The ten most powerful volcanic eruptions in history. The most famous volcanoes

Volcanoes are very beautiful and very intriguing, because volcanoes are dangerous, of course, if, of course, they are active and ready to erupt at any moment. Climbing a volcano means experiencing some completely new sensations. If you go for a walk in the desert of black ash or even look into the crater, then here are eight active volcanoes available for lifting.

Mount Fuji, Japan

This volcano is now dormant (it last erupted in 1707), and it is an impressive sight. 3776 meter volcano is the highest point in Japan. The snow-capped mountains of the volcano are amazingly symmetrical and surrounded by five lakes, creating a truly picturesque picture. Ascent to the volcano is possible from July to August. The climb is steep, but there are rest areas along the way.

Three Peaks Volcano, Iceland

Luckily, you don't have to learn official name this volcano - Thrihnukagigur - to inquire about it upon arrival in Iceland. It is also known as the Three Peaks Crater and is the only volcano in the world that simple tourists can be explored from the inside. Don't worry: the volcano has been dormant for over 4,000 years, so you're unlikely to get a chance to come into contact with burning lava. To get to the volcano, you first have to make a 45-minute climb up. Then by cable car tourists are lowered deep into the hearth (about 120 meters) and left to walk at the bottom for an hour. Similar excursions are carried out four times a day, from May to September.

Mount Etna, Italy

Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe - its height is this moment is 3329 meters. The stratovolcano contains more than 400 craters and is in constant activity, so you can easily see how the volcano ejects lava and ash. Tourists can first drive to mountain village on regular bus, from there go up on the funicular, and then take special buses or climb to the top on foot. Only available for viewing extinct craters for security. Those who are afraid to climb the fiery mountain can take a train ride around the base of the volcano.

Volcano Pacaya, Guatemala

It is the most active of the 32 volcanoes in Guatemala. It has been erupting continuously since 1965, and although tourists are not allowed to climb up to the main crater, there is a trail that leads to the plateau at the top of the volcano. You can either walk to the top of the volcano or ride a horse. Hiking is relatively easy and usually takes two and a half hours. Along the main lift trail, water and marshmallows roasted on hot volcanic stones are sold.

Volcano Kilauea, Hawaii

Located in the National Park Hawaiian volcanoes, Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Since 1983, Kilauea has been constantly erupting, producing between 190,000 and 500,000 cubic meters of lava per day. To view the volcano, visit observation deck Kilauea (where tourists often have picnics) or go to the Jaggar Museum. If you're lucky, you might see rivers of boiling lava! The park is open 24 hours a day, all year round.

Mount Vesuvius, Italy

This volcano is known throughout the world for its most powerful eruption in 79 AD, when the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum perished under boiling lava. The volcano is still active, but the last major eruption happened in 1944. Tourists are now allowed to make excursions to the summit, where they can peer into one of the smoking craters that caused so much destruction years ago.

Bromo Volcano, Indonesia

located in East Java the volcano is striking in its appearance - it is, moreover, sacred mountain. Every year during the Casada festival, locals throw offerings into the volcano's crater to appease the gods of the mountains. To get to the base of the volcano, hikers must first walk or ride a horse or car through an ash-covered valley. If the volcano is dormant, tourists can climb the stairs to the edge of the crater. Try to get to the mountain early in the morning, as the sunrise is something unforgettable in these parts.

Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu

Located on the island of Tanna in the southern part Pacific Ocean, Yasur volcano is well known for its regular eruptions. The 361-meter-high volcano erupts lava and ash almost daily, often exhibiting so-called Strombolian eruptions, during which magma and volcanic rocks shoot out short and powerful streams from the main crater. Depending on the level of volcanic activity, visitors can climb up to the craters, but only with a guide.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland

For nearly 200 years, the volcano with the unpronounceable name, nestled in Iceland's sixth largest glacier, has been dormant. It was remembered and talked about after the eruption in 2010, which led to significant delays in air travel and the threatening melting of the glacier. The volcano is unique, because it is completely covered ice cap. You can see it with your own eyes as part of adventurous excursions on a small plane or during jeep tours.

