The most catastrophic volcanic eruptions. The most powerful volcanoes in the world

Incredible Facts

In mid-June this year, 20 years have passed since the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, as a result of which a huge amount of ash was thrown into the atmosphere and circled around the globe, resulting in a 0.5 degree Celsius drop in global temperatures the following year.

On this anniversary, we decided to highlight the largest volcanic eruptions as measured by the Volcanic Eruption Index (VEI), a classification system similar to earthquakes.

The system was developed in the 1980s, taking into account factors such as the volume of the eruption, its speed, and other quantitative variables. The scale ranges from 1 to 8, with each subsequent VEI being 10 times stronger than the previous one.

There have been no volcanic eruptions with an index of 8 in the last 10,000 years, however, human history has witnessed several powerful and destructive eruptions. Below are the 10 most powerful volcanic eruptions that have occurred in the last 4000 years.

Huaynaputina, Peru - 1600, VEI 6

It was the largest in history South America volcanic eruption for all time. The explosion provoked the appearance of mudflows, which reached Pacific Ocean, which was located 120 km from the scene. Among other things, apparently, the explosion also affected the global climate. The summer of 1600 was one of the coldest in the previous 500 years. Ash from the explosion covered everything around within a radius of 50 square kilometers.

Despite the fact that the mountain is quite high (4850 meters), no one expected an eruption from it. She stands on the edge deep canyon, and its peak is not at all similar to the silhouette that is usually associated with possible eruptions. The cataclysm of 1600 damaged nearby cities Arequipa and Moquegau, who recovered from what happened only a century later.

Krakatoa (Krakatoa), Sunda Strait, Indonesia, - 1883, VEI 6

The most powerful explosion that occurred on August 26-27, 1883 was accompanied by loud peals for several months. The eruption of this stratovolcano, located along a volcanic island arc in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian Platform, threw out huge amounts of rock, ash and pumice, and it was heard for thousands of kilometers.

The explosion also triggered the development of a tsunami, maximum height waves reached 40 meters, with the death of more than 34,000 people. Tidal sensors located at a distance of 11,000 km from Arabian Peninsula even recorded an increase in the height of the waves.

While the island that had been his home before the eruption of Krakatoa remained completely destroyed, new eruptions began in December 1927 and provoked the appearance of Anak Krakatoa ("Child of Krakatoa"), a cone in the center of the caldera that appeared as a result of the 1883 eruption. Anak Krakatau comes to his senses from time to time, reminding everyone of his great parent.

Volcano Santa Maria, Guatemala - 1902, VEI 6

The Santa Maria eruption in 1902 was one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century. A strong explosion occurred after almost 500 years of silence, left behind big crater, with a diameter of about 1.5 km on the southwestern flank of the mountain.

The symmetrical, tree-covered volcano is part of a chain of stratovolcanoes that rises along the Pacific plain of the coast of Guatemala. From the moment of the strongest explosion, the volcano began to show its character too often. So, in 1922, an eruption occurred, with a force of VEI 3, and in 1929 Santa Maria "gave out" a pyroclastic flow (fast moving and flammable clouds of gas and dust) that killed more than 5,000 people.

Novarupta, Alaska Peninsula - June 1912, VEI 6

The eruption of Novarupta - one of the chain of volcanoes in the Alaska Peninsula, part of the Pacific ring of fire - was the largest volcanic explosion of the 20th century. A powerful eruption provoked the release of 12.5 cubic kilometers of magma and ash into the air, which then settled on the ground in a radius of 7800 square kilometers.

Mount Pinatubo, Luzon, Philippines - 1991, VEI 6

The catastrophic eruption of Pinatubo was a classic explosive eruption. The eruption spewed more than 5 cubic kilometers of waste products into the air and created a column of ash that rose 35 kilometers into the atmosphere. Then all this fell on one village, the roofs of many of whose houses even collapsed under the weight of ash.

The explosion also released several million tons of sulfur dioxide and other elements into the air, which spread around the world due to air currents and caused a global drop in temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius next year.

Ambrym Island, Republic of Vanuatu - 50 AD, VEI 6+

The 665 sq. km volcanic island, part of a tiny country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, witnessed one of the most impressive eruptions in human history, when huge amounts of ash and ash were thrown into the atmosphere and a caldera 12 km in diameter was formed .

