Welcome to My World -Volcanoes are Ultimately Good For the Planet
Hello World! Most of us don’t give much thought to volcanoes, but I used to live in Hawaii so I sometimes think about them. I know that once the lava cools, you can plant things like orchids and they grow well…
You can grow orchids in lava rock. They will do well.
Volcanoes May Be Deadly, But They’re Good for the Planet
The eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has left thousands of people
Volcanoes are deadly when erupting, but beneficial to our planet.
homeless. At the same time in Guatemala, the eruption of Volcan de Fuego has not only destroyed property but killed at least 60 people.
While the impacts of erupting volcanoes can be devastating those in it’s path, there are upsides to these disasters. “Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind,” notes the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The following are some of those benefits.
ATMOSPHERIC COOLING
One of the immediate, although relatively short-term, benefits of a volcano
Volcanoes help us with atmospheric cooling.
eruption is the cooling of our atmosphere.
“The sulfur gas combines with water in the atmosphere, creating microscopic droplets that can stay in the atmosphere for years,” Dr. Tracy Gregg, associate geology professor at the University at Buffalo, told AccuWeather. Those droplets cool the lowest level of the atmosphere, which is where we live.
The 1991 eruption of Pinatubo in the Philippines and the 1982 eruption of El Chichon in Mexico resulted in a temperature drop of over half a degree Celsius (about .33 degrees fahrenheit). “It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when we’re talking about anthropogenic global climate change, volcanoes have actually helped to keep our world about two to three degrees cooler than it otherwise may be,” Gregg said.
MORE FERTILE SOIL
The soil around volcanoes is the most fertile on Earth, thanks to important
Volcanoes create more fertile soil for us to benefit from.
minerals provided by volcanic ash. The finer the ash, the more quickly it can blend with soil to help crops grow.
The fertile soil also provides an excellent environment for the creation of new habitats for animals and insects.
RENEWABLE GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
The heat trapped in our Earth’s surface beneath a volcano can generate
We can use geothermal energy created by the volcano.
geothermal energy, a renewable resource. Fresh magma discovered in a dormant volcano in Iceland nine years ago led to the creation of the world’s first magma-enhanced geothermal energy system.
The Reykjanes Power Station pours water through fissures in the molten rock, which produces steam that’s able to generate energy by turning turbines. This process generates enough megawatts to power tens of thousands of homes.
It “could soon be ground zero for a geothermal energy revolution that could change the way countries and economies around the world view and utilize their geothermal resources,” CNBC reported in 2015.
WATER PRODUCTION
Volcanoes have produced the water we currently have on Earth — over the
We gain water as a result of volcanoes.
course of 4.5 billion years, that is. The water comes out of steam, explained Dr. Janine Krippner, a Concord University volcanologist. “Over time, it’s just built up the water that we have on our planet,” she told AccuWeather. “Water can actually come out of magma itself, as well.”
BUILDING MATERIALS
After magma cools, it becomes black rocks that can be used to create roads
You can use lava rock for building materials.
and buildings. Pumice, a light-colored rock made of roughly textured volcanic glass, is used to make cinder blocks and cement, as well as some of our commonly-used items like soaps and abrasive cleaners. I also use lava rock decoratively in my flower beds because they are light in weight and easy for me to handle. They look good and come in different colors.
NEW LAND CREATION
The flowing lava from volcanoes creates new land masses. Usually
Lava creates new land as it cools in the ocean.
this process takes thousands of years, but on Hawaii’s Big Island, Kilauea has already created 250 acres of new land in the ocean. In fact, all the land in the Hawaiian islands was created long, long ago by underwater volcanoes.
Maybe I’m a bit nerdy about this kind of stuff, but it is interesting to me and helping our planet survive is very important to me. Let me know what you think about this by leaving a message below…
Have a great healthy day!
Enhance Your Life with Mother Nature! Great for your Mind, Body & Spirit!