Volcanic Eruptions and their impacts in the Past 13,000 Years

Abstract

Volcanic eruptions represent the most direct form of material and energy release from the Earth's interior, providing the basis for the origin and evolution of life on Earth, but they can also have significant impacts on human society and the environment. Most of the existing reviews and studies on volcanic eruptions have focused on specific events or eruption patterns in a single year, but there have been few summaries of global long-term volcanic eruption patterns. This article uses 13,000 years of volcanic eruption records to summarize the forms and locations as well as causes of volcanic eruptions, and analyzes and discusses the recorded data to ultimately expound on the impacts of volcanic eruptions. According to their frequency of occurrence, the 20 existing types of volcanoes were ranked in the article, with stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, and volcanic fields taking the top three spots. After explaining various forms of volcanic eruptions, including Plinian, Strombolian, Hawaiian, and Vulcanian, this article analyzed and summarized existing data records. Firstly, it evaluated the methods of data recording and found that in recent years, most records were made through direct instrument observations. Based on this, it concluded that volcanic eruptions have been increasing in the past 100 years. Finally, the impacts of volcanic eruptions are identified, including temperature, climate, plants, air and water quality, human society, and the polar environment. This article provides a reference for future research on volcanic eruptions, particularly on their impacts in polar regions.