The volcano continues to be one of the most active in the world to this day. It has erupted about 50 times since 1774, and has proven to be the most dangerous neighbor for people living nearby. In 1894, six people died as a result of being hit by volcanic bombs, and four people drowned in lava flows. In 1979, acid rain, triggered by a volcanic eruption, burned several local residents.

Ilopango Volcano, El Salvador - 450 AD, VEI 6+

Although this mountain is located in the center of El Salvador, just a few miles east of the capital city of San Salvador, it has only experienced two eruptions in its history, the first being very strong. It covered most Central and Western El Salvador with ashes and ashes, and destroyed early cities Maya, forcing the inhabitants to flee.

Trade routes were destroyed, and the center of Maya civilization moved from the mountainous regions of El Salvador to the lowlands in the north in Guatemala. Eruption calderas are currently one of the most large lakes El Salvador.

Mount Thera, Santorini Island, Greece - 1610 BC, VEI 7

Geologists believe that the volcano of the Aegean islands of Thera exploded with a force equivalent to the force of several hundred atomic bombs. Although there is no record of an eruption, geologists think it was the most violent explosion ever seen by man.

Santorini island (part of the archipelago volcanic islands), on which the volcano is located, was home to people Minoan civilization, although there are some indications that the inhabitants of the island suspected the "desire" of the volcano to explode and were able to evacuate in time. But even if we assume that the inhabitants managed to escape, as a result of the eruption, their culture still suffered greatly. It is also worth noting that the volcano provoked the strongest tsunami, and the huge release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere caused a global decrease in temperature and climate change subsequently.

Volcano Changbaishan (Changbaishan), the border of China and North Korea, 1000, VEI 7

Also known as the Baitoushan volcano, so much volcanic material was ejected from its eruption that even northern Japan, 1,200 km away, felt it. The eruption created a large caldera - almost 4.5 km in diameter and about 1 km deep. Currently, the caldera is Lake Tianchi, which is popular with tourists not only for its beauty, but also because of the alleged unidentified creatures living in its depths.

Mountain in last time erupted in 1702, and geologists believe that it is in a dormant state. Emissions of gases were recorded in 1994, but no evidence of the resumption of activity of the volcano was observed.

Mount Tambora, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia - 1815, VEI 7

The explosion of Mount Tambora is the largest in the history of mankind, its explosive index is 7, which is a very high figure. The volcano, which is still active, is one of the highest peaks in the Indonesian archipelago. The eruption reached its peak in April 1815, the explosion was so loud that it could be heard on the island of Sumatra, which is located at a distance of more than 1930 km. The death toll was 71,000, and clouds of heavy ash hit many islands located on very far distance from the volcano.

Today we will talk about the most destructive volcanoes in the history of mankind.

The eruption attracts us, frightens and fascinates at the same time. Beauty, entertainment, spontaneity, a huge danger to humans and all living things - all this is inherent in this violent natural phenomenon.

So, let's look at volcanoes whose eruptions have caused the destruction of vast territories and mass extinctions.

VESUVIUS.

The most famous active volcano is Vesuvius. It is located on the coast Gulf of Naples 15 km from Naples. With a relatively low altitude (1280 meters above sea level) and "youth" (12 thousand years), it is rightfully considered the most recognizable in the world.

Vesuvius is the only active volcano on European continent. He imagines great danger due to the dense population near the quiet giant. A huge number of people are daily at risk of being buried under a thick layer of lava.

The last eruption that managed to wipe out two whole Italian cities, happened quite recently, in the midst of the Second World War. However, the eruption of 1944 cannot be compared with the events of August 24, 79 AD in terms of the scale of the catastrophe. The devastating consequences of that day stagger our imagination to this day. The eruption lasted more than a day, during which the ash and dirt ruthlessly destroyed glorious city Pompeii.

