The North Sea

The North Sea has long been important as one of Europe’s most productive fisheries. It also serves as a prominent shipping zone among European countries and between Europe and the Middle East.

Its name comes from its relationship to the land of the Frisians (see Frisia). They live directly to the south of the North Sea, and to the west of the East Sea (Oostzee, the Baltic Sea), the former South Sea (Zuiderzee, today’s IJsselmeer) and the today reclaimed Middle Sea (Middelzee).

Shetland islands

Low-pressure systems always blow in from the west to Norway, and are often amplified as they cross the North Atlantic. “This, combined with large temperature differences between different ocean currents and large areas like Greenland, makes the winds stronger and the waves extra large,” Aarnes said.

The South China Sea and East Indies, eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Sea, and British Isles are the most dangerous seas in the world, with the greatest number of shipping accidents in the last 15 years, according to a report released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

When it comes to dangerous water conditions, two particular factors pose a threat to sailors: Wind waves, and swell. Wind generated waves are created by an imbalance of pressure and friction forces, caused unsurprisingly by wind.

The Most Dangerous Ocean Creatures

• Box Jellyfish. A Box Jellyfish, seen from the safety of tempered aquarium glass.
• Blue-Ringed Octopus. A Blue-Ringed Octopus in Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
• Stingrays.
• Beaked Sea Snake.
• Crocodiles.
• Great White Shark.

stonefish

Afghanistan

Of all the species in the world, the largest—and most dangerous—is the saltwater crocodile. These ferocious killers can grow up to 23 feet in length, weigh more than a ton, and are known to kill hundreds each year, with crocodiles as a whole responsible for more human fatalities annually than sharks.

Mosquitoes

The comet has been described as “the single most dangerous object known to humanity”. In 1996, the long-term possibility of Comet Swift–Tuttle impacting Earth was compared to 433 Eros and about 3000 other kilometer-sized objects of concern.

Kilauea

Yellowstone is not overdue for an eruption. The rhyolite magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is only 5-15% molten (the rest is solidified but still hot), so it is unclear if there is even enough magma beneath the caldera to feed an eruption. If Yellowstone does erupt again, it need not be a large eruption.

Yellowstone supervolcano

5 billion people

Yes, it will! But the next eruption is likely to be pretty small, just a bit of lava extruding with maybe minor amounts of ash. If the next enormous eruption happens in our lifetimes, there will of course be death and destruction, but not enough to destroy the United States, or even just the American West.

Should the supervolcano lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park ever erupt, it could spell calamity for much of the USA. Deadly ash would spew for thousands of miles across the country, destroying buildings, killing crops, and affecting key infrastructure. Fortunately the chance of this occurring is very low.

The good news is it isn’t likely to happen any time soon. Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, told AccuWeather last week that the volcano located under the park has erupted at least three times in the past and would “devastate much of the United States” when it erupts again.

Yellowstone

If the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park ever had another massive eruption, it could spew ash for thousands of miles across the United States, damaging buildings, smothering crops, and shutting down power plants.

Those parts of the surrounding states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming that are closest to Yellowstone would be affected by pyroclastic flows, while other places in the United States would be impacted by falling ash (the amount of ash would decrease with distance from the eruption site).

The answer is—NO, a large explosive eruption at Yellowstone will not lead to the end of the human race. The aftermath of such an explosion certainly wouldn’t be pleasant, but we won’t go extinct. YVO gets a lot of questions about the potential for Yellowstone, or some other caldera system, to end all life on Earth.

Unlike the ash produced by burning wood and other organic materials, volcanic ash can be dangerous. Its particles are very hard and usually have jagged edges. As a result, it can cause eye, nose, and lung irritation, as well as breathing problems. Ash can also contaminate water supplies.

Is Yellowstone’s volcano still active? Yes. The park’s many hydrothermal features attest to the heat still beneath this area. Earthquakes—700 to 3,000 per year— also reveal activity below ground.

Yellowstone is one of the most seismically active areas in the United States. Approximately 700 to 3,000 earthquakes occur each year in the Yellowstone area; most are not felt. They result from the extensive network of faults associated with the volcano and surrounding tectonic features.

Mauna Loa

around 17 times a day