The ten most powerful volcanic eruptions in history. The most famous and largest volcanoes in the world

Volcanoes are one of the most magnificent wonders on earth. Their beauty is truly dangerous, as they can bring death to everything around them. Hot lava and volcanic bombs can easily wipe out everything that gets in their way, including the largest cities. For many millennia, mankind has already managed to verify the incredible power of active volcanoes. For example, Vesuvius, which took thousands of human lives and destroyed the largest cities of that era (Pompeii, Stabia, Herculaneus).

The article describes largest volcanoes in the world. This list contains volcanoes from different parts of the world, regardless of seismological activity. The main criterion for selection was their height.

10 Mauna Loa

Opens the top 10 largest volcanoes in the world of Mauna Loa. This is one of the active megavolcanoes, which is located in the central part of the island of Hawaii. It is second only to the Tamu Massif in its volume. Its height is over four thousand meters. Scientists suggest that Mauna Loa originated over seven hundred thousand years ago. Today it is considered an active volcano.

Mauna Loa has an irregular thyroid shape with gentle slopes. In the vicinity of the volcano, you can find many species of rare plants and wild animals. The mountain and lands from the southeastern part are included in the reserve.

On the eastern side of the Andes mountain system is one of the largest volcanoes on the planet - the active volcano Sangay. It has a steep conical shape, and numerous layers of lava and tephra can be seen on its top. The uniqueness of this volcano lies in the presence of three craters. On the territory of the mountain and its nearby territory, a national natural park was opened, which belongs to the list of protected areas of UNESCO.

Scientists suggest that the Sangay volcano formed about 14 thousand years ago. Its height is over 5 thousand meters. From the 1930s to the present day, Sangai is characterized by very frequent periods of activity. The first recorded volcanic eruption was in 1628.

8 Huila Volcano

The Huila Old Volcano is the largest volcano in Colombia, with a height of 5365 meters. It has a sharp elongated shape. Huila was thought to be dormant for many years, and after fifty years he began to show signs of activity. In the period from 2007 to the present day, more than 7 thousand small seismic events have occurred. The last eruption was recorded in 2011. Huila poses a great danger to the inhabitants of the four regions that are in its vicinity.

This volcano and its surrounding areas are home to many species of wild animals. The rich flora and fauna is due to the presence of numerous water sources, which were formed due to the convergence of snow from the top of the mountain.

7. Popocatepetl

In the Mexican highlands is one of the largest active stratovolcanoes in the world - Popocatepetl. Its height is 5426 meters. The name of the volcano comes from the Nahuatl language, which means "Smoking Hill". Next to it is Mount Istaxuatl. These two hills got their names thanks to the legend. In it, the Aztecs told about unhappy love, where the girl was given in marriage to another. This happened because her parents did not wait until their daughter's beloved returned from the campaign. Soon the girl committed suicide. After some time, the warrior returned home with a victory, but did not find his beloved alive. The guy could not measure up with the loss and also committed suicide. As a sign of their eternal love, the gods turned the lovers into two mountains.

6. Orizaba

Orizaba is the highest peak in Mexico and one of the largest volcanoes in the world. Its height above sea level is 5675 meters. The locals call the volcano Sitlaltepetl. This, translated from one of the Aztec languages, means "mountain of the star."

At the moment, the volcano is at rest, but it has not completely died out. About 27 eruptions have been documented, the last of which was observed in 1846.

In 1936, a conservation park was created, which included the mountain, the surrounding areas and the settlement. The area of ​​the protected area is almost 20 thousand hectares.

Over thirty years ago, there were about 14 glaciers on the top of the volcano. In connection with the problem of global warming, their number has decreased. To date, there are 9 of them. The largest of them is the Gran Norte with an area of ​​9 sq. km.

5. Misty

Misty is the largest active volcano in South America. It is located in the southern part of Peru. Its actual height is 5822 meters above sea level. Not far from the hill is the city of Arequina, which is home to more than 1 million people. Most of the city's buildings are built from pyroclastic deposits of the volcano.