Until that moment locals they were not aware of the impending danger, they were let down by a very familiar attitude to the formidable Vesuvius, as to an ordinary mountain. The volcano gave them fertile soil rich in minerals. Abundant harvests caused the city to quickly populate, develop, gain some prestige and even become a resting place for the then aristocracy. Soon a drama theater and one of the largest amphitheaters in Italy were built. Time later, the region gained fame as the most calm and prosperous place on the whole Earth. Could people have guessed that ruthless lava would cover this flowering area? That the rich potential of this region will never be realized? What will wipe off the face of the Earth all its beauty, accomplishment, cultural development?

The first push that should have alerted the inhabitants was a strong earthquake, as a result of which many buildings in Herculaneum and Pompeii were destroyed. However, people who arranged their life so well were in no hurry to leave their settled place. Instead, they restored buildings in an even more luxurious, new style. At times there were minor earthquakes that no one paid attention to. special attention. This then became their fatal mistake. Nature itself gave signs of the approaching danger. However, nothing disturbed the calm way of life of the inhabitants of Pompeii. And even when on August 24 a frightening roar was heard from the bowels of the earth, the townspeople decided to escape within the walls of their homes. At night, the volcano finally woke up. People fled to the sea, but the lava caught up with them near the shore. Soon their fate was decided - almost everyone ended his life under a thick layer of lava, mud and ash.

The next day, the elements ruthlessly attacked Pompeii. Most of the townspeople, whose number reached 20 thousand, managed to leave the city even before the start of the disaster, but about 2 thousand still died on the streets. Human. The exact number of victims has not yet been established, since the remains are found outside the city, in the surrounding area.

Let's try to feel the magnitude of the catastrophe by referring to the work of the Russian painter Karl Bryullov.

"The last day of Pompeii

The next major eruption occurred in 1631. It should be noted that a large number of the victims were not due to a powerful ejection of lava and ash, but due to the high population density. Just imagine, the sad historical experience did not impress people enough - they still densely settled and settled near Vesuvius!

Santorini

To date Greek island Santorini is a tasty morsel for tourists: white-stone houses, cozy atmospheric streets, scenic views… Only one thing overshadows the romance - the proximity to the most formidable volcano in the world.

Santorini is an active shield volcano located on the island of Thira in the Aegean Sea. Its strongest eruption of 1645-1600 BC. e. caused the death of the Aegean cities and settlements on the islands of Crete, Thira and the coast mediterranean sea. The power of the eruption is impressive: it is three times stronger than the eruptions of Krakatoa, and is equal to seven points!

Of course, such a strong explosion managed not only to reshape the landscape, but also to change the climate. Huge cubes of ash thrown into the atmosphere prevented the sun's rays from touching the Earth, which led to global cooling. The fate of the Minoan civilization, whose center of culture was the island of Thira, is shrouded in mystery. The earthquake warned local residents of the impending disaster, they left in time native land. When a huge amount of ash and pumice came out of the interior of the volcano, the volcanic cone collapsed under its own gravity. Sea water rushed into the abyss, which created a huge tsunami that washed away nearby settlements. Did not have more mountains Santorini. A huge oval abyss, the caldera of the volcano, was forever filled with the waters of the Aegean Sea.

Recently, researchers have found that the volcano has become more active. Almost 14 million cubic meters of magma has accumulated in it - it seems that Sentorin can reassert itself!

UNZEN

For the Japanese, the Unzen volcanic complex, which consists of four domes, has become a real synonym for disaster. It is located on the Shimabara Peninsula, its height is 1500 m.

In 1792, one of the most destructive eruptions in human history occurred. At one point, a 55-meter tsunami arose, destroying more than 15 thousand inhabitants. Of these, 5 thousand died during the landslide, 5 thousand drowned during the tsunami that hit Higo, 5 thousand from the wave that returned to Shimabara. Tragedy forever imprinted in the hearts Japanese people. Helplessness before the raging elements, the pain from the loss of a huge number of people was immortalized in numerous monuments that we can observe on the territory of Japan.

After this terrible event, Unzen calmed down for almost two centuries. But in 1991 there was another eruption. 43 scientists and journalists were buried under the pyroplastic flow. Since then, the volcano has erupted several times. Currently, although it is considered weakly active, it is under the close supervision of scientists.

