Mount Oacana
Mount Oacana is the largest volcanic system on the planet. It is located on the continent of Shinsay, on the southern hemisphere of Kaiter. It consists of a caldera located over a localized hotspot where the magma from the inner core wells up through cracks in Kaiter's mantle, flowing close to the surface and occasionally escaping through the planet's crust in volcanic explosions. It is responsible for the eruptions that led to world changing event known as the Disaster.
Volcanic Activity before The Disaster
The mountain itself grew up out of several small lava flows over the millennia. After a relatively major volcanic explosion in 237 BD, it continued to exhibit volcanic activity every few months, through explosive hot springs, small lava flows, and other minor geothermal events. Plant and animal life continued to grow in the region, and the towns near the volcano became tourist traps for adventurous people hoping to see a lava flow up close.Prediction of the Supervolcano Event
In the years leading up to The Disaster, scientists began trying to model the volcanic activity to be able to predict the geothermal events more accurately. Eventually, a team of scientists shared the data with IFERA, in hopes it would be able to improve upon their model. In addition to forecasting the timings of geothermal activity, IFERA also estimated the magnitude of each event. This led to the prediction of the major supervolcano event would occur in 5 years.The Disaster
True to IFERA's prediction, on 14 Erider, 1 BD, the volcano began to release a series of major volcanic explosions and pyroclastic flows in the explosive supervolcano event. First, an eruption column of ash rose over 100 km into the atmosphere, and lava began to flow freely from the mouth of the caldera. Between the pyroclastic flows and explosive energy, most of Shinsay was obliterated in a matter of hours, buried in ash and pulverized rocks. The ash quickly became a planetwide cloud that encircled the planet, leading to The Longest Night. Additional eruptions continued for several days more, though the major damage had already been done, leading Kaiter into an Ice Age and beginning a fight for survival for humans, plants, and animals alike.
by Brent Keane
Type
Volcano