In the shape of a cone, Misty is a stratovolcano. It is characterized by explosive eruptions, which alternate with the outflow of lava. One of the features of the volcano is the presence of three concentric craters. In the 15th century, very strong eruptions were observed. The most recent seismological activity was documented in 1985.

4. Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest African volcano. It is located in the northeastern part of Tanzania. Including glaciers, its height is 5895 meters. Kilimanjaro, like most of the largest volcanoes in the world, is dormant. At the moment, local residents are observing little seismological activity. Kilimanjaro has a conical shape and consists of three craters.

There are many theories that explain the origin of the name in different ways. From the Swahili language, the name of the volcano is translated as "mountain that sparkles."

Despite the fact that Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano, many scientists visit it every year. The top of the volcano is covered with a huge snow cap, which has been formed there since the Ice Age. Due to global warming, its volume has sharply decreased over the past century.

3. Cotopaxi

In the list of the largest volcanoes in the world, Cotopaxi ranks third. The height of the volcano is 5911 meters, it is located in Ecuador on the western side of the Eastern Cordillera. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is located just 50 kilometers from Cotopaxi.

The peak of the activity of the volcano fell on the XVII-XVIII century. The last eruption occurred quite recently - in 2015.

Cotopaxi in Quechua means "shiny or smoking mountain". Sometimes small puffs of smoke can be seen above its mouth, which are formed due to the release of water and sulfur. Since the volcano is dormant, its summit is covered with a thick layer of glaciers and snow.

2. San Pedro

San Pedro, with a height of 6145 meters, is the largest stratovolcano in the Andean mountain system. The cone of the volcano is formed by basalt and andesite layers. The last seismic activity was observed in the 60s of the last century. In the summer of 1903, the first documented ascent to the summit of the mountain was made.

Not far from San Pedro is the volcano San Pablo. Outwardly, they look like two brothers who are connected with each other with the help of a high saddle.

1. Lullaillaco

Llullagliaco is the largest volcano on Earth. Its height is 6739 meters. It is located on the high plateau of Puna de Atacama, between Argentina and Chile.

To date, Llyullaco is in a dormant state. The last period of activity was documented in 1877. Now quite often you can see how smoke is emitted from its muzzle.

The very first documented ascent to the summit of Llullagliaco took place in 1952. During the expedition, archaeologists found an ancient sanctuary belonging to the Incas. A more thorough examination of the slopes of the mountain revealed several mummies, which were most likely sacrificed to the gods.

Volcanoes are geological formations that form above cracks in, through which lava, ash, loose rocks, boiling gases and water break out.

Active volcanoes include volcanoes that erupted in historical time or showed other signs of activity (emission of gases and steam, etc.). Some scientists consider active those volcanoes, which are reliably known to have erupted within the last 10 thousand years.

The largest cluster of active volcanoes in a limited area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe planet is located in the zone of the Malay Archipelago - the largest on Earth, located between the mainland and. On the territory of Russia, the largest number of active volcanoes is in the area of ​​the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. Approximately 60 volcanoes erupt every year, and about a third of them erupted in the previous year. There is information about 627 volcanoes that have erupted over the past 10 thousand years.

Hot streams of molten lava sloshing out of the bowels of the Earth, and at the same time clouds of ash, hot steam. The spectacle, of course, is breathtaking, but where does it come from? What are the largest volcanoes on our planet? Where are they located?

Origin and varieties of volcanoes

Under a thick layer of the earth's crust is magma - a molten substance of great temperature and under great pressure. Magma contains minerals, vaporous water and gases. When the pressure gets too high, the gases push the magma upward through weak points in the earth's crust. The surface layer of the Earth rises in the form of a mountain, and eventually the magma breaks out.

Erupting magma is called lava, and a mountainous hill with a hole is called a volcano. The eruption is accompanied by emissions of ash and steam. Lava moves at speeds of over 40 km/h, with a temperature of about 1000 degrees Celsius. Depending on the nature of the eruption and accompanying phenomena, volcanoes are divided into numerous types. For example, Hawaiian, Plinian, Peleian and others.

As it flows out, the lava hardens and builds up in layers, creating the shape of a volcano. So, there are volcanoes of a cone shape, gentle, domed, stratified or layered, as well as complex shapes. In addition, they are divided into active, dormant and extinct, depending on the degree of activity of the eruptions.

