Question Your World: How Important Is the Amazon Rainforest?
Natural disasters can be incredibly dangerous to nearby populations, but some could even impact the entire planet. Some of Earth’s natural resources are so massive that they not only serve vital functions in the immediate area but have global impacts as well, like the Amazon rainforest in South America.
Volcano: Yellowstone Caldera
Every now and then, a news headline pops up about the Yellowstone supervolcano and all the dire things that could happen if it erupted. Those headlines raise a few questions, such as what exactly is a supervolcano, is there one at Yellowstone, and how likely is it to erupt?
Volcano: Hawaii’s Active Volcanoes
Kilauea, a shield volcano located on the big island of Hawai’i, is Hawaii’s most active volcano in recorded history. Even though it had been erupting continuously since 1983, Kilauea made big news headlines in 2018.
Volcano: Mt. Etna
Mt. Etna’s history is long and complex. Its first recorded eruption was in 1,500 BCE, thought to be the first volcanic eruption ever written about. Mt. Etna has erupted at least 200 times since then, including some significant volcanic activity just last month.
Volcano: Eyjafjallajökull
In 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull produced an immense ash cloud that grounded airline travel and shipping all over Europe, canceling over 100,000 flights. Inconvenienced travelers were stranded in airports for days and the airline industry lost over $1 billion in revenue.
