Could a super volcano cause ragnarok like events?
For the world I am creating I am trying to have an event like a super volcano explosion in its past. Generations of oral storytelling have resulted in the Norse mythology of Ragnarok making its way to earth.
Could events following the super volcano reflect a Ragnarok like timeline? For example, a "Great Winter" lasting three years, sun and moon disappearing from view as if swallowed by great wolves, and a massive fire. This would be followed by a "rebirth" of great bounty and prosperity.
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1 answer
Yes and no. A volcanic eruption can cause all three of the things you specified, but I'm not certain it can cause all of them at the same time.
A "Great Winter" lasting three years
The eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, led to the "Year Without A Summer", in which global temperatures were about 2-3 degrees Celsius lower than normal, rivers froze over, and crops failed in many places. An even larger eruption could easily extend that cold snap to three years or even more.
Sun and moon disappearing from view as if swallowed by great wolves
A supervolcano can easily eject enough ash into the atmosphere to block out the sun (and by extension, the moon), albeit temporarily. This is, in fact, what would cause your "Great Winter". The more ash is ejected, the longer and harsher your Great Winter is going to be. I don't know how long the sun and moon would actually be blocked for, however.
A massive fire
A nice big lava flow will set everything in its vicinity on fire. However, an eruption of this size is more likely to cause a pyroclastic flow, a huge wave of superheated air and rock travelling at supersonic speeds. Pyroclastic flows don't set things on fire, they either completely destroy them or bury them under several feet of ash (as famously happened to Pompeii).
Of course, it's your story. You can always handwave it to say that all three of these things did happen. The important part for you is that they can happen.
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