The largest active volcanoes in the world. Volcano Ulavun, Papua New Guinea. Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Iceland

Volcanic eruptions are dangerous primarily due to their direct impact - the release of tons of burning lava, under which entire cities can die. But, in addition to this, such side factors as the suffocating effect of volcanic gases, the threat of a tsunami, isolation from sunlight, terrain distortion and local climatic changes.

Merapi, Indonesia

Merapi is one of the largest volcanoes on the islands of Indonesia. He is one of the most active: large eruptions occur once every seven to eight years, and small ones - once every two years. At the same time, smoke from the top of the volcano appears almost daily, preventing the locals from forgetting about the threat. Merapi is also famous for the fact that in 1006 the whole medieval Javanese-Indian state of Mataram was seriously affected by his activities. The special danger of the volcano is that it is located near the large Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, which is home to about 400 thousand people.

Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima is in constant volcanic activity since 1955, and the last eruption took place in early 2009. Until 1914, the volcano was located on a separate island of the same name, but frozen lava flows connected the island with the Osumi Peninsula. Residents of Kagoshima City have become accustomed to the erratic behavior of the volcano and are constantly ready to take refuge in shelters.

Aso Volcano, Japan

The last time the volcanic activity of the volcano was recorded quite recently, in 2011. Then the ash cloud spread over a territory of more than 100 km. From that time to the present, about 2,500 tremors have been recorded, which indicates the activity of the volcano and its readiness for an eruption. Despite the direct danger, about 50 thousand people live in the immediate vicinity of it, and the crater is popular tourist attraction for the daredevils. In winter, the slopes are covered with snow and people go skiing and tobogganing in the valley.

Popocatepetl, Mexico

One of the largest volcanoes in Mexico is located literally fifty kilometers from. This is a city with a population of 20 million people who are in constant readiness for evacuation. In addition to Mexico City, there are such big cities like Puebla and Tlaxcala de Jicotencatl. Popocatepetl also gives them a reason to be nervous: emissions of gas, sulfur, dust and stones occur literally every month. Over the past decades, the volcano has erupted in 2000, 2005 and 2012. Many climbers strive to climb to its summit. Popocatepetl is famous for being conquered by Ernesto Che Guevara in 1955.

Etna, Italy

This Sicilian volcano is interesting in that it has not only one main wide crater, but also many small craters on the slopes. Etna is in constant activity, and small eruptions occur at intervals of several months. This does not prevent the Sicilians from densely populating the slopes of the volcano, since the presence of minerals and trace elements makes the soil very fertile. The last major eruption was in May 2011, and small ash and dust emissions were in April 2013. By the way, Etna is the most big volcano c: it is two and a half times larger than Vesuvius.

Vesuvius, Italy

Vesuvius is one of three active volcanoes in Italy along with Etna and Stromboli. They are even jokingly called the "hot Italian family." In 79, the eruption of Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii with all the inhabitants who were buried under layers of lava, pumice and mud. During one of the last strong eruptions, which occurred in 1944, killed about 60 people and were almost completely destroyed nearby cities San Sebastiano and Massa. According to scientists, Vesuvius destroyed nearby cities about 80 times! By the way, this volcano has set many records. Firstly, this is the only active volcano in the mainland, secondly, it is the most studied and predictable, and thirdly, the territory of the volcano is a reserve and a national park where excursions are held. You can only go up on foot, as the lift and funicular have not yet been restored.

Colima, Mexico

The volcanic mountain consists of two peaks: the already extinct Nevado de Colima, which most time covered with snow, and the active volcano Colima. Colima is particularly active: since 1576, it has erupted more than 40 times. A strong eruption happened in the summer of 2005, when the authorities had to evacuate people from nearby villages. Then a column of ash was thrown to a height of about 5 km, spreading a cloud of smoke and dust behind it. Now the volcano is fraught with danger not only for local residents, but for the whole country.

Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA

Scientists have been observing the volcano since 1912 - there is a volcanological station on its slopes, as well as solar and atmospheric observatories. The height of the volcano reaches 4169 m. The last strong eruption of Mauna Loa destroyed several villages in 1950. Until 2002, the seismic activity of the volcano was low, until its increase was recorded, which indicates the possibility of eruptions in the near future.

Galeras, Colombia

The Galeras volcano is very powerful: its diameter at the base exceeds 20 km, and the width of the crater is about 320 m. The volcano is very dangerous - every few years, due to its activity, the population of the nearby town of Pasto has to be evacuated. The last such evacuation took place in 2010, when about 9 thousand people found themselves in shelters due to the threat of a strong eruption. Thus, the restless Galeras keeps the locals in constant tension.

