pre-Columbian Era Super-Volcano

chunkeymonkey13q

What would be the effect on pre-Columbian America and the rest of the world, if the super-volcano that is said to be awakening in Yellowstone, Wyoming had erupted? Certainly there would be powerful ground shuddering earthquakes as well as an enormous amount of ash and dust ejected into the atmosphere, which would then be gradually dispersed across the globe by the prevailing winds causing crop failures, famine and global cooling, but how would this affect the various tribes, kingdoms and empires present at that time? Supposedly, the eruption of a super-volcano would equal the force of 1,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs exploding every second (about 13 megatons or 100,000 times the energy received by the sun per second). Also, previous Yellowstone eruptions have on average occurred every 600,000-700,000 years, so because the most recent eruption took place 640,000 years ago, it is about time the sleeping giant rumbled to life again. Please post any thoughts/suggestions/comments.
 
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Forum Lurker

Such an event would be spread roughly 40 times the debris that Krakatoa did, and have a concussive force on the order of 8 gigatons. Between dark skies, ash suffocation, and secondary fires caused by flaming debris, most of the continent east of the Rockies is probably going to simply not grow that year. The resulting famine would completely destroy North American civilization, wreak havoc on cultures, and have a profound impact on the population of humans and large fauna. Mesoamerica won't suffer as badly, but at the wrong time would be easily destabilized. The entire world will see the effects of this; sunsets will be coloured for years, and there may be enough decrease in solar energy to create noticeable famines, hastening the next wave of barbarian migrations.
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
Tambora in 1812 was larger than Krakatoa and was said to have caused worldwide famines and a year without a summer in both Europe and North America.

The eruption you speak of (I think it was Mt Mazama) is theorized to have killed off most of the nascent human race. This is supposedly evidenced by a genetic 'bottleneck' in the mitochondrial DNA of the humans alive now. I don't know how valid that theory is though. One objection that occurs to me is that I've never heard of any Great Extinction at that time and why would it kill just humans?

I think the effect of these things probably varies a good deal more than we might think. It might depend heavily on who it was effecting as well as what effects it was having. Well developed civilizations might end up being very vulnerable since they rely on overall stability in climate, among other things. Less developed groups, more attuned to nature and its vicissitudes, might take it in stride
 

Flocculencio

Donor
NapoleonXIV said:
Tambora in 1812 was larger than Krakatoa and was said to have caused worldwide famines and a year without a summer in both Europe and North America.

The eruption you speak of (I think it was Mt Mazama) is theorized to have killed off most of the nascent human race. This is supposedly evidenced by a genetic 'bottleneck' in the mitochondrial DNA of the humans alive now. I don't know how valid that theory is though. One objection that occurs to me is that I've never heard of any Great Extinction at that time and why would it kill just humans?
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Thats the Toba eruption. Kinda scary- go to Sumatra and there a huge crater lake where the eruption occurred.
 

chunkeymonkey13q

On average, it appears that a super-volcano eruption occurs about once every 75,000 years, so the Earth has doubtless experienced many eruptions during the course of the lifetime of our species, albeit not in the lifetime of our civilization. Say this occurs around A.D. 500, when the Mayan civilization had reached its zenith. How would they be affected by the eruption and its aftermath and how would they adapt/develop into the future?
 
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NapoleonXIV

Banned
chunkeymonkey13q said:
On average, it appears that a super-volcano eruption occurs about once every 75,000 years, so the Earth has doubtless experienced many eruptions during the course of the lifetime of our species, albeit not in the lifetime of our civilization. Say this occurs around A.D. 500, when the Mayan civilization had reached its zenith. How would they be affected by the eruption and its aftermath and how would they adapt/develop into the future?
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What happened later would happen sooner, ie they'd abandon their cities and disappear. When you're sacrificing several people per day to propitiate your gods they'd better stay propitiated, or the priests are going to have problems.

There is a theory that some sort of worldwide catastrophe actually did happen around halfway through the 6thc and caused the Middle Ages. One guy says it was Krakatoa and another says it was a Meteor. Problem is, they base their theories mainly on the facts that evidence indicates a bunch of really lean years about that time and the complete lack of written record on ANYTHING from that era. Well, yes, that's why King Arthur is so popular, you can make up anything you want and there's nothing to gainsay you, but it doesn't wash as scientific proof.
 

chunkeymonkey13q

Is there any possibility at all of a strong centralized urban Native American civilization emerging in Central America, maybe as a successor Maya state or as another group of people entirely?
 

chunkeymonkey13q

How do you think China would have been affected by this, as they had been disunified since the collapse of the Han Dynasty in the third century A.D.?
 

Straha

Banned
china may never unify again in this TL. Imagine china as a bunch of warring states like europe...
 

Whatif?

Europe would be doomed. Europe would suddenly get very very cold. China might make it through and become one of the few areas where civilization survived. Bizarre as this thought is New Guinea might become the major power in the next few centuries.:D
 

Whatif?

Maybe, but now that I think about it North Africa might do the best. It might turn out they both colonize America.
 

Hnau

Banned
So what if it erupted in 15,000 BCE? That's pre-Columbian. Its also so pre-historical that we couldn't predict any changes.

How about it explodes in the year 666 AD. The Year of the Beast, it might be known as. That would be very interesting. Or maybe just make it easy and make it explode in the year 1490. Less work to get to the year 2008.
 

Whatif?

Hnau said:
So what if it erupted in 15,000 BCE? That's pre-Columbian. Its also so pre-historical that we couldn't predict any changes.

How about it explodes in the year 666 AD. The Year of the Beast, it might be known as. That would be very interesting. Or maybe just make it easy and make it explode in the year 1490. Less work to get to the year 2008.
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I'd like 666 AD. I mean it would probably be remembered and might just help Christianity survive but I'd bet Christianity is doomed in this scenario.
 

Advernt

Whatif? said:
Europe would be doomed. Europe would suddenly get very very cold. China might make it through and become one of the few areas where civilization survived. Bizarre as this thought is New Guinea might become the major power in the next few centuries.:D
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But we still have to consider geography - my opinion is that the unification of China might be delayed , rather than permanently dis unified. At the very least , expect a state concentrated north of the Yangtze River , and another to the South .
 

Surena

Whatif? said:
Europe would be doomed. Europe would suddenly get very very cold. China might make it through and become one of the few areas where civilization survived. Bizarre as this thought is New Guinea might become the major power in the next few centuries.:D
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And Jared Diamond, even though he's rather likely butterflied away, feels vindicated.
 

Whatif?

Advernt said:
But we still have to consider geography - my opinion is that the unification of China might be delayed , rather than permanently dis unified. At the very least , expect a state concentrated north of the Yangtze River , and another to the South .
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Yes China will probably survive but develop into waring countries(if they weren't already.It also depends on how big an eruption.
 
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