There are still other threats that need to be prepared for even if war or climate change doesn't happen.
Our species has yet to experience some of the dangers that came before us.
The dinosaurs are thought to have been decimated 65 million years ago by an asteroid. The cautionary tale of dinosaurs suggests that we should direct our vigilance higher.
It makes sense, and humans are prepared in ways the dinosaurs couldn't.
Two researchers point out in a commentary in the journal Nature that we shouldn't let asteroid anxiety distract us from the real danger of volcanoes.
"Over the next century, large-scale volcanic eruptions are hundreds of times more likely to occur than are asteroid and comet impacts, put together," wrote Michael Cassidy, a professor of volcanology at the University ofBirmingham.
Cassidy and Mani argue that we're not doing enough to prepare for a volcanic eruption.
They write that governments and agencies spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on planetary defense.
The DART mission will try to move an asteroid off course. If the DART mission saves us from an asteroid, it will cost $330 million, but there is no comparable investment to prepare for a super-eruption.
They wrote that this needs to change.
Despite being less exotic than fireballs from space, volcanoes are still worth respecting because they are already here. They're scattered all over the planet and often covered with picturesque scenery.
In comparison to the supervolcanoes that erupt every 15,000 years or so, humans have seen a lot of bad eruptions.
According to the US Geological Survey, the last super-eruption occurred 22,000 years ago. The highest rating on the Volcanic Explosivity Index is called a "super-eruption".
Tens of thousands of people were killed in the Mount Tambora eruption in Indonesia in 1814.
The "Year Without a Summer" in 1816 was caused by the ash and smoke. Crop failures led to famine and disease.
Our ability to rally global support for disaster relief is not enough to offset the risks we face.
Cassidy and Mani note that Earth's human population has tripled since the early 1800's and that some big urban areas have blossomed near dangerous volcanoes. Food shortages and other crises can occur because we're more reliant on global trade.
The danger posed by volcanos may be more than we think. The intervals between catastrophic eruptions are hundreds or even thousands of years shorter than had been thought.
It is difficult to anticipate future eruptions and focus resources on areas with the highest risks. In high-risk but data-poor regions like Southeast Asia, we need more research on ice cores and historical and geological records.
Predicting how a super-eruption might cripple civilization can be done by identifying risks to trade, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure, as well as geographic "pinch points" where volcanic risks overlap with critical trade networks.
Comprehensive volcano monitoring includes ground-based monitoring as well as aerial and satellite observations. A specialized volcano-observing satellite would boost preparedness beyond the current system of sharing existing satellites with other scientists, according to the researchers.
A key to resilience is community awareness. People need to know if they live in a volcanic danger zone, how to prepare for an eruption, and what to do in the event of one.
Authorities need ways to alert the public when a volcano erupts, like via text messages or directions to health-care facilities, as well as ways to prepare for and survive an eruption.
Nature published the commentary.
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