[blam]

"You remind me of those eco-nuts that believe that one nuke blast will destroy the world. You are making this out to be more than it is."

Without a doubt, I'm a catastrophist.

Tree rings worldwide have recorded five catastrophic events (some call them 'near-extinction' events) in the last ten thousand years, They are: 3195BC, 2353BC, 1628BC, 1159BC and 540AD. All these events, except for 540AD event, are recorded in the ice cores as acid layers which is the signature of volcanos. The 540AD event is believed to have been caused by a meteorite or comet fragments (no acid layer) plunging into the Celtic Sea and was the event that brought on the Dark Ages. (BTW, the Dark Ages was a worldwide event, not just Europe).

I'm not an eco-nut and don't think you take the potential serious enough.

[Paul C. Jesup]

I use the 'eco-nut' as example of how alarmist you sound. But it you take a look at the pattern of the Yellowstone blasts, each one is much smaller than the one before it.

[CobaltBlue]

Probably the only people really prepared for the kind of catastrophe you suggest is possible are those who have stockpiled a year or more of food and water.

Even so, the ash will cause the air to be unbreatheable, and you will need air filters in order to breathe.

Survival will depend on luck unless you are a fanatical survivalist prepared for every possible eventuality.

[djf]

That tree ring stuff is fascinating. By scanning different logs, logged at different times, but whose lifespan overlapped, they basically have the annual weather going back 8000 years or so.

[the-ironically-named-proverbs2]

"All these events, except for 540AD event, are recorded in the ice cores as acid layers which is the signature of volcanos."

I'm curious if you have any links to definitive evidence on this. There seems to be disagreement on this in a couple books that I've just read (both books from about 2000). David Keys, in his book Catastrophe, thinks that a volcano (proto-Krakatoa as he calls it) caused the Dark-Ages event. He cites acid in ice core samples from Greenland (2 different ones) and Antartica (pages 245-8). He even has a chart, so he must be right, ;). Mike Baillie thinks that a comet caused the 540 event and writes in the update to preface of his book, Exodus to Arthur, that "it can still be stated that there is no good evidence for an exceptional volcanic event in the immediate vicinity of AD 540...".(citing ice core evidence, p.8)

I know that you're probably very familiar with both theories and their evidence; maybe you can point me in the right direction. Also, if the dark-ages event was caused by a comet, couldn't that also trigger volcanic activity of some sort? It seems to me that you would expect to see acid evidence in core samples with a comet impact because of this.

On another topic: it sounds to me like some people believe that if one of these "global" events were to occur today, that all we would have to worry about is the eruption or impact and its immediate effects. From what I've read, it looks like we may be affected for up to 30 years (and maybe longer) depending on the magnitude. With the population of the world being what it is today, even a relatively "minor" global event could possibly cause a shift in global political power (depending on where this event occurs of course). It looks like just a couple degree change in global temps could set off a domino effect of floods, drought, food shortage, plague, mass migrations, war, etc. At least this seems to be the lesson of history- or does our technology put us above all that today? LOL (maye I should stop reading these books)

[txzman]

"and was the event that brought on the Dark Ages.."

Er, the "Dark Ages' term had nothing to do with weather, geography or light - it referred to a lack of organized learning and development of society.