TAMBOR

The Tambora Volcano is located on the island of Sumbawa. Its 1815 eruption is considered to be the most powerful eruption in human history. Perhaps during the existence of the Earth there were more strong eruptions but we have no information about it.

So, in 1815, nature raged in earnest: there was an eruption with a magnitude of 7 on the scale of the intensity of the eruption (explosive force) of the volcano, maximum value— 8. The catastrophe shook the entire Indonesian archipelago. Just think about it, the energy released during the eruption is equal to the energy of two hundred thousand atomic bombs! 92 thousand people were destroyed! Places with once fertile soil turned into a lifeless space, resulting in a terrible famine. Thus, 48 ​​thousand people died of starvation on the island of Sumbawa, 44 thousand on the island of Lambok, 5 thousand on the island of Bali.

However, the consequences were observed even far from the eruption - the climate of all of Europe underwent changes. The fateful year 1815 was called the "year without summer": the temperature became noticeably lower, and in a number of European countries it was not even possible to harvest.

KRAKATAU

Krakatoy is an active volcano in Indonesia, located between the islands of Java and Sumatra on Malay Archipelago in the Sunda Strait. Its height is 813 m.

The volcano before the eruption of 1883 was much higher and was one big Island. However, the 1883 eruption destroyed the island and the volcano. On the morning of August 27, Krakatau fired four powerful shots, each of which caused a powerful tsunami. Huge masses of water poured into the settlements at such a speed that the inhabitants did not have time to climb the nearby hill. The water, sweeping away everything in its path, raked in crowds of frightened people and carried them away, turning the once flourishing lands into a lifeless space full of chaos and death. So, the tsunami caused the death of 90% of the dead! The rest fell under volcanic debris, ash and gas. The total number of victims was 36.5 thousand people.

Most of the island was submerged. The ashes captured the whole of Indonesia: the sun was not visible for several days, the islands of Java and Sumatra were covered in pitch darkness. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the sun turned blue due to the huge amount of ash released during the eruption. Ejected into the atmosphere, volcanic debris managed to change the color of sunsets around the world for three whole years. They turned bright red and it seemed as if nature itself symbolized human death with this unusual phenomenon.

MON PELE

30 thousand people died as a result of the most powerful eruption of the Mont Pele volcano, which is located on Martinique, the most beautiful island caribbean. The fire-breathing mountain spared nothing, everything was destroyed, including the nearby elegant, cozy city of Saint-Pierre - the West Indian Paris, in the construction of which the French invested all their knowledge and strength.

The volcano began its inactive activity in 1753. However, rare emissions of gases, flames and the absence of serious explosions gradually established the fame of Mont Pele as a capricious, but by no means formidable volcano. Subsequently, he became only part of the beautiful natural landscape and served for the inhabitants rather as an ornament to their area. Despite this, when in the spring of 1902 Mont-Peleis began to broadcast danger with shocks and a column of smoke, the townspeople did not hesitate. Sensing trouble, they decided to flee in time: some sought refuge in the mountains, some in the water.

Their determination was seriously affected by the huge number of snakes that crawled down the slopes of Mont Pele and filled the entire city. Victims from bites, then from a boiled lake, which was not far from the crater, overflowed its banks and poured into the northern part of the city in a huge stream - all this confirmed the inhabitants in the need for urgent evacuation. However, the local government considered these precautions unnecessary. The mayor of the city, extremely concerned about the upcoming elections, was too interested in the turnout of the townspeople at such an important political event. He took the necessary measures to ensure that the population did not leave the territory of the city, he personally persuaded the residents to stay. As a result, most of them did not attempt to escape, the fugitives returned, resuming their usual way of life.

On the morning of May 8, a deafening roar was heard, a huge cloud of ash and gases flew out of the crater, instantly descended the slopes of Mont Pele and ... swept away everything in its path. In one minute, this amazing, flourishing town was completely destroyed. Factories, houses, trees, people - everything was melted, torn out, poisoned, burned, torn to pieces. It is believed that the death of the unfortunate came in the first three minutes. Of the 30 thousand inhabitants, only two were lucky enough to stay alive.