In this post, I want to show you a selection of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world. Volcano is a beauty that can kill you, but which can not be admired.

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The Anak Krakato volcano is located on the island of Krakatoa. In 1883, the volcanic eruption was so powerful that it was recognized as "the most powerful volcanic explosion in the history of modern times."

The shape of the Chinese Fujiyama volcano is almost perfect. It is still considered active, despite the fact that the last eruption was here in 1708. Except beautiful scenery and snow-capped peaks, the bullet train from Tokyo to Yokohama awaits tourists here.


In a picture taken in April 2010, the eruption Icelandic volcano co complicated name- Eyjafjallajokull. That year's blowout created many problems for airlines carrying passengers. Due to the cancellation of more than a hundred flights, thousands of passengers were forced to sit in airports waiting for the clouds of smoke and ash to subside.


Mauna Loa is located in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. This is the most big volcano our planet.


The highest of all active volcanoes is Etna, located in the eastern part of the island of Sicily. Guides lead groups of tourists to the very crater of the volcano. Therefore, scientists always closely monitor the activity of Etna.


The eruptions of the Fogo volcano on the island of Cape Verde force local residents to often flee and seek shelter in a calmer neighboring island— Brava.


Pacaya volcano is located in the city of Antigua (Guatemala). Despite systematic small eruptions, tourists often climb to the top. From here, an unforgettably beautiful view opens up.


Vesuvius volcano is as temperamental and hot as the Italians themselves. He has a rather colorful and "stormy" past. The strongest volcanic eruptions caused the death of two cities - Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79, claimed the lives of 218 people in 1906 and led to serious destruction of several nearby cities.


Villarrica is one of the most active volcanoes in Chile. In summer it is popular route For hiking and in winter - skiing. From here you have excellent views of the surroundings.


Climb to snow-capped peak Shishaldin volcano in Alaska can only be climbed by professional climbers. Lovers and ordinary tourists it is better to choose another route.


The Bromo Volcano in Indonesia has long been a site of human sacrifice. After a special ritual, living people were simply thrown into the mouth of the volcano. Today, Indonesians do this with their dead.


Island volcanic origin Stromboli are very large and extremely active. It is often referred to as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean".


The most high point on the North Island of New Zealand is the volcano Ruapehu. On its slopes are perfectly combined green forests and snow. Last eruption volcano was in 2007.


The main volcano of Ecuador, Cotopaxi, is as close as possible to a conical shape. In addition to numerous climbers, small hummingbirds can be found on its slopes.


Actually big island on Galapagos Islands, Isabela, there are as many as six volcanoes. Four of them are still active. On the stone slopes you can find many turtles peacefully basking in the sun.


As beautiful as the Mayon Volcano in the Philippines is dangerous. He systematically demonstrates his "character". This year, during the ascent to the top, seven people died here.


The top of the stratovolcano of the Indonesian volcano Agung is especially beautiful at sunset and at night. Therefore, climbs at this time are especially popular among tourists. In 1963, a volcanic eruption claimed the lives of 150 people and wiped out an entire village from the face of the earth.


Poas in Costa Rica is recognized as the most beautiful volcano in the world. Since 1971 it has become part of the national park. The last eruption was observed in 2011.


The eruption of St. Helena in America in 1980 destroyed many roads, fertile fields, bridges and claimed the lives of fifty people. From the crater of the volcano, clouds of smoke are still often knocked out, reminiscent of the power hidden in its depths.


Volcano Yasur on the island of Tana is not only beautiful, but also very active. But still, there were daredevils who climbed close to the crater of the volcano with boiling magma.

They destroyed cities and even entire states. Today, Earth's volcanoes have not become calmer. Nevertheless, both in the distant past and today, they attract thousands of researchers and scientists from all over the world. The desire to know and understand what happens to a fire-breathing mountain during an eruption, how this process occurs, what precedes it, makes scientists climb dangerous slopes, approaching craters where the elements are raging.

