The largest volcanoes in the world and their location. The largest volcano in the world. Is there a continent where there are no volcanoes

There are hundreds of volcanoes on the surface of the Earth. Among them are the most high volcanoes, the most powerful volcanoes, the most large 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 in the territory 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 on 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 herself own house, her sister sent waves to destroy him. 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. Last eruption recorded in 1944, 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. The famous Fujiyama is located on Japanese island Honshu, which is 150 kilometers from Tokyo. The volcano has an almost perfect conical outline and has been a subject of worship since ancient times. local residents. 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 thousand times more power explosion that destroyed Hiroshima. Most big 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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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 there was a strong eruption of 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 lovers, it is actually a 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 was 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. It last 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. ​​The locals 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 is a 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 experts and promptly report 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.

The map of volcanoes shows the most dangerous volcanoes of the Earth, which are currently being closely monitored. The following is a description of them with a forecast of possible activity and its consequences. Additionally, volcanoes are marked with a red ring, the eruption of which can have catastrophic consequences for the whole world.

Vesuvius (Italy)

The proximity to Naples (15 km) makes this volcano deadly for more than three million Italians. He begins his sad glory from the year 79, when the cities of Herculaneum, Stabiae and Pompeii were destroyed during the eruption. Eruptions alternate with fairly long periods of calm. During the XVII - XX centuries. Vesuvius erupted with a period of 30-60 years. The last eruption was recorded in 1944. Scientists are unanimous in their opinion that the “killer of Pompeii” will wake up one day, only the timing and strength of the eruption remain unclear. But it does not seem to bother the frivolous Neapolitans at all.

Galeras (Colombia)

Located near the city of Pasto. The most active volcano in the region. Its activity began about 5 thousand years ago and does not subside to this day. Dangerous eruptions were noted in 2008, 2009, 2010, and each time thousands of people living nearby had to be evacuated.

Galunggung (Indonesia)

Located on the western tip of the island of Java. Its eruptions are characterized by high power. In 1822, he claimed the lives of 4,000 people, and in 1982 forced the country's authorities to evacuate about 35,000 inhabitants. It last erupted in 1990. It is included in the list of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet.

Yellowstone Volcano (USA)

It is located in the state of Wyoming, and, fortunately, it is calm today. It has been active several times over the past 2 million years, and its last eruption was over half a million years ago. The next eruption is expected not earlier than in several tens of thousands of years. This volcano is so huge that if it awakens, the United States will be almost completely destroyed, and the Earth will be covered with an impenetrable curtain of volcanic ash for a long time.

Katla (Iceland)

Located in the very south of Iceland. Over the past thousand years, according to various sources, it erupted from 14 to 16 times and caused significant melting of glaciers, which led to the flooding of nearby settlements. It is located near the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which recently erupted and blocked air traffic in Europe. Experts believe that the eruptions of the latter are the starting mechanism for the awakening of the Katla volcano, the destructive potential of which is much greater. The findings are also supported by the fact that Lately in the depths of the volcano, the level of magma rose noticeably. In this regard, an eruption is expected, in terms of power many times greater than the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. If it happens, the consequences can be catastrophic for the entire planet - in addition to the formation of a huge cloud of volcanic ash, there will be melting of glaciers and extensive flooding.

Colima (Mexico)

Located in the state of Jalisco in western Mexico. Last major eruption accompanied by evacuation local population registered in 2005 last years The activity of the Colima volcano is increasing. It is also called the "Mexican Vesuvius".

Koryakskaya Sopka (Russian Federation)

Located 35 km. North of the city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There were powerful eruptions before our era, as well as in 1895 and 1956. May pose a threat to the population of Kamchatka. It belongs to the most dangerous volcanoes in the world and is under the close supervision of specialists.

Cumbre Vieja (Canary Islands)

Located on the island of Palma, which is part of canary islands. As a result of numerous volcanic eruptions, the coast of the island has undergone significant erosion. One of the slopes of Cumbre Vieja is unstable and may collapse as a result of a powerful eruption or a series of small eruptions. The fall of a rock weighing 500 billion tons into the ocean will lead to the formation of a tsunami that will destroy almost the entire east coast of the United States and cause intractable damage to countries Caribbean. Fortunately, the volcano has not yet shown alarming activity, and the danger of a supertsunami is still hypothetical.

Mauna Loa (USA)

Located on the island of Hawaii. It is the largest volcano on the planet in terms of volume (80,000 cubic kilometers). The nearby Kilaue volcano is considered one of the most beautiful volcanoes on Earth.