On May 20, the volcano exploded again with the same force, which led to the death of 2 thousand rescuers who were raking the ruins of the destroyed city at that moment. On August 30, a third explosion was heard, which led to the death of thousands of residents of nearby villages. Mont Pele erupted several more times until 1905, after which it fell into hibernation until 1929, when a rather powerful eruption occurred, however, without any victims.

Today, the volcano is considered inactive, Saint-Pierre is recovering, but after these terrible events, he has little chance of regaining the status of the most beautiful city Martinique.

NEVADO DEL RUIS

Due to its impressive height (5400m.) Nevado del Ruiz is considered to be the highest active volcano mountain range Andes. Its top is shrouded in ice and snow - that is why its name is "Nevado", which means "snowy". It is located in the volcanic zone of Colombia - the areas of Caldas and Tolima.

Nevado del Ruiz ranks among the deadliest volcanoes in the world for a reason. The eruptions that led to mass death have already occurred three times. In 1595, over 600 people were buried under the ashes. In 1845, as a result of a strong earthquake, 1 thousand inhabitants died.

And, finally, in 1985, when the volcano was already considered dormant, 23 thousand people fell victims. It should be noted that the reason last disaster became outrageous negligence of the authorities, which did not consider it necessary to monitor volcanic activity. On this moment 500 thousand inhabitants of nearby territories are daily at risk of becoming a victim of a new eruption.

So, in 1985, the crater of the volcano threw out powerful gas-pyroclastic flows. Because of them, the ice on the summit melted, which led to the formation of lahars - volcanic flows that instantly moved down the slopes. This avalanche of water, clay, pumice crushed everything in its path. Destroying rocks, soil, plants and absorbing all this into themselves, the lahars quadrupled during the journey!

The thickness of the streams was 5 meters. One of them destroyed the city of Armero in an instant, out of 29 thousand inhabitants, 23 thousand died! Many of the survivors died in hospitals as a result of infection, epidemics of typhus and yellow fever. Among all the volcanic disasters known to us, Nevado del Ruiz ranks fourth in terms of the number of human deaths. Devastation, chaos, disfigured human bodies, screams and groans - that's what appeared before the eyes of the rescuers who arrived the next day.

To understand the full horror of the tragedy, let's take a look at the famous photograph of the journalist Frank Fournier. On it, 13-year-old Omaira Sanchez, who, being among the rubble of buildings and unable to get out, bravely fought for her life for three days, but could not win this unequal fight. You can imagine how many lives of such children, teenagers, women, old people were taken by the raging elements.

TOBA

Toba is located on the island of Sumatra. Its height is 2157 m., It has the largest caldera in the world (area 1775 sq. km.), In which largest lake volcanic origin.

Toba is interesting because it is a supervolcano, i.e. From the outside, it is almost imperceptible, you can see it only from space. We can be on the surface of this kind of volcano for thousands of years, and learn about its existence only at the time of the catastrophe. It is worth noting that if an ordinary fire-breathing mountain erupts, then a similar supervolcano has an explosion.

The eruption of Toba, which occurred during the last ice age, is considered one of the most powerful during the existence of our planet. 2800 km³ of magma came out of the volcano's caldera, and the deposits of ash that covered South Asia, Indian Ocean, Arabian and South China Seas, reached 800 km³. Thousands of years later, scientists discovered the smallest ash particles in 7 thousand km. from the volcano on the territory African lake Nyasa.

As a result of the fact that the volcano threw out a huge amount of ash, the sun was closed. It was a real volcanic winter that lasted for several years.

The number of people was sharply reduced - only a few thousand people managed to survive! It is with the explosion of Toba that the “bottleneck” effect is associated - a theory according to which in ancient times the human population was genetically diverse, but most of the people died out sharply as a result of a natural disaster, thus reducing the gene pool.

EL CHICHON

El Chichon is the most southern volcano Mexico, located in the state of Chiapas. Its age is 220 thousand years.

It is noteworthy that until recently, local residents were not at all worried about the proximity to the volcano. The issue of security was also not relevant because the territories adjacent to the volcano were rich in dense forests, which indicated that El Chichon had long hibernated. However, on March 28, 1982, after 12 hundred years of peaceful sleep, the fire-breathing mountain showed all its destructive power. The first stage of the eruption entailed powerful explosion, as a result of which a huge ash column (height - 27 km) formed above the crater, which covered an area within a radius of 100 km in less than an hour.