Today, volcanologists have united in international organization(IAVCEI). She carefully monitors likely eruptions that could pose a threat to human life. To date, there is a list where there is the name of volcanoes, their location and the likelihood of the next eruption. This helps to prevent loss of life, evacuate people from the danger zone if necessary, and take emergency measures.

Etna (Italy)

We decided to start our review with this mountain not by chance. Mount Etna, the photo of which you see below in the article, is active, active, one of the largest and most dangerous on Earth. It is located in the east of Sicily, not far from Catania and Messina.

Its activity is explained by its location at the junction of the Eurasian and African. Other active mountains of the country are located at this break - Vesuvius, Stromboli, Vulcano. Scientists say that in ancient times (15-35 thousand years ago), Mount Etna, whose photos are often printed in special publications, was distinguished by explosive eruptions that left vast layers of lava. In the 21st century, Etna erupted more than 10 times, fortunately, without human casualties.

It is difficult to determine the exact height of this mountain, since its upper point changes due to frequent eruptions. They usually happen after a few months. Etna occupies huge area(1250 sq. km). After lateral eruptions, Etna had 400 craters. On average, every three to four months, the volcano ejects lava. It is potentially dangerous in the event of a powerful eruption. Thanks to the latest scientific developments, scientists hope to determine the increased activity of the mountain in time.

Sakurajima (Japan)

Experts consider Earth's volcanoes active if they have been active in the last 3000 years. This japanese volcano active continuously since 1955. It belongs to the first category. In other words, an eruption can start at any time. A not very strong lava ejection was noted in February 2009. Anxiety accompanies the inhabitants of Kagoshima City almost constantly. Teachings, equipped shelters have firmly entered their everyday life.

Researchers have installed webcams over the crater, so Sakurajima is under constant surveillance. I must say that volcanoes on the islands can change the terrain. This happened in Japan when, in 1924, the the strongest eruption Sakurajima. Powerful tremors warned the city of danger, most of the residents managed to leave their homes and evacuate.

After that, the volcano, bearing the name Sakurajima (which means "sakura island"), can no longer be called an island. A huge amount of lava formed an isthmus that connected the mountain with the island of Kyushu. And a year after the eruption, lava slowly flowed out of the crater. The bottom of the bay has risen in the center of the Aira caldera, located eight kilometers from Sakurajima.

Aso (Japan)

This popular tourist facility for extreme people - actually dangerous volcano, which in 2011 threw out a large amount of lava and ash, covering an area of ​​​​100 kilometers. Since that moment, more than 2,500 powerful tremors have been registered. This suggests that at any moment he can destroy the nearby village.

Vesuvius (Italy)

Wherever there are volcanoes - on the continents or on the islands, they are equally dangerous. Vesuvius is very powerful, and therefore very dangerous. It is one of the three active scientists have information about 80 major eruptions of this mountain. The worst thing happened in 1979. Then the cities of Pompeii, Stabia, Herculaneum were completely destroyed.

One of the last powerful eruptions noted in 1944. The height of this mountain is 1281 m, the diameter of the crater is 750 m.

Colima (Mexico)

Many of us still remember the name of volcanoes (at least some of them) from the school curriculum, we learn about others from newspapers, and only specialists are aware of others. Colima is perhaps the most dangerous and powerful in the world. Last time it erupted in June 2005. Then a column of ash thrown out of the crater rose to a great height (more than 5 km). To local authorities had to evacuate the inhabitants of nearby villages.

This fire-breathing mountain consists of 2 conical peaks. Nevado de Colima is the highest of them. Its height is 4,625 m. It is considered extinct, and the other peak is an active volcano. It is called Volcán de Fuego de Colima - "Fire Volcano". Its height is 3,846 m. locals They called it the Mexican Vesuvius.

It has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. And today it is extremely dangerous not only for residents of nearby cities, but for the whole of Mexico.

Galeras (Colombia)

Often the name of volcanoes is directly related to the area on which the mountain is located. But the name Galeras has nothing to do with the nearby town of Pasto.