Large volcanoes of the world

Around the world there are approximately 540 active volcanoes, the number of extinct ones is even greater. All of them are located mainly in the Pacific, East African, Mediterranean fold zones. The greatest activity is manifested in the regions of South and Central America, Kamchatka, Japanese, and Iceland.

There are 330 active volcanoes in the Pacific belt alone. Large volcanoes are located in the Andes, on the Asian islands. In Africa, the highest is Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania. This is a potentially active volcano that can wake up at any moment. Its height is 5895 meters.

Two of the world's volcanic giants are located on the territory of Chile and Argentina. They are considered the highest on Earth. Ojos del Salado is dormant, having erupted in 700 AD, although it occasionally emits water vapor and sulfur. The Argentine Llullaillaco is considered active, the last time it erupted only in 1877.

The largest world volcanoes are presented in the table.

Ring of Fire of the Pacific

The waters of the Pacific Ocean hide three lithospheric plates. Their outer edges go under the lithospheric plates of the continents. Along the entire perimeter of these joints is the Pacific Ring of Fire - small and large volcanoes, most of which are active.

The ring of fire starts from Antarctica, passes through New Zealand, the Philippine Islands, Japan, the Kuriles, Kamchatka, stretches along the entire Pacific coast of North and South America. In some places, the ring is broken, for example near and the state of California.

Large volcanoes of the Pacific belt are located in the Andes (Orizabo, San Pedro, Misti, Cotopaxi), Sumatra (Kerinchi), Ross Island (Erebus), Java (Semeru). One of the most famous - Fujiyama - is located on the island of Honshu. The Krakatoa volcano is located.

The archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands is of volcanic origin. The largest volcano is Mauna Loa with an absolute height of 4169 meters. In terms of relative height, the mountain bypasses Everest and is considered the highest peak in the world, this value is 10,168 meters.

mediterranean belt

The mountainous regions of Northwest Africa, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Indochina, Tibet, Indonesia and the Himalayas make up the Mediterranean. Active geological processes take place here, one of the manifestations of which is volcanism.

The largest volcanoes of the Mediterranean belt are Vesuvius, Santorin (Aegean Sea) and Etna in Italy, Elbrus and Kazbek in the Caucasus, Ararat in Turkey. Italian Vesuvius consists of three peaks. From its powerful eruption in the first century AD, the cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabia, Oplontia suffered. In memory of this event, Karl Bryullov painted the famous painting "The Last Day of Pompeii".

Stratovolcano Ararat is the highest point in Turkey and the Armenian Highlands. Its last eruption took place in 1840. It was accompanied by an earthquake that completely destroyed the neighboring village and monastery. Ararat, like the Caucasian Kazbek, consists of two peaks, which are separated by a saddle.

Large volcanoes of Russia (list)

On the territory of the Russian Federation, volcanoes are located in the Kuriles, Kamchatka, the Caucasus and Transbaikalia. They make up about 8.5% of all volcanoes in the world. Many of them are considered extinct, although the sudden eruptions of the Nameless in 1956 and the Academy of Sciences in 1997 proved the relativity of this term.

The largest volcanoes are located in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. The highest in all of Eurasia (among the existing ones) is considered (4835 meters). Its last eruption was recorded in 2013. There are very small volcanoes in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. For example, the height of Baranovsky is 160 meters. Berg (2005), Ebeko (2010), Chikurachki (2008), Kizimen (2013) and others have shown their activity over the past decade.

The largest volcanoes in Russia are presented in the table.

Conclusion

Volcanoes are the consequences of active processes that occur inside our planet. They are formed in the earth's crust, where the crust does not withstand the onslaught of pressure and high temperatures. The consequences of a volcanic eruption can be quite serious, as they are accompanied by emissions of ash, gases, and sulfur into the atmosphere.

Associated phenomena of the eruption are often earthquakes and faults. The flowing lava has such a high temperature that it instantly affects biological organisms.

However, in addition to the destructive action, volcanoes also have the opposite effect. Lava that has not come to the surface can lift sedimentary rocks to form mountains. And the consequence of the eruption of an underwater volcano in Iceland was the island of Surtsey.