Nyiragongo, Republic of the Congo

Volcano Nyiragongo is considered the most dangerous in all: it accounts for about half of all cases of volcanic activity recorded on the continent. There have been 34 eruptions since 1882. Lava Nyiragongo has a special chemical composition, so it is unusually liquid and fluid. The speed of erupting lava can reach 100 km/h. There is a lava lake in the main crater of the volcano, the temperature of which heats up to 982 Cº, and bursts reach a height of 7 to 30 m. The last largest eruption occurred in 2002, when 147 people died, 14 thousand buildings were destroyed, and 350 thousand people left homeless.

It is worth noting that scientists have been studying the activity of volcanoes for many years and modern technology recognizes the beginning of their seismic activity. Many volcanoes are equipped with webcams, with the help of which you can follow what is happening in real time. People living nearby are already accustomed to this behavior of volcanoes and know what to do when an eruption begins, and emergency services have the means to evacuate local residents. So every year the probability of victims from volcanic eruptions becomes less and less.

Volcanoes are called cone-shaped or dome-shaped geological formations that appear at the site of earth faults in a zone of seismic activity, through which lava, ash, gas, steam, and various rocks of loose origin erupt to the surface. There are about a thousand volcanoes on our planet, a quarter of them are underwater.

The highest (by the way, dormant and has not erupted for the last 2 million years) is located on the territory South America, on the border of Chile and Argentina - Ojos del Salado (“salty tears”), its height is 6890 meters above sea level, but Russia is not far behind in this regard, a huge cluster is known on its territory (there are about 129, 30 in Kamchatka of them - active) active and dormant volcanoes, not inferior to their foreign "brothers" either in beauty or in an unstable, explosive "temper".

Together they form a single volcanic belt, stretching throughout east coast Kamchatka. Volcanoes are also common in the Caucasus and the Black and Seas of Azov, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, on the territory of the Siberian trap provinces and on Sakhalin.

The largest volcanoes in Russia

(Height over 3000m)

The most famous Russian volcanoes: Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Koryakskaya Sopka, Kronotskaya Sopka, Avachinskaya Sopka, Ichinskaya Sopka, Karymskaya Sopka, Kamen, Ushkovsky, Tolbachik, Shishel, Shiveluch, Zimin Volcano. By the way, the hills in the territory of Transbaikalia and Far East called hills and mountains with a rounded top, in Kamchatka and Kuril Islands so called volcanoes.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka (5000m)

An active stratovolcano (they include intermittent layers of solidified lava and loose rocks) in the east of Kamchatka - Klyuchevskaya Sopka, has a height of about 5000 meters, this is one of the 12 cones that make up the Klyuchevskoy volcanoes group, they are located 60 km from the coast of the Barents Sea. It is the highest active volcano in Russia and throughout Eurasia. Its shape is a regular cone with a crater diameter of more than 1 km, above which a column of smoke is constantly visible and flashes of fire are visible, it is composed of cooled volcanic lava (basalt and andesite), the upper part is made of loose rocks, the peak is covered with glaciers, nearby, in village Klyuchi, there is a volcanological research station. For more than 300 years of continuous observations, about 50 eruptions were recorded, the most powerful were noted in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Stone (4585m)

The extinct ancient stratovolcano Kamen, 4585 m high, is located south of Klyuchevskoy Sopka, between it and Bezymyanny volcano, forming a kind of three "friends" visible from everywhere. The structure of this volcano, in contrast to the strict cone-shaped forms of Klyuchevskaya Sopka, is characterized by asymmetry: on its eastern side, a sharp four-kilometer cliff is noticeable, like a giant castle, soaring to the heavens, large fragments and blocks of the once monolithic cone-shaped volcano, their sizes reach a diameter of 5-10 meters. Its peak is difficult to access, climbing ascents are organized from the western side.

Ushkovsky (3943m)

The active stratovolcano Ushkovsky with a height of 3943 meters has another name - Far Flat Sopka, located in the center of Kamchatka, west of Klyuchevskaya Sopka and belongs to the northern component of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes, as well as to mountain system Eastern Range, part of the Eastern Volcanic Belt. Together with a nearby volcano called Krestovsky or Near Flat Hill, they form a single volcanic massif. Its shape is an elliptical truncated cone, the top in the form of a caldera (circus-shaped basin) has a diameter of about 5 km and a rounded shape filled with ice and firn. The last eruptions - the end of the 19th century (1890).

