Catastrophes Ranked by Energy

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Author

Stephen J. Mildenhall

Published

2024-02-07

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Volcano

Volcanic eruptions are classified using the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), which ranges from 0 to 8. This scale is logarithmic, where each increment represents a tenfold increase in the amount of volcanic material ejected. The energy release of volcanic eruptions can vary widely, but here are rough estimates for VEI 6, 7, and 8 eruptions:

  • VEI 6: Releases energy equivalent to approximately \(10^{15}\) to \(10^{16}\) joules.
  • VEI 7: Releases energy equivalent to approximately \(10^{17}\) to \(10^{18}\) joules.
  • VEI 8: Releases energy equivalent to approximately \(10^{19}\) to \(10^{20}\) joules.

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was classified as a VEI 5 eruption. It was one of the most significant and well-studied volcanic events in recent U.S. history, but it falls just below the threshold for the VEI 6 category in terms of ejected volume and energy release.

To fill the gap between the Chicxulub impactor and a magnitude 9 earthquake, considering the energy scale, we can look at supervolcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts smaller than the Chicxulub but significant enough to cause global effects. Here are two suggestions:

  1. Supervolcanic Eruptions (VEI 8): While we already have a VEI 8 eruption in the table, emphasizing the potential range of these eruptions is useful. The Toba supervolcanic eruption, occurring around 74,000 years ago, is one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth, with estimates suggesting it ejected approximately 2,800 cubic kilometers of material. The energy release for such an event would be at the upper end of the VEI 8 scale, potentially affecting global climate.

  2. Tunguska Event: The Tunguska event was a large explosion that occurred near the Tunguska River in Russia, on June 30, 1908. It is believed to have been caused by the air burst of a small asteroid or comet, and it flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2,150 square kilometers (830 square miles). The estimated energy release was between 3 to 5 megatons of TNT, equivalent to \(1.25 \times 10^{14}\) to \(2.09 \times 10^{14}\) joules. This event fills a niche between smaller-scale natural disasters and the global impact events like the Chicxulub impactor.

Meteorite

Meteorites can enter the Earth’s atmosphere at varying speeds, generally categorized into two broad groups based on their relative velocities: slow-moving and fast-moving meteorites. The average speed for slow-moving meteorites can be around 11 km/s (kilometers per second), while fast-moving meteorites might enter the atmosphere at speeds up to 72 km/s.

Earthquakes

The energy released by an earthquake can be approximated using its magnitude on the Richter scale, with each whole number increase representing a tenfold increase in the measured amplitude of the seismic waves and approximately 31.6 times more energy release.

Here’s a rough approximation of the energy released by earthquakes of different magnitudes:

  • Magnitude 6: Roughly \(10^{13}\) Joules
  • Magnitude 7: Roughly \(10^{15}\) Joules (31.6 times more energy than a magnitude 6)
  • Magnitude 8: Roughly \(10^{17}\) Joules (31.6 times more energy than a magnitude 7)
  • Magnitude 9: Roughly \(10^{19}\) Joules (31.6 times more energy than a magnitude 8)

These values are approximate and can vary based on the specific characteristics of the earthquake, but they provide a general idea of the energy scales involved with increasing magnitude on the Richter scale.

Hurricanes

A moderate Category 3 hurricane releases a significant amount of energy. The total energy dissipation of a hurricane is often described in two parts: the energy used for cloud and rain formation and the kinetic energy (the energy of the wind movement).

Energy from Cloud and Rain Formation

The primary energy source of a hurricane comes from the condensation of water vapor into rain. This process releases latent heat energy. For a typical hurricane, this can be around 6 x 10^14 watts, or 6 x 10^14 joules per second.

To find the daily energy, we multiply this rate by the number of seconds in a day (86,400 seconds):

\[\text{Daily energy from rain formation} = 6 \times 10^{14} \, \text{J/s} \times 86,400 \, \text{s}\]

Kinetic Energy

The kinetic energy of a hurricane (the energy due to its wind movement) is much less than the energy released by condensation. It’s estimated to be around 1/2000th of the energy released by condensation:

\[\text{Daily kinetic energy} \approx \frac{1}{2000} \times \text{Daily energy from rain formation}\]

Let’s calculate the total daily energy released by a Category 3 hurricane, primarily focusing on the energy from rain formation, and then add the kinetic energy component.

The daily energy released by a Category 3 hurricane through rain formation is approximately \(5.184 \times 10^{19}\) Joules. The kinetic energy contributed by the wind movement adds roughly \(2.592 \times 10^{16}\) Joules to this total. Thus, the total daily energy dissipated by a moderate Category 3 hurricane is around \(5.186592 \times 10^{19}\) Joules. This immense amount of energy underscores the powerful nature of hurricanes.

A comprehensive perspective on the energy scale of natural and human-made events, illustrating the vast range of energies involved.
Event Description Low Energy Release (Joules) High Energy Release (Joules)
Chicxulub Impactor (dino-killer) \(1 \times 10^{23}\) \(1 \times 10^{24}\)
VEI 8 Volcanic Eruption (Supervolcanic) \(1 \times 10^{19}\) \(1 \times 10^{20}\)
Moderate Hurricane (daily energy) \(5 \times 10^{19}\) \(5 \times 10^{19}\)
Category 5 Hurricane (daily energy) \(2 \times 10^{19}\) \(2 \times 10^{19}\)
Category 4 Hurricane (daily energy) \(1 \times 10^{19}\) \(1 \times 10^{19}\)
Earthquake (Richter scale 9) \(3.2 \times 10^{18}\) \(3.2 \times 10^{18}\)
VEI 7 Volcanic Eruption \(1 \times 10^{17}\) \(1 \times 10^{18}\)
Earthquake (Richter scale 8) \(1 \times 10^{17}\) \(1 \times 10^{17}\)
VEI 6 Volcanic Eruption \(1 \times 10^{15}\) \(1 \times 10^{16}\)
Earthquake (Richter scale 7) \(3.2 \times 10^{15}\) \(3.2 \times 10^{15}\)
Tornado (lifetime energy) \(1 \times 10^{14}\) \(5 \times 10^{14}\)
Tunguska Event \(1.25 \times 10^{14}\) \(2 \times 10^{14}\)
Earthquake (Richter scale 6) \(1 \times 10^{13}\) \(1 \times 10^{13}\)
Large Meteorite (1,000 kg at 72 km/s) \(2.6 \times 10^{12}\) \(2.6 \times 10^{12}\)
Train crash \(1 \times 10^{10}\) \(5 \times 10^{10}\)
Plane crash (into the ground) \(5 \times 10^9\) \(1 \times 10^{10}\)
Truck crash (40 ton at 65 mph) \(1 \times 10^9\) \(1 \times 10^9\)
Small Meteorite (1 kg at 11 km/s) \(6 \times 10^7\) \(6 \times 10^7\)
Car crash (at 60 mph) \(5 \times 10^5\) \(5 \times 10^5\)