There are hundreds of volcanoes on the surface of the Earth. Among them there are the highest volcanoes, the most powerful volcanoes, the largest volcanoes. And they are united by one thing - each rises to tens and hundreds of meters and frightens with its power: it is possible that the volcano will begin to release steam and ash.

Where are the most active volcanoes?

A volcano is called active if it showed signs of activity (for example, emitted gas and steam) in a historical time for a person.

The largest number of active volcanoes is located on the territory of the Malay Archipelago. It is the largest on the planet, located between the continents of Australia and Asia. And in Russia, a large cluster of volcanoes is located in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. About 60 volcanoes erupt every year in this part. But there is evidence of 627 volcanoes that have shown signs of life in the last 10,000 years.

The largest volcano

Hawaiian is not only the largest and most powerful volcano, it is also the most massive. Its volume from the base to the top is 75 thousand cubic kilometers. By the way, there are many legends around Mauna Low. According to one of them, the mistress of the volcanoes Pele was expelled from the house by her older sister, who was the goddess of water and the sea. When Pele tried to build her own house, her sister sent waves to destroy it. As a result, Pele settled on the island and made herself a house called Mauna Low, it was so massive that the waves could not overwhelm it.

Tallest active volcano

However, on the question of which is the highest active volcano in the world, the opinions of scientists differ. Some believe that the highest is Cotopaxi. It is located in the South American Andes, in Ecuador. Its height is less than that of the previous one, only 5,897 meters. But the last major eruption was recorded in 1942. Cotopaxi can rightly be called the most beautiful in Ecuador. This is due to the riot of greenery at the foot and the graceful crater. However, the picture is deceiving. Cotopaxi, like a number of others, are the most dangerous volcanoes. In Ecuador, since 1742, 10 fairly large eruptions have been recorded that destroyed the city of Latacunga (it lies very close to Cotopaxi).

The most famous volcanoes

Vesuvius is located in southern Italy near Naples and is active. True, the volcano is not very large, its height is only 1281 meters. Vesuvius is one of three active volcanoes in the country. And one of the most dangerous in the world. To date, more than 80 eruptions are known to mankind, and the most famous occurred 2 millennia ago - in 79. It was then that the cities of Pompeii, Stabiae, Herculaneum were destroyed. The last eruption was recorded in 1944, the lava destroyed the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano.

The highest volcano in Africa and in general the highest point of the continent is Kilimanjaro. The volcano is located in Tanzania, 300 kilometers south of the equator. One of the peaks of Kilimanjaro - Kibo - reaches 5895 meters. Uhuru Peak is the highest point of the volcano. Scientists suggest that the age of Kilimanjaro is more than a million years. And what is most surprising, although the volcano is located almost on the equator, many glaciers have accumulated on its slopes.

The largest volcanoes can be seen in Asia. Famous Fujiyama is located on the Japanese island of Honshu, which is 150 kilometers from Tokyo. The volcano has an almost perfect conical shape and has been the subject of a cult for local residents since ancient times. The height of the mountain is 3776 meters. Now the volcano is weakly active, the last time experts recorded an eruption in 1707.

The strongest volcanic eruption

On August 27 of the same year, there was a strong volcanic eruption that a person has ever seen. The rumble was heard even 5 thousand kilometers from the epicenter. Ashes rose to a height of up to 30 kilometers. The volcanic structure scattered over a vast territory, within a radius of up to 500 kilometers. The gas-ash column towered 70 kilometers, that is, it rose right into the mesosphere. The ash covered over 4 million square kilometers and occupied a total of 18 cubic kilometers. The strength of the explosion was rated at 6 points. According to experts, this is 200,000 times the force of the explosion that destroyed Hiroshima. The largest volcano in the world Ojos del Salado is considered extinct

The volcano is said to be inactive. This is because not a single case of an eruption has been recorded in the history of mankind. However, sometimes Ojos del Salado reminds of itself. For example, in 1993, the release of water vapor and sulfur was noticed.