Tolbachik (3682m)

The Tolbachik volcano (3682 m) has a Hawaiian type of eruption (it is characterized by outpourings of liquid basalt lava, with the formation of lava lakes and flows spreading for many kilometers), it is also included in the southeast western part Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. At a distance of 50-70 km from it there are five settlements(settlements Klyuchi, Mayskoye, Kozyrevsk, Lazo, Atlasovo with a population of about 8 thousand people living there). It consists of the highest cone called Ostroy Tolbachik, a smaller active cone - Plosky Tolbachik, and a gentle dome. The diameter of the crater is 2 km, the largest of all known eruptions is the Great Fissure Tolbachinsky Eruption of 1975, which resulted in the formation of new cinder cones, lava fields and a collapsed caldera in place of the crater at the top.

Ichinskaya Sopka (3621m)

The active stratovolcano Ichinskaya Sopka (3621 meters) in the very center of Kamchatka looks like three cones completely covered with glaciers. One of these cones is an active volcano, which is the second highest peak of the Sredinny Ridge. The volcano has a complex structure, is in a state of weak fumoral activity (periodic release of hot gases from small cracks and faults), the last eruption was in the 40s of the 18th century.

Kronotskaya Sopka (3528m)

The active (very rare) star volcano Kronotskaya Sopka (3528 m) is located in the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its top has the appearance of a regular-shaped ribbed cone covered with glaciers; at the foot, rare woody vegetation grows in the form of dwarf pine and stone birch. Here is one of the most beautiful and scenic spots in the nature of the peninsula, not far from the volcano - Kronotsky lake(on western slope) and the Valley of Geysers (a unique geyser field with numerous outlets of geysers, hot springs, mud pots, thermal sites, waterfalls and lakes).

Koryakskaya Sopka (3456m)

Koryakskaya Sopka (3456 m, until the 19th century it was called Strelochnaya Sopka) is an active stratovolcano belonging to the Avachinsky-Koryaksoy group of volcanoes, it is only 35 km from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its top is a regular truncated ribbed cone, consisting of basalt and andesite slag, ash and lava; traces of lava flows can be seen in the valleys. The summit is located in the zone of glacial deposits, the foot is in thickets of elfin cedar and stone birch. The last eruptions - the end of the 50s of the last century.

Volcano Zimina (3119m)

The extinct Zimin Volcano (3119 m) is a complex of stratovolcanoes belonging to the southeastern part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. Consists of Bolshoi Zimina volcano (western part) and Malaya Zimina or Gorny Tooth ( East End), most high point in the array - Oval Zimina. At the top it has a kelder open to the north, the slopes below are composed of pyroclastic mountain deposits interspersed with lava.

All tourists and travelers are interested in learning about the largest volcano in the world. A volcano is a formation on the surface of the Earth, from which magma comes out, forming lava, stones and volcanic gases. There are a huge number of such formations on our planet. Some of them are considered active, as they were active in the historical period.

Many of the volcanoes are extinct and dormant. The latter include those whose eruption is already unlikely, while the former have the possibility of manifestation of activity. Some volcanoes reach incredible sizes and are distinguished by their extraordinary power and beauty.

Of great interest to all travelers are, of course, active volcanoes. They are extraordinarily beautiful and fascinate with their danger of eruption at any moment. Having seen such a phenomenon once, a person receives a lot of incredible impressions that remain in memory for a lifetime. Llullaillaco is considered the highest active volcano in the world. It is located in Argentina in the Peruvian Andes. The height of its peak is 6739 m. The last time the eruption occurred in 1877.

At the top of this volcano is eternal glaciation. It is shaped like a cone. This natural formation has been considered an archaeological site since 1999, as human mummies were found on its top. These were the children of the Incas. There is a possibility that they were sacrificed about 500 years ago.

Mauna Loa Volcano

In terms of volume, Mauna Loa is considered the largest active volcano. The height of its summit is 4169 m, and the volume is estimated at 75,000 km. It is located on the island of Hawaii in the United States. The last time the eruption occurred relatively recently - in 1984.

This volcano, more precisely, its peak and southeastern slope, is part of the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. This park is included in famous List world heritage UNESCO. Mauna Loa is home to animals and plants called endemics. This means that they have a small habitat. Very often, such animals are considered rare, therefore they are listed in the Red Book.

Dangerous volcano Merapi

Most dangerous volcano in the world is Merapi. It is located in Indonesia on the island of Java. Large eruptions occur every 7 years. Small eruptions happen 2 times a year. This mountain destroyed many settlements. Back in 1006, he wiped out the Javanese-Indian kingdom from the face of the Earth, and in 1673 one of the most destructive eruptions occurred. It destroyed several cities and villages at once, which were located at the foot.