It's huge and powerful volcano. Its height reaches 4276 meters. The diameter of the base is more than 20 kilometers, and the crater is 320 meters. It is located in Colombia (South America).

At the foot of this giant mountain is small town Pasto. In August 2010, its inhabitants had to be urgently evacuated due to the strongest eruption. The region has declared a state of emergency of the highest degree. More than 400 police officers were sent to the district to provide assistance to the townspeople.

Scientists say that over the past 7 thousand years, the volcano has woken up at least 6 times. And all the eruptions were very powerful. When conducting research work in 1993, six geologists died in the crater. At this time, another eruption began. In 2006, residents of the surrounding villages were evacuated due to the threat of a strong lava ejection.

Volcano Elbrus

On the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria is the highest point in Europe and, of course, Russia - Elbrus. WITH northern part Greater Caucasus it is connected by the Lateral Range. The Elbrus Volcano consists of two peaks that are approximately the same height. Its eastern part reaches 5621 m, and the western part - 5642 m.

It is a cone-shaped stratovolcano. Its layers are formed by flows of tufa, lava, and ash. The last eruptions of Elbrus were recorded 2500 years ago. Over time, it took on its current form. Few volcanoes on Earth can boast such a beautiful, "classic" cone shape. As a rule, craters quickly collapse under the influence of erosion. The beauty of Elbrus is protected by its mantle of ice and snow. It does not descend even in summer, for which the volcano was nicknamed Little Antarctica.

Despite the fact that he reminded of himself for a long time, experts who observe his current state and degree of activity do not consider him extinct. They call the mountain "sleeping". The volcano is behaving actively (fortunately, not yet destructively). Hot masses are still stored in its depths. They "warm up" known sources. Their temperature reaches +52 °С and +60 ºС. Seep through the cracks to the surface

Today Elbrus is a unique natural area, a valuable scientific base. In Soviet times, scientific research was carried out here, and now there is a geophysical laboratory, the highest in Europe.

Popocatepetl (Mexico)

This is the country's most located 50 kilometers from the capital - Mexico City. A city of twenty million is always prepared for an emergency evacuation. In addition, there are also two major cities- Tlaxcala de Jicotencatl and Puebla. This restless volcano also makes their inhabitants nervous. Emissions of sulfur, gas, stones and dust occur almost every month. In the last decade alone, the volcano has erupted three times.

Mauna Loa Volcano (USA, Hawaii)

It is the largest in terms of fiery mountain» Earth. Together with the underwater part, it is 80,000 cubic meters. km! The southeastern slope and summit are part of the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park.

There is a volcanological station on Mauna Loa. Research and ongoing observations have been carried out since 1912. There are also solar and atmospheric observatories.

The last eruption was noted in 1984. The height of the mountain above sea level is 4,169 meters.

Nyiragongo (Congo)

As already noted, the name of volcanoes may not always be known to ordinary citizens living on another continent. That doesn't make the mountain any less dangerous. Its activities are monitored by specialists and promptly report on an increase in activity.

Next on our list is the active volcano Nyiragongo, which is 3,469 meters high. It is located in the central part of the African continent, in the Virunga mountains. The volcano is considered the most dangerous in Africa. Partially, it connects with the more ancient mountains of Shaheru and Baratu. It is surrounded by hundreds of smoldering small volcanic cones. 40% of all observed eruptions on the continent occur here.

Mount Rainier (USA)

Our overview list is completed by a stratovolcano located in Pierce County (Washington), 87 km south of Seattle.

Rainier is part of the Volcanic Arc. Its height is 4392 meters. Its summit is made up of two volcanic craters.

We have presented you the most famous volcanoes. Their list, of course, is incomplete, because, according to scientists, only active mountains there are more than 600. In addition, every year 1-2 new volcanoes appear on Earth.

Volcanoes attract and fascinate with their strength and power. Every year one of them wakes up and destroys everything around, bringing destruction, death and material losses to people. However, despite the fear they attract the attention of thousands of tourists. That is why we decided to make a subjective list of the most beautiful and popular volcanoes peace.