Merapi (Indonesia)

The largest active volcano in Indonesia and one of the youngest in Java. It erupts about twice a year, and once every seven years the eruption is quite strong. It is a great danger to nearby settlements. In 1673 he destroyed several cities, in 1930 he caused the death of 1300 people, in 1974-75. destroyed three villages.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia)

Located in the departments of Tolima and Caldas. The largest active volcano in the Andes. Remains active for about two million years. In 1985, its eruption caused the death of more than 20,000 people. The upcoming eruption was announced in advance, but no one heeded the warning due to several false alarms the previous day.

Niragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Located in the Virunga mountains on the border Democratic Republic Congo and Rwanda. The most active and dangerous volcano in Africa. Although Niragongo is currently relatively calm, his awakening could be disastrous. Its potential is enormous, and in the event of an eruption under the shadow of volcanic ash, not only Africa, but also Europe and partly Asia can be for a long time.

Pinatubo (Philippines)

Located on the island of Luzon, almost 100 km. From Manila. Until 1991, it was considered extinct. Its awakening was unexpected and swift - during the eruption in 1991. It was destroyed military base US Air Force and killed about 1,000 people. The main danger of this volcano is a large-scale emission of volcanic ash. In a matter of days, the 1991 eruption released about 10 cubic kilometers into the atmosphere rocks. Then, for several months, the Earth's stratosphere was filled with sulfuric acid aerosol, which led to the formation of an ozone hole over Antarctica. giant size and a temperature drop of 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Popocatepetl (Mexico)

Located near Mexico City. For the entire time of the presence of Europeans in America, he showed a rather weak activity, but in recent years he has become more active. Represents a huge potential danger due to the proximity of a twenty-million metropolis.

Rainier (USA)

It is located 85 kilometers southeast of the city of Seattle. The last eruption was a century and a half ago, but recently the volcano has become more active. In the event of an eruption, the lives of about 200,000 people will be at risk.

Sakurajima (Japan)

Located in Kagoshima Prefecture on the island (originally) Sakurajima. As a result of the 1914 eruption, the strait was filled with lava, and Sakurajima became a peninsula. The location near the city of Kagoshima with almost a million inhabitants makes this volcano one of the most dangerous on the planet. Probably for the same reason it is called "Eastern Vesuvius". Monitoring it and predicting its activity is one of the main tasks of Japanese geologists.

Santa Maria (Guatemala)

Located near the city of Quetzaltenango. A young and large volcano, the activity of which has been growing lately. A strong eruption happened in 1902, and caused the death of 6,000 people. The roar of the explosion was heard at a distance of 800 km.

Tambora (Indonesia)

Located on the island of Sumbawa. Known for the fact that its eruption in the spring of 1815 was the largest in the last several thousand years, both in terms of the number of erupted rocks and the number of victims. As a result of the eruption, 140 billion tons of solid substances were thrown into the atmosphere, and 10,000 people died immediately. The total number of deaths over time reached the mark of 100,000. In fact, this volcano destroyed the developed and ancient culture Tambora that existed on the island. The ejected ash plunged an area of ​​more than 500 km into complete darkness for three days. from the site of the eruption. But the consequences extended much further. In Europe and America in 1816, an extremely low temperature, and the snow melted only in summer, which is why the year was called "the year without summer." Naturally, this led to crop failures and numerous starvation deaths around the world.

Ulavun (Papua New Guinea)

Located in the eastern part of the island of New Britain. Ranked among the most active volcanoes Papua New Guinea, is one of the most frequently erupted, which, in fact, is remarkable. Known as an active volcano since 1700. In 1937, during the eruption, it practically covered the capital of the country, located at a distance of more than 100 km, with ashes.

Unzen (Japan)

It is located on the Shimabara Peninsula in southwestern Kyushu. Currently, it is weakly active and belongs to the most dangerous, rather because of its history. Its eruption in 1792 is among the most destructive eruptions in the world. The 23 m high tsunami generated by him claimed the lives of about 15,000 people.

Etna (Italy)

Located on the eastern tip of the island of Sicily. The most active and highest volcano in Europe. It erupts a small amount of lava about four times a year and, on average, completely destroys one or more nearby settlements once every one and a half centuries. The danger is the tendency of local residents to settle close to Etna due to the extreme fertility of the soil formed as a result of constant eruptions. Numerous lovers of high yields run the risk of suddenly dying one day.

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.

eruption Icelandic volcano Eyyafjallayekul 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, a strong volcanic eruption occurred on one of the islands, 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 of rocks were taken into the air! In the crater itself, a lake with a diameter of 1.5 kilometers formed, and it became the main attraction of the lake formed here in 1980. national park and the Katmai Wildlife Sanctuary. Today the height of this active volcano 2047 meters, and the last famous eruption happened in 1921.