In 1930, the volcano also caused major damage. This eruption killed 1,300 people. After 44 years, Merapi destroyed 2 villages, and a year later - another village, 5 bridges, killing 29 people. Moreover, the eruptions overtook many scientists and tourists. The last action of the Merapi volcano was recorded in 2010. This time around 350,000 people were initially evacuated. Some residents did return. Among them, 353 people died, who fell into the flow of volcanic gases, ash and stones.

Volcano with the strongest eruption in history

This is an active volcano, which in the 19th century demonstrated the strongest eruption. The volcano is located in Indonesia. Now its height is 813 m. Before its famous eruption in 1883 it was much higher. Moreover, he was one big Island. During the strongest action of the volcano, the main part of the island was destroyed.

The rumble from the eruption was heard even 5000 km from the volcano itself. The volcanic edifice spread over 500 km. The ash rose 30 km, and the gas-ash column - 70 km. Scientists estimated the strength of the explosion at 6 points. The result of such a strong eruption was 37,000 dead and 300 destroyed villages.

There are a lot of different volcanoes in the world, which differ either in their height, or volume, or actions. Some of them are the most dangerous or the oldest. Scientists have not yet compiled an accurate list of volcanoes by their size or degree of danger. Each of them is interesting and unique in its own way. There are volcanoes that are known to every traveler and tourist. The most popular of them are Vesuvius, Fujiyama, Etna. These are the active volcanoes of the world.

Vesuvius has been attracting tourists for many years. Those who visit Naples usually do not miss the opportunity to admire and even climb it famous volcano. Previously, it was possible to climb the mountain using a funicular, and then a regular lift. However, the transport was destroyed by the next eruptions. They did not restore it, so this moment The mountain can only be reached on foot along a hiking trail.

Mount Fuji is located Japanese island Honshu. He is popular tourist place. Residents consider it sacred. The mountain is also a place of religious pilgrimage for Buddhist and Shinto cults. A temple was built on top of it. In addition, there is a weather station and even Postal office. Scientists believe that Fuji is a weakly active volcano, since the last eruptions occurred at the beginning of the 18th century.

A popular volcano located in Italy is. It has many craters, from time to time at least one of them erupts lava. Sometimes the actions of Etna are destructive in relation to the nearest settlements, but, despite this, new residents do not stop settling here. At the foot of the mountain is very fertile soil, which allows you to grow various vegetables and fruits.

Tourists have the opportunity to visit this extraordinary mountain. It must be climbed on foot. Before tourist base can be reached by bus. For lovers of souvenirs, there are shops on the mountain itself where you can buy some kind of souvenir or even a popular 70-degree liquor.

All these and many other volcanoes are extraordinarily beautiful and interesting for residents, travelers and tourists. Each mountain has its own history. Before climbing any volcano, it is necessary to find out the exact information about its activity and the possibility of an eruption, since such natural formations can begin their actions at any moment. Therefore, having decided to admire the extraordinary beauty of volcanoes, protect yourself from accidents.

Volcano. This word is enchanting and scary at the same time. People have always been drawn to something beautiful and dangerous, because beauty, accompanied by risk, becomes even more attractive, but at the same time, the history of the city of Pompeii immediately comes to mind. Volcanoes have not brought such terrible destruction for a long time, which are still stored on the pages of our history, because thanks to scientists who can tell which mountain is a volcano and which is not, people stopped settling at the foot dangerous mountains. But, nevertheless, volcanoes continue to exist and then fall into hibernation, then wake up from sleep to begin active life. Let's look at which volcanoes are the largest in the world.

10 biggest volcanoes in the world

1. Volcano Yellowstone. This volcano is located in the Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is Yellowstone that can rightly be called the most big volcano in the world, as well as the most dangerous volcano in the world. The height of the volcano is 3142 meters above sea level, and the area of ​​the volcano is 4000 square kilometers. The area of ​​this volcano is twenty times the size of Washington, the capital of the United States of America. This volcano is still dormant, although it has begun to show signs of activity since the beginning of the twenty-first century. According to scientists, this volcano erupts approximately every 600 thousand years, and about 640 thousand years have passed since the last eruption.


2. Volcano Vesuvius. This is the highest active volcano in Eurasia at the moment. And he is also the most high volcano in Europe. It is located fifteen kilometers from Italian city. Its height is 1281 meters. Currently, Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe, and in addition, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Science is aware of more than eighty of its eruptions, one of which destroyed the famous ones.


3. Volcano Popocatepetl. This volcano is also active. It is located in the southern part of Mexico. The height of Popocateptl is 5452 meters. Over the past half century, its activity has been quite insignificant, and in general, about thirty-six major eruptions of this volcano are known to history. Popocatepetl can be called the largest active volcano at the moment.