On the island of JavaA, in Indonesia, is active Bromo volcano. It is the youngest of the island's five volcanoes. Its height is 2329 meters above sea level, and the diameter of the crater is more than 700 meters. The volcano is very active and dangerous, but despite the constant danger, tourists from all over the world seek to see it. Apparently, there is nothing more beautiful than watching the sunset near the Bromo volcano.

Volcano Arenal reaches a height of 1657 meters. It is the youngest and most active volcano in Costa Rica. For 400 years, the volcano was not active and was considered extinct, but in 1968 there was a strong eruption, after which it is constantly active. In 1991, the area of ​​Arenal Volcano and neighboring Chato was declared the Arenal National Park by the Government of Costa Rica.

Most high volcano in Europe called Etna, he is in on island of Sicily in ItalyAnd. The diameter of the foot of the volcano is 145 km, and its height reaches 3340 meters above sea level. There are 270 slopes on the volcano, where in winter they organize ski slopes. According to ancient legend In the bowels of Etna, the giant Typhon locked the god Jupiter.

In Ecuador located one of the largest and most active volcanoes in the world, which is called catopaski. People knew about its existence 4,000 years ago. The height of the volcano is about 4,750 meters above sea level, and there are non-melting snows on its top. In 1972, a group of Polish and Czechoslovak climbers climbed to its summit and descended into the volcano's crater to a depth of 350 meters acheter kamagra oral jelly france.

Krakatoa It is both an island and an active volcano. It is located between the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. The volcano has erupted over 36,000 times. And in 1883, the largest volcanic eruption in human history was recorded. The roar of Krakatoa was heard at a distance of 3200 km from the island. A column of smoke, ash and gas reached a height of 27 km. The decks of ships in the Sunda Strait were covered with ash, dust and pieces of pumice with a diameter of about 10 cm. In the evening, a tsunami began, as a result of which two-thirds of the island disappeared from the face of the Earth, and its rest became completely lifeless.

Hawaiian Islands are mostly volcanic islands. no exception and main island Hawaii, where it is located one of the most active volcanoes in the world - Kilauea, which is included in national park Hawaiian volcanoes. The diameter of the volcano's crater is about 4.5 km and according to this indicator it is the largest in the world. The eruption began in 1983 Kilauea volcano that continues to this day. According to legend, Kilauea is considered the main habitat of the main goddess of volcanoes - Pele.

Mount Fuji true pride Japan. Every resident of the country rising sun dreams of having a house overlooking this volcano. Its height is 3776 meters, which is the highest point in Japan. The last volcanic eruption was almost 300 years ago, so it is not surprising that thousands of tourists climb its snow-covered peak without fear. In the summer there are organized four tourist routes, and in winter, ski slopes operate on the northwestern slope.

The highest point in Africa Mount Kilimanjaro consists of three peaks, which are the remains of three volcanoes. The height of Kilimanjaro is 5900 meters above sea level and this is one of the most high mountains in the world. Every year, several thousand tourists climb Kilimanjaro, many of whom are pensioners.

Volcanoes are geological formations on the Earth's surface where magma comes out in the form of lava. These mountains are not only on Earth, but also on other planets. So, the Olympus volcano on Mars reaches a height of several tens of kilometers. Such formations are dangerous not only with lava, but also with the release of a large amount of dust and ash into the atmosphere.

The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 made a lot of noise. Although it was not the most destructive in terms of strength, its proximity to Europe led to the impact of emissions on transport system mainland. However, history knows many other cases of the destructive effects of volcanoes. Let's talk about the ten most famous and large-scale of them.

