Changing the Size of the Giant ~186 A.D. Eruption of Taupo

Landsat 8 image of Lake Taupo, the source of the ~186 A.D. cataclysm eruption studied in Houghton and others (2014). Image: USGS/NASA, taken March 14, 2014. Whether it is volcanologists or the public, giant volcanic eruptions are captivating events. These massive events can have a global impact and the idea of a massive ash plume towering 30 kilometers or more over the landscape is an awe-inspiring notion. So, it shouldn't be surprising that whenever a large volcanic deposit is examine, people want to know just how big it was, and usually, the bigger, the more exciting. However, sometimes that quest for largest can hide the true nature of the eruption. By careful examination of the deposits left by the ancient giants, we can get a better grasp on just how big is big ... and sometimes that means making that giant eruption a little big smaller. The ~186 A.D. eruption ...