4. Volcano Sakurajima. An active volcano located in Japan. Once it was on the island, but during one of the eruptions a huge amount of lava connected it to the mainland. The height of the volcano is 1118 meters above sea level. At the moment, Sakurajima is visited by many tourists every year, despite the fact that the volcano is almost constantly active - smoke comes out of its mouth, and sometimes small eruptions occur.


5. Volcano Galeras. This volcano is located in Colombia. The height of Galeras is 4267 meters above sea level. The activity of this volcano was noticed in 2006, at the same time people were evacuated from the settlements closest to it. In 2010, more were evacuated more people, as the volcano continues its vigorous activity. Although over the past few thousand years, Galeras, if erupted, is extremely insignificant.


6. Volcano Merapi. An active Indonesian volcano located in Java. Height above sea level - 2914 meters. This volcano is active almost constantly. Small eruptions occur several times a year, and large ones about once every ten years. Merapi claimed many lives of people, and in one of its largest eruptions, even changed the surrounding landscape.


7. Volcano Nyiragongo. This volcano is located in Africa, in the Virunga mountains. At the moment it is more in sleep mode, although minor activity is sometimes observed. The most terrible eruption of this volcano was recorded in 1977. In general, this volcano is interesting in that its lava is very liquid due to its composition, therefore, during an eruption, its speed can reach even one hundred kilometers per hour.


8. Volcano Ulavun. The volcano is located on the island New Guinea and is currently an active volcano. Its height is 2334 meters above sea level. This volcano erupts frequently. Once this volcano was located under water, and it came to the surface only in 1878.


9. Volcano Taal. This active volcano is located in the Philippines, on the island of Luzon. Taal is remarkable in that it is the smallest of all the currently dormant volcanoes in the world, and there is a lake in the Taal crater. Every year, Taal is visited by many tourists from all over the world.


10. Mauna Loa Volcano. Mauna Loa is an active volcano in Hawaii, USA. The height of this volcano is 4169 above sea level. This volcano can be considered the highest volcano on earth, if we take into account its underwater part, the height of which reaches 4500 meters. The last time this volcano erupted seriously was in 1950.

There is an excessive accumulation of very hot magma, which makes its way to the surface of the earth through holes in the earth's crust, that is, through craters. When this magma reaches the surface, the consequences are catastrophic.
We have collected for your attention the ten most dangerous volcanoes in the world that can erupt at any time and create havoc around in a matter of hours.

Ten most dangerous volcanoes in the world

10. Taal Volcano, Philippines

9. Volcano Ulavun, Papua New Guinea

Ulavun is an active volcano. Since the 1700s, 22 eruptions have been recorded. locals regularly observe how tiny explosions occur in the crater of the volcano with a splash of lava and ash.

8. Volcano Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic Congo

One of the last strong eruptions in 1977 led to the death of several hundred people. There could have been much more victims if people had not evacuated in time. The lava erupted by the volcano destroyed almost all residential buildings located at the foot of Nyiragongo.

7. Mount Merapi, Indonesia

About 1,300 people died during the last largest eruption volcano Merapi, which occurred in 1930. Since then, the government of the city of Yogyakarta, which is located on the slope of the volcano, has developed a special plan for the evacuation of citizens.

6. Galeras Volcano, Colombia

IN modern times The volcano became active in 1978, but then it showed little activity. Then another ten years later another eruption happened. But, the worst thing is that since 2000, Galeras began to erupt regularly, albeit with little force.

5. Sakurajima volcano, Japan

Every year, scientists record small eruptions from the crater of this volcano, during which ash is thrown into the atmosphere and scattered throughout the surroundings. In the event that a more serious eruption occurs, then a large number of residents of the nearby city of Kagoshima will be in mortal danger.

4. Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico

IN last time the eruption occurred in 2000. Then it was possible to evacuate people in time and save thousands of lives that could have been carried away by one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

3. yellowstone caldera, USA

The Yellowstone Caldera is indeed huge. People have never witnessed its eruption, but scientists managed to find out that the last eruption of this volcano occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago. Experts suggest that the volume of lava "splattered" on the surface that period of time was 25 thousand times greater than the eruption of St. Helens in 1980.

2. Mount Vesuvius, Italy

Vesuvius is the only volcano on European continent which has been active in the last century. His most famous eruption occurred in 79 AD, as a result of which the nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under lava.

1. Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

Mauna Laon also poses another devastating environmental threat in the form of landslides. Although this is a very rare process, it is really worth being afraid of.