Underwater Supervolcano could erupt and affect 100m people: Study

TOKYO: The scientists have revealed that an underwater Supervolcano off the coast of Japan could erupt without warning and affect millions of people.

According to reports, scientists have discovered evidence of a giant dome of lava in the Kikai volcano's collapsed magma chamber. The submerged volcano first erupted 7,300 years ago could be preparing to make a comeback.

Currently the dome is around 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) wide and 1,968 feet (600 meters) tall.

Scientists say an eruption could take place without warning, and if it does, it could harm as many as 100 million people and trigger a 'volcanic winter'.

The study, reportedly conducted by researchers with the Kobe Ocean-Bottom Exploration Center (KOBEC) at Kobe University, confirmed that the giant lava dome was created after a caldera-forming supereruption 7,300 years ago.

According to the researchers, if the new lava dome erupts, it could eject huge amounts of debris into the atmosphere, potentially blocking out the sun for some areas to trigger a 'volcanic winter'.