By the way, as the editors of the site managed to find out, some geographers have already reclassified the volcano into an active one. Thus, displacing Llullaillaco from the first place in the list of the highest active volcanoes. However, the controversy has not subsided yet.

Also interesting is the fact that the highest mountain in Russia, Elbrus, is also a volcano.
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Volcanic activity is one of the forces of nature that can change the face of the Earth. And at the moment, the underground forces continue their titanic work. Created from many layers of lava, of monstrous proportions, largest volcanoes in the world lurk under the water surface or hang over nearby cities.

Which of them are considered the largest? Scientists have not yet come to a consensus. Some believe that it is necessary to build a rating according to the height above sea level. Others - that it is necessary to take into account the area over which lava flows spread, forming a new surface. Thirdly, what is most important is the human factor: the danger to human settlements.

The highest volcano in Europe is located on the island of Sicily and is still active. The last eruption began on December 25, 2018. Due to frequent eruptions, it is impossible to accurately determine its height - it is constantly changing. For example, over the past 30 years, Etna has "lost" more than 20 meters in height. At the moment, it rises above the island at 3295 m.

The mountain is famous for its bad character - its slopes are dotted with craters, from where lava steadily pours out every couple of months. About once a century, eruptions are larger, representing a direct danger to the human settlements inhabiting the slopes. However, this does not stop stubborn people - due to frequent eruptions, the soil on the slopes of the mountain is rich in elements useful for plants, which allow them to harvest large crops.

9. Erebus - 3794 meters

If the rest of the volcanoes are in the inhabited part of the world, then Erebus is located on the uninhabited continent of Antarctica. It is the largest active volcano in the southern polar region. Despite the lifeless ice expanses surrounding it, Erebus leads a very active life. And its geographical position - exactly above several faults in the earth's crust - contributes a lot to this.

Despite the fact that people do not live near Erebus, it still affects their lives in a negative way. From the bowels of the volcano, streams of gases contained inside the Earth periodically break out, mainly methane and hydrogen, which destroy the ozone layer. It is believed that the smallest thickness of the ozone sea is exactly in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe volcano.

8. Klyuchevskaya Sopka - 4835 meters

Like Etna, the height of the Klyuchevskoy volcano is constantly changing. Although he lost about 15 meters after five years ago, he still remains the highest active volcano in Russia and Asia.

Although, compared to other peaks of Kamchatka, the Klyuchevskoy volcano loses in frequency, but it successfully compensates for this with its power. For example, the 1938 eruption lasted 13 months and caused the emergence of several craters up to 1900 m high. And the 1980 eruption tore off and threw into the air to a height of more than 500 m a block of ice with an area of ​​at least half a kilometer.

But the most spectacular and most terrible was the eruption of 1994, when an impressive ash column more than 12 km high rose above the volcano, and the plume of volcanic ash extended from the place of release for many tens of kilometers and disappeared somewhere in the ocean.

7. Orizaba - 5636 meters

“The top of the volcano must touch the sky itself,” the ancient Incas probably thought and gave it the name Sitlaltepetl, or “Star Mountain”. It is the highest active volcano in North and Central America, and the third highest peak in the region. It can be seen from afar - even many miles from the coast, the cone of Orizaba can be seen from the side of a ship moving through the Gulf of Mexico to the port of Veracruz.

Although the volcano is sleeping now, its calmness is deceptive - it led a very active existence from the moment the conquistadors came to these places until the 19th century, and in recent years, the station located at its foot has recorded constant internal activity.

6. Elbrus - 5642 meters

The highest mountain is also the largest volcano in Russia and Europe. Glaciers descending from the snow-covered surface give rise to several significant rivers that feed the plains of the Caucasus region.

In addition to beauty, a snow-white cone with two peaks and a small saddle between them is distinguished by a meek and peaceful character. Elbrus has been sleeping for a long time, and its last eruption was more than 5000 years ago. Despite the external severity, climbing Elbrus is easy and simple - climbing routes to the top of the sleeping patriarch are among the most uncomplicated.

5. Kilimanjaro - 5885 meters

The magnificent handsome Kilimanjaro is the hallmark of Africa, its largest volcano. The sleeping giant is actually three volcanic cones that are visible from almost anywhere in neighboring Tanzania and Kenya.

