The world is in “volcano season” and is living under the threat of a supervolcano that could leave the planet devastated. The warning comes from scientists who claim there is up to 10 percent chance of an eruption in the next 80 years.

Volcanic eruptions taking place around the world are the highest in 300 years, say the scientists, warning of a major one soon. A big eruption of supervolcano is a real possibility and could kill millions, scientists at the European Science Foundation warn.

According to the scientists, volcanoes – especially supervolcanoes like the one at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming – pose a serious threat to the Earth. The threat is more serious than that of asteroids, earthquakes, global warming and earthquakes, reports the Express.

The world's most dangerous active volcanoes include Yellowstone, Mount Vesuvius in Campagnia, Italy and Popocatépetli near Mexico City. If any of these volcanoes erupts, millions of people would die, and the Earth’s atmosphere would be left with toxins "beyond the imagination of anything man’s activity and global warming could do over 1,000 years,” warn the scientists.

Unlike hurricanes and earthquakes, there are no contingency plans for a major volcanic eruption, says News Max, citing the European Science Foundation’s report "Extreme Geo-hazards: Reducing the Disaster Risk and Increasing Resilience."

"Although in the last few decades earthquakes have been the main cause of fatalities and damage, the main global risk is large volcanic eruptions that are less frequent but far more impactful than the largest earthquakes,” says the report.

It further said that these events have the potential to trigger global disaster and catastrophe because of their far-reaching effects on climate, food security, transportation and supply chains. "The cost of response and the ability to respond to these events is beyond the financial and political capabilities of any individual country,” it added.

RELATED STORIES