A huge amount of tephra was thrown into the atmosphere, strong ashfalls took place around the volcano. About 2 thousand people died. It should be noted that the evacuation of the population was poorly organized, the process was slow. Many residents left the territory, but after a while they returned, which, of course, had terrible consequences for them.

In May of the same year, the next eruption occurred, which turned out to be even more powerful and destructive than the previous one. The convergence of the pyroclastic flow left a scorched strip of land and a thousand human deaths.

On this element was not going to stop. Two more Plinian eruptions fell to the lot of local residents, giving rise to a 29-kilometer column of ash. The number of victims again reached a thousand people.

The consequences of the eruption affected the climate of the country. A huge cloud of ash covered 240 square kilometers, in the capital, visibility was only a few meters. Due to the ash particles hanging in the layers of the stratosphere, a noticeable cooling set in.

In addition, the natural balance was disturbed. Many birds and animals were destroyed. Some species of insects began to grow rapidly, which led to the destruction of most of the crop.

LUCKY

The shield volcano Laki is located in the south of Iceland on the territory of the Skaftafell park (since 2008 it has been part of national park Vatnajokull). The volcano is also called the Laki crater, because. he is part of mountain system, consisting of 115 craters.

In 1783, one of the most powerful eruptions occurred, which set a world record in terms of the number of human casualties! In Iceland alone, almost 20,000 lives were cut short - that's one-third of the population. However, the volcano carried its destructive impact beyond the borders of its country - death even reached Africa. There are many destructive, deadly volcanoes on Earth, but Lucky is the only one of his kind who killed slowly, gradually, in various ways.

The most interesting thing is that the volcano warned the inhabitants of the impending danger as best he could. Seismic shifts, uplifting of the land, raging geysers, explosions of pillars up, whirlpools, boiling of the sea - there were plenty of signs of an imminent eruption. For several weeks in a row, the land literally shook under the feet of the Icelanders, which, of course, frightened them, but no one attempted to escape. People were sure that their dwellings were strong enough to protect them from the eruption. They sat at home, tightly locking the windows and doors.

In January, the formidable neighbor made itself felt. He raged flesh until June. During these six months of eruptions, Mount Skaptar-Yekul split and a huge 24-meter crevice formed. Harmful gases came out and formed a powerful lava flow. Imagine how many such streams there were - hundreds of craters erupted! When the streams reached the sea, the lava solidified, but the water boiled, all the fish within a radius of several kilometers from the coast died.

Sulfur dioxide covered the entire territory of Iceland, which led to acid rain, the destruction of vegetation. As a result, agriculture suffered greatly, hunger and disease fell upon the surviving inhabitants.

Soon the "Hungry Haze" reached all of Europe, and a few years later to China. The climate has changed, the dust particles do not let the rays of the sun through, the summer has not come. Temperatures dropped by 1.3 ºC, leading to cold-related deaths, crop failures and famine in many European countries. The eruption left its mark even on Africa. Due to abnormal cold weather, the temperature contrast was minimal, which led to a decrease in monsoon activity, drought, shallowing of the Nile, and crop failure. Africans were starving en masse.

ETNA

Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and one of the most major volcanoes in the world. It is located on east coast Sicily, near the cities of Messina and Catania. Its circumference is 140 km and covers an area of ​​approximately 1.4 thousand square meters. km.

Approximately 140 powerful eruptions of this volcano have been counted in modern times. In 1669 Catania was destroyed. In 1893, the Silvestri crater arose. In 1911 the northeast crater formed. In 1992 a huge lava flow stopped near Zafferana Etnea. The last time the volcano splashed out lava in 2001, destroying the cable car leading to the crater.

The volcano is currently popular place For hiking and classes skiing. Several half-empty towns are located at the foot of the fire-breathing mountain, but few dare to risk living there. Here and there gases escape from the bowels of the earth, it is impossible to predict when, where and with what power the next eruption will occur.

MERAPI

Marapi is the most active active volcano in Indonesia. It is located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. Its height is 2914 meters. This is a relatively young but rather restless volcano: it has erupted 68 times since 1548!

