This hot mixture of volcanic materials could cause injury or even death to a large part of the population, while also making it impossible to grow any vegetation from the spoiled soil.
However, it was also revealed these effects would not be short-term.
Michael Rampino, a geologist from New York University, detailed how the ash would fill the sky for weeks after the event, causing long-standing problems.
He said: “It acts like a veil and cuts out the sunlight, cooling the climate below.