Unlike many volcanoes in the rating, Kilimanjaro is the most famous volcano in the world, a typical stratovolcano. If you ask a child to draw it, most likely, he will draw a conical mountain, from the top of which ash, burning gases and very viscous lava erupt, which quickly solidifies, increasing the cone higher and higher. This is the stratovolcano. The size of Kilimanjaro is 4800 km3, and its height is 5885 m. The last time the volcano was active was at the dawn of mankind - 360,000 years ago.

4. Ojos del Salado - 6,893 meters

If the second and third places in the ranking are the largest volcanoes in the world, if you count from the seabed, then Ojos del Salado is the highest volcano in the world located above the sea surface. It rises 6,893 meters above the ground. The giant mountain is located on the border between Argentina and Chile.

Although the last active volcanic eruption occurred before the invention of writing by mankind - no data on it has been preserved - however, Ojos del Salado cannot be called sleeping in the full sense of the word. In the bowels of a huge mountain, a mysterious hidden work seems to be taking place, the echo of which reaches the inhabitants of the earth in the form of clouds of steam and ash. The last such activity took place as recently as 1993.

3. Mauna Loa - 9800 meters

Mauna Loa is an underwater volcano whose summit (along with five others) gave rise to the Big Island of the Hawaiian archipelago. The size of Mauna Loa is 40,000 km3, the area is 75,000 m2, and the height (if you count from the seabed) is as much as 9800 m. And it is the highest active volcano in the world - the last eruption of Mauna Loa was only 34 years ago, in 1984 year. In total, over the past 170 years, Mauna Loa has scared people with its activity, throwing out lava, 33 times.

2. Mauna Kea - 10058 meters

"Sister" Mauna Loa rises almost 4267 m above sea level. Seems like a little, right? However, Mauna Kea has more potential than meets the eye - its base is located deep under the water column at a depth of more than 6000 m. Mauna Kea does it. If it were located entirely on land, it would break the record of all the highest volcanoes in the world, beating the "terrestrial" favorite Ojos del Salado by almost 3000 m.

At the top of Mauna Kea, there is very low humidity and there are almost never clouds - now one of the largest observatories in the world is located there.

Mauna Kea arose over a hot spot of the earth - a place where red-hot and molten magma rises from the Earth's mantle layer. Over millions of years, molten rock emanating outward formed the surface of the entire Hawaiian archipelago. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano; this means that it has been inactive for more than 4,000 years, and the hot spot of magma outflow has shifted. However, inaction does not mean that he will doze forever.

1. The largest volcano in the world: Tamu Massif - 4000 meters

“How, only 4000 meters - and the largest volcano in the world?” The reader may be indignant. Yes, Tamu's height is not too impressive. But let's look at it in more detail from all sides.

Most of the largest natural objects in the world have been discovered by mankind long ago, at the dawn of its existence. But the Tamu massif - the largest volcano on planet Earth - managed to hide from people for many years.

It is amazing that mankind knew more about the huge volcanoes on Mars than about the giant mountain under their very noses. The reason for this is both the remote location (it is located more than 1,600 kilometers east of Japan) and the depth. Its top is submerged in the thickness of the World Ocean for 2000 km. And only in 2013, scientists found out that the amazing mountain of lava at the bottom of the ocean is actually a single volcano.

Its volume is approximately equal to 2.5 million km3, and its area is more than 311 km2. Fortunately, he has been sleeping for a long time - the last eruption of Tamu was about 144 million years ago.

The most dangerous volcano in the world

The Yellowstone supervolcano is considered the most active and dangerous today. Located in the US National Park, it poses a huge threat not only to the state of Wyoming, but to the entire planet. It is believed that the eruption of the Yellowstone Volcano can lead to climate change throughout the Earth.

As a result of the disaster, more than 70% of the US territory will be destroyed. Magma and ash will cover the territory with a 3-meter layer. Losses will amount to more than 10 million lives, and the territory will turn into uninhabited due to high levels of radiation.

Today, visiting the park is limited, entry is completely prohibited to some territories. Scientists carefully examine the caldera, the eruption may begin in the coming decades.