Close proximity to such an active fire-breathing mountain is very dangerous. But, as is usually the case in economically underdeveloped countries, the locals, without thinking about the risk, appreciate the benefit that mineral-rich soil gives them - abundant harvests. So, about 1.5 million people currently live near Marapi.

Strong eruptions occur every 7 years, smaller ones every couple of years, the volcano smokes almost daily. Catastrophe of 1006 the Javanese-Indian kingdom of Mataram was completely destroyed. In 1673 one of the most powerful eruptions occurred, as a result of which several cities and villages were wiped off the face of the Earth. There were nine eruptions in the 19th century, 13 in the last century.

Volcanoes are one of the most insidious and cruel natural phenomena. They hide for hundreds of years, creating the illusion of security, and then wake up and destroy all life around. A single volcano can engulf entire cities, turn summer into winter, and change the course of history forever. Scientists predict that these monsters are capable of destroying our civilization. The time has come to talk about the most terrible volcanic eruptions.

Vesuvius - the killer of ancient cities

The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. e. was not the most powerful in history, but definitely one of the most catastrophic. In two days he destroyed Big City The Roman Empire, which was inhabited by 20 thousand people - Pompeii. People were sure that the volcano fell asleep forever, so when a roar began to be heard from the side of the mountain, they continued to go about their business.

Source: ice-nut

When pieces of pumice and ash flakes fell from the sky, people began to leave Pompeii. Several thousand people remained in the city, who were doomed to death.

Scientists concluded that people who did not have time to leave the city were killed by a pyroclastic flow. This is a rapidly rushing avalanche, consisting of red-hot ash, pumice and volcanic gases. Six such streams descended from Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii and three more smaller settlements - Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae.

The video shows a reconstruction of this terrible event.

Tambora - the volcano that caused the "year without summer"

The eruption of the Tambora volcano in April 1815 on the island of Sumbawa, according to various sources, claimed the lives of from 70 to 170 thousand people. No other volcano in history has killed so many people.

Tambora woke up with a deafening explosion. The islands that were in the vicinity of the volcano began to fall asleep volcanic ash. When pyroclastic flows began to descend from the slopes of the mountain, the people who got in their way had practically no chance of surviving - about 12 thousand people died. Vulcan destroyed three kingdoms with original culture– Pekat, Sangar and Tambora. Tens of thousands more died after the eruption.

With his eruption, Tambora caused the so-called year without summer - from May to September 1816, frosts were in Europe and North America, which led to crop failure and, as a result, death of people from hunger and disease.

Krakatau - the volcano that gave rise to the most powerful explosion in history

The eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 affected the whole world. The catastrophe affected the planet's climate and for several months "repainted" the sun in green and blue hues. The volcano announced its awakening with a powerful roar, which was heard for five thousand kilometers. It is believed that this was the loudest sound in history. From the explosion deserted island Krakatoa was blown to pieces. From the shock wave, glass flew out in buildings located within a radius of 130 km from Krakatoa.

Volcanic precipitation blocked the sun, plunging the territories adjacent to the volcano into darkness. A hot pyroclastic flow swept through the water and reached the settlements.

A new test awaited those who survived - the volcano gave rise to a tsunami. Five giant waves hit the shore, flooding the islands of Sumatra and Java. About 300 villages and cities were destroyed. According to official figures, about 40 thousand people became victims of Krakatoa.

The catastrophe changed the climate on the planet for several years, causing a cooling. The release of a huge amount of ash into the atmosphere caused unusual phenomenon- circles (halos) appeared around the Sun, and the celestial body itself turned green and blue for several months.

See the destructive power of a pyroclastic flow.

Volcano Lucky - "Slow Killer"

The eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland began in 1783. Through the faults that appeared as a result of tremors, lava poured out for eight months.

The situation was aggravated by the awakening of Laki's neighbor, the Grimsvötn volcano. A huge amount of toxic gases - sulfur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride - were released into the atmosphere. These compounds provoked acid rain, which destroyed animals and vegetation. The eruption killed crops and most of the livestock. As a result, more than 20% of the Icelandic population died of starvation and disease.

