinnati and St. Louis. Memphis, Tenn., with its metro population of more than 1 million people, is at greatest risk from the next New Madrid earthquake. The historic record suggests millions of other Americans in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys are also at risk.

Hazard Zone Map - New Madrid Seismic Zone

Yellowstone Volcano -- United States

In the last 2.1 million years, the Yellowstone region of Wyoming has produced three large volcanic eruptions. The last was 640,000 years ago. Lava has been produced by the volcano as late as 70,000 years ago. The largest eruption of the Yellowstone volcano produced an ash deposit that covered all or parts of sixteen western states. From Dallas to Denver to Los Angeles to Minneapolis, a new eruption of this size would bury both major cities and much of the cropland of the United States.

Midway Caldera - Yellowstone

San Andreas Fault -- United States

The most famous earthquake fault in the U.S. is California's San Andreas. It consists of a large fault and a network of smaller faults that underlay California from San Francisco south. Since the first recorded earthquake in the state in 1759, California has become famous for its shaking. Still, "the big one" has yet to hit along the San Andreas. The USGS predicts an 82 percent chance of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Los Angeles by 2038. It predicts an earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 has a 46 percent chance of happening, in Southern California, in that same time frame. Los Angeles County has 9.8 million residents as of the 2010 Census. The potential effects of a major earthquake along the San Andreas are mind boggling.