Gigantic Volcanic Eruption 74,000 Years Ago Almost Led to Extinction of Human Species

Newly discovered archaeological sites in southern and northern India have revealed how people lived before and after the colossal Toba volcanic eruption 74,000 years ago. Several theories suggest that the Toba eruption plunged the planet into a 6 to 10 year volcanic winter that endangered the world's human population, reducing it to 10,000 or a mere 1,000 breeding pairs. Some researchers argue that the Toba eruption produced a 1,000 year cooling episode.

An international, multidisciplinary research team, led by Oxford University in collaboration with Indian institutions, unveiled to a conference in Oxford what it calls 'Pompeii-like excavations' beneath the Toba ash. The seven-year project examines the environment that humans lived in, their stone tools, as well as the plants and animal bones of the time. The team has concluded that many forms of life survived the super-eruption, contrary to other research which has suggested significant animal extinctions and genetic bottlenecks.

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The more and more we find this evidence of 'Super-Volcano' eruptions in the past, the more I begin to really worry when the next one is coming. The mounting evidence that these eruptions have basically blocked out the sun for decades afterwords and caused untold destruction (generally known as a VEI-8 eruption) can no longer be ignored.

The Discovery Channel has been able to identify six of these, including the one in Lake Toba, Indonesia: The Yellowstone, Long Valley, and Valles caldera in the US; Taupo Volcano in New Zealand; Aira caldera in Japan. Plus two more unstudied possible super-volcanoes: The Awasa caldera in Ethiopia's and Pastos Grandes caldera in Bolivia. (*)

Given the amount of time, some 26,000 years ago since the last VEI-8 eruption, and the incredible seismic instability occurring right now, seems like we are due for one to pop.

yeah I believe that we are indeed proceeding up to the dorrstep of the next super eruption. I am currently studying volcanoes in college and am featuring Yellowstone as my thesis. I am entranced by the power of the super volcano and I believe that the next one is just around the corner. Maybe it will be Yellowstone who will act up this time. In that event we in the USA need a plan of action in such an event. In the USA we are not prepared for this at all. I actually believe that there will be a flood basalt event that would preceed a Yellowstone eruption. As the plume becomes active flood basalts would first erupt in Montana, all the while, the Yellowstone magma chamber is filling up for a monster event. Just my ten cents but if I did not believe that one of these eruptions was on deck then I would not be studying volcanoes so fervently. Toba was absolutely massive and I can imagine what the people of the time went through just to survive.