The poisonous fog spread to Europe as well. The effects of the Laki eruption were felt for another two years. Cooling was observed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, causing abnormally cold winters. Crop failure and the fall of livestock led to famine and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Pinatubo hit the planet's ozone layer

Powerful eruption of Mount Pinatubo Philippine Islands in 1991 became one of the most destructive in the 20th century. The volcano was silent for 600 years. During this time, thousands of Filipinos settled on its slopes. The explosion thundered on June 12, and a column of smoke and ash rose over the volcano.

On June 6-8, 1912, the Novarupta volcano, USA, erupted - one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century. Kodiak Island, located nearby, was covered with a 30-centimeter layer of ash, and due to acid rain caused by emissions of volcanic rocks into the atmosphere, people's clothes fell apart into threads.

On this day, we decided to remember 5 more of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in history.

1. The largest eruption in the last 4000 years is the eruption of the Tambora volcano, which is located in Indonesia on the island of Sumbawa. The explosion of this volcano occurred on April 5, 1815, although it began to show its first signs as early as 1812, when the first jets of smoke appeared above it. The eruption continued for 10 days. 180 cubic meters were released into the atmosphere. km. pyroclastics and gases, tons of sand and volcanic dust covered the area within a radius of one hundred kilometers. After the volcanic eruption, due to the huge amount of pollution, it was night for three days within a radius of 500 km. From him. According to eyewitnesses, nothing could be seen further than one's own hand. The death toll was over 70,000. The entire population of the island of Sumbawa was destroyed, and the inhabitants of nearby islands also suffered. The next year after the eruption was very difficult for the inhabitants of this area, it was nicknamed "the year without summer." Extraordinarily low temperatures caused crop failure and famine. Due to such a large eruption, the climate of the entire planet was changed; in many countries, snow this year lasted most of the summer.

2. Powerful eruption volcano occurred in 1883 on the island of Krakatau, between Java and Sumatra, on which the volcano of the same name is located. The height of the smoke column during the eruption was 11 kilometers. After that, the volcano calmed down, but not for long. In August, the culminating phase of the eruption began. Dust, gas, debris rose to a height of 70 km, and fell on an area of ​​more than 1 million square meters. km. The peals of the explosion exceeded 180 decibels, and this is much more than the pain threshold of a person. rose air wave, which circled the planet several times, tearing roofs off houses. But this is not all the consequences of the Krakatoa eruption. The tsunami caused by the eruption destroyed 300 cities and towns, killed more than 30,000 people, and many more people were left homeless. Six months later, the volcano finally calmed down.

3. In May 1902, one of the worst catastrophes of the twentieth century broke out. Residents of the city of Saint-Pierre, located on Martinique, considered the Mont Pele volcano to be weak. No one paid attention to the tremors and rumble, despite the fact that they lived only 8 kilometers from the mountain. Around 8 am on May 8, its eruption began. Volcanic gases and lava flows rushed towards the city, causing fires. The city of Saint-Pierre was destroyed, killing more than 30,000 people. Of all the inhabitants, only the criminal who was in the underground prison remained alive.
Now this city has been restored, and at the foot of the volcano, in memory of the terrible event, a museum of volcanology has been built.

4. For five centuries, the Ruiz volcano, which is located in Colombia, did not give life, and people considered it dormant. But, unexpectedly, on November 13, 1985, a major eruption began. Due to the outgoing lava flows, the temperature increased, and the ice that covered the volcano melted. The currents reached the city of Armero and practically destroyed it. According to official figures, about 23 thousand people died or went missing, tens of thousands of people lost their homes. Coffee plantations have been hit hard, and the Colombian economy has suffered massive damage this year.

5. Japanese volcano Unzen, located in the southwest of Kyushu, rounds out the top five most destructive eruptions. The activity of this volcano manifested itself in 1791, and on February 10, 1792, the first eruption occurred. This was followed by a series of earthquakes that brought significant destruction to the city of Shimabara, which is nearby. A kind of dome of solidified lava formed over the city, and on May 21 it split due to another earthquake. A stone avalanche hit the city and into the sea, which caused a tsunami, the waves of which reached 23 meters. More than 5,000 people died when pieces of rocks fell, and more than 10 thousand lives were claimed by the elements.