Vesuvius, Italy. On August 24, 79, the volcano Vesuvius erupted, which destroyed not only the well-known city of Pompeii, but also the cities of Stabiae and Herculaneum. Ashes even reached Egypt and Syria. It would be a mistake to assume that the catastrophe destroyed Pompeii alive, out of 20 thousand people, only 2 thousand died. Among the victims was the famous scientist Pliny the Elder, who approached the volcano on a ship in order to explore it and thus found himself practically at the epicenter of the disaster. During the excavations of Pompeii, it was found that under a multi-meter layer of ash, the life of the city froze at the time of the disaster - objects, houses with furnishings remained in their places, people and animals were found. Today, Vesuvius remains the only active volcano on the continental part of Europe, more than 80 of its eruptions are known in total, the very first one supposedly happened 9 thousand years ago, and the last one took place in 1944. Then the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano were destroyed, and 57 people died. Naples is located 15 kilometers from Vesuvius, the height of the mountain is 1281 meters.

Tambora, Sumbawa Island. The cataclysm on this Indonesian island happened on April 5, 1815. This is the largest number dead people and by the amount of material released into modern history eruption. The catastrophe associated with the eruption and the ensuing famine killed 92,000 people. In addition, the Tambora culture, which Europeans had only met shortly before, completely disappeared from the face of the earth. The volcano lived for 10 days, decreasing during this time in height by 1400 meters. Ashes for 3 days hid the territory within a radius of 500 kilometers from the sun. According to the testimony of the British authorities in those days in Indonesia, it was impossible to see anything at arm's length. Most of Sumbawa Island was covered with a meter layer of ash, under the weight of which even stone houses crumbled. 150-180 cubic kilometers of gases and pyroclassics were thrown into the atmosphere. The volcano therefore had a strong impact on the climate of the entire planet - ash clouds poorly transmitted the rays of the Sun, which led to a noticeable decrease in temperature. 1816 became known as "the year without summer", in Europe and America the snow melted only in June, and the first frosts appeared already in August. The result was massive crop failures and famine.

Taupo, New Zealand. 27 thousand years ago on one of the islands happened strong eruption volcano, surpassing even Tamboru in strength. Geologists consider this cataclysm the last such force in the history of the planet. As a result of the work of the supervolcano, Lake Taupo was formed, which today is the object of attention of tourists, as it is very beautiful. The last eruption of the giant took place in 180 AD. The ash and the blast destroyed half of all life on the North Island, about 100 cubic kilometers of tectonic matter fell into the atmosphere. The speed of the rock eruption was 700 km/h. The ash that rose into the sky painted sunsets and sunrises all over the world with purple, which was reflected in the ancient Roman and Chinese chronicles.

Krakatau, Indonesia. The volcano, located between the islands of Sumatra and Java, produced on August 27, 1883 the largest explosion of its kind in modern history. During the cataclysm, a tsunami up to 30 meters high appeared, which simply washed away 295 villages and cities, while about 37 thousand people died. The roar from the explosion was heard on 8% of the entire surface of the planet, and pieces of lava were thrown into the air to an unprecedented height of 55 kilometers. The wind carried the volcanic ash so much that after 10 days it was found at a distance of 5330 kilometers from the scene. The mountain-island then split into 3 small parts. The wave from the explosion circled the earth from 7 to 11 times, geologists believe that the explosion was 200 thousand times stronger than the nuclear strike on Hiroshima. Krakatau woke up before, so, in 535, his activity significantly changed the climate of the planet, perhaps then the islands of Java and Sumatra were divided. On the site of the volcano destroyed in 1883 during underwater eruption appeared in 1927 new volcano, Anak Krakatau, which is still quite active today. Its height is now 300 meters due to new activities.

Santorini, Greece. Approximately one and a half thousand years BC, a volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Thera, which put an end to the entire Cretan civilization. Sulfur covered all the fields, which made further farming unthinkable. According to some versions, it is Thera that is the very Atlantis described by Plato. Someone also believes that the eruption of Santorini entered the annals, like a pillar of fire seen by Moses, and the parted sea is nothing more than the consequences of the disappearance of the island of Thera under water. However, the volcano continued its activity, in 1886 its eruption lasted whole year, while pieces of lava flew straight out of the sea and rose to a height of 500 meters. As a result - several new islands nearby.

