Shortest odds at the bookmakers for a volcanic eruption

As of October 2010, Dublin-based bookmakers Paddy Power (Eire) were offering odds of 5:4 that Seulawah Agam in Sumatra, Indonesia, would be the next volvano to erupt. In order to pay out, Paddy Power requires a volcano to erupt at level three on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, which equates to a plume of at least two miles high. The next shortest odds, at 15:8, were available for Mount Galeras in Colombia, while a massive 50:1 was offered for the eruption of Yellowstone in the USA. Paddy Power - Ireland's largest bookie - calculates the probabilities and odds using the Volcanic Explosivity Index, which ranges from zero (non-explosive) to eight (megacolossal). The idea came after the eruption of Mount Mayon in the Philippines in 2009. Punters can also bet on the extent of travel chaos caused by volcanic ash clouds. As well as betting on volvanic activity, gamblers can also wager on the number of critically endangered species by the end of 2011.