Etna, Sicily. About 200 eruptions of this Italian volcano are known. Among them were quite powerful ones, so, in 1169, about 15 thousand people died during the cataclysm. Today, Etna remains an active volcano with a height of 3329 meters, waking up about once every 150 years and destroying one of the nearby villages. Why don't people leave the slopes of the mountain? The fact is that the frozen lava helps the soil to become more fertile, which is why the Sicilians settle here. In 1928, besides, a miracle happened - the flow of red-hot lava stopped in front of the Catholic procession. This inspired the believers so much that in 1930 a chapel was erected on this site, 30 years later the lava stopped in front of it. The Italians protect these places, so in 1981 the local government created a reserve around Etna. It is curious that a blues music festival is even arranged on a calm volcano. Etna is quite large, exceeding the size of Vesuvius by 2.5 times. The volcano has from 200 to 400 side craters, lava erupts from one of them every three months.

Montagne Pele, Martinique island. The volcanic eruption on the island began in April 1902, and on May 8 a whole cloud of vapors, gases and red-hot lava hit the city of Saint-Pierre, located 8 kilometers away. A few minutes later he was gone, and of the 17 ships that were in the harbor at that moment, only one managed to survive. The ship "Roddam" escaped from the clutches of the elements with broken masts, smoking and littered with ashes. Of the 28 thousand inhabitants of the city, two escaped, one of them was called Opost Siparis, and he was sentenced to death. He was saved by the thick stone walls of the prison. Subsequently, the prisoner was pardoned by the governor, spending the rest of his life traveling the world with stories about what happened. The force of the blow was such that the monument on the square, weighing several tons, was thrown aside, and the heat was such that even the bottles melted. It is interesting that the outpouring of liquid lava did not directly occur, the impact was caused by vapors, gases and pulverized lava. Later, a sharp lava plug 375 meters high came out of the crater of the volcano. It also turned out that the bottom of the sea near Martinique had sunk several hundred meters. The city of Saint-Pierre, by the way, became famous for the birth of Napoleon's wife, Josephine Beauharnais, in it.

Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia. A volcano 5400 meters high, located in the Andes, splashed out lava flows on November 13, 1985, and the main blow fell on the city of Armero, located 50 kilometers away. It took only 10 minutes for the lava to destroy it. The death toll exceeded 21 thousand people, and in total at that time about 29 thousand lived in Armero. Sadly, no one listened to the volcanologists' information about the impending eruption, since the specialists' information was repeatedly not confirmed.

Pinatubo, Philippines. Until June 12, 1991, the volcano was considered extinct for 611 years. The first signs of activity appeared in April and the Philippine authorities managed to evacuate all residents within a radius of 20 kilometers. The eruption itself claimed the lives of 875 people, while the US naval base and the US strategic air base, located 18 kilometers from Pinatubo, were destroyed. The ejected ash covered an area of ​​125,000 km2 of the sky. The consequences of the disaster were a general decrease in temperature by half a degree and a reduction in the ozone layer, due to which a very large ozone hole formed over Antarctica. The height of the volcano before the eruption was 1486 meters, and after - 1745 meters. At the site of Pinatubo, a crater with a diameter of 2.5 kilometers was formed. Today, earthquakes regularly occur in this area, preventing any construction within a radius of tens of kilometers.

Katmai, Alaska. The eruption of this volcano on June 6, 1912 was one of the largest in the 20th century. The height of the ash column was 20 kilometers, and the sound reached the capital of Alaska, the city of Juneau, located 1200 kilometers away. At a distance of 4 kilometers from the epicenter, the ash layer reached 20 meters. Summer in Alaska turned out to be very cold, as the rays could not break through the cloud. After all, thirty billion tons were taken into the air rocks! In the crater itself, a lake with a diameter of 1.5 kilometers formed, and it became the main attraction of the Katmai National Park and Reserve formed here in 1980. Today the height of this active volcano 2047 meters, and the last famous eruption happened in 1921.