The highest active volcanoes. Volcanoes: characteristics and types

Most of volcanoes of our planet is located in the "ring of fire", which stretches along the shores of all Pacific Ocean. And in total there are about 1.5 thousand volcanoes on Earth, of which 540 are active.

Here is a list of the most dangerous ones.

1. Nyiragongo, height 3470 m, Democratic Republic Congo

This is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Africa. Since 1882, 34 eruptions have been recorded here. The main crater is 250 meters deep and 2 km wide, and contains a lake of actively bubbling lava. This lava is unusually fluid and its flows can reach speeds of 100 km/h. In 2002, the eruption killed 147 people and left 120,000 homeless. Last eruption so far happened in 2016.

2. Taal, height 311 m, Philippines


This is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet. It has erupted 34 times since 1572. Located on the island of Luzon, on Lake Taal. The strongest eruption of this volcano in the 20th century occurred in 1911 - 1335 people died in 10 minutes and in general all living things at a distance of up to 10 km. In 1965, 200 people died. Last eruption - 1977

3. Mauna Loa, height 4169 m, Hawaii (USA)


There are many volcanoes in Hawaii, but this is the largest and most dangerous of all. Since 1832, 39 eruptions have been recorded. The last eruption occurred in 1984, the last strong eruption in 1950.

4. Vesuvius, height 1281 m, Italy


One of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world is located just 15 km east of Naples. The most famous historical eruption occurred in 79 AD. As a result of this catastrophe, two cities - Pompeii and Herculaneum - disappeared from the face of the Earth. IN modern history The last eruption of Vesuvius happened in 1944.

5. Merapi, height 2,930 m, Indonesia


This most active active volcano in Indonesia is located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. "Merapi" is translated as "mountain of fire". The volcano is young, so it puffs with enviable regularity. Large eruptions occur on average every 7 years. In 1930, about 1300 people died, in 1974 two villages were destroyed, in 2010 353 people died. Last eruption - 2011

6. St. Helens, height 2,550 m, USA


Located 154 km from Seattle and 85 km from Portland. The most famous eruption of this active volcano occurred in 1980, when 57 people died. The eruption was of a rare type - "directed explosion". The process of the volcanic eruption and the spread of the ash cloud was photographed by photographer Robert Landsburg, who died during this eruption, but kept the film. Last Activity currently recorded in 2008.

7. Etna, height 3,350 m, Italy


Mount Etna is located on east coast Sicily. It is the highest active volcano in Europe. During its existence, it erupted about 200 times. In 1992, one of the largest eruptions was recorded, during which the town of Zafferana barely escaped. On December 3, 2015, the central crater of the volcano threw a fountain of lava to a kilometer high. The last eruption is February 27, 2017.

8. Sakurajima, height 1117 m, Japan


The volcano is located on the Osumi Peninsula of Kyushu Island in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. There is almost always a cloud of smoke above the volcano. The eruptions were recorded on August 18, 2013, in March 2009. The last eruption was recorded on July 26, 2016.

9. Galeras, height 4276 m, Colombia


Over the past 7 thousand years, at least six large eruptions and many small ones have occurred on Galeras. In 1993, during the research work six volcanologists and three tourists died in the crater (then the eruption also began). Latest recorded eruptions: January 2008, February 2009, January and August 2010

10. Popocatepetl, height 5426 m, Mexico


The name translates as "smoking hill". The volcano is located near Mexico City. It has erupted 20 times since 1519. The last eruption was recorded in 2015.

11. Unzen, height 1,500 m, Japan


The volcano is located on the Shimabara Peninsula. The eruption of Mount Unzen in 1792 is one of the five most destructive eruptions in human history in terms of the number of human casualties. The eruption caused a tsunami 55 meters high, which killed more than 15 thousand people. And in 1991, 43 people died during the eruption. No eruptions have been observed since 1996.

12. Krakatoa, height 813 m, Indonesia


This active volcano is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Before the historic eruption of 1883, the volcano was much higher and was one big Island. However, the most powerful eruption of 1883 destroyed the island and the volcano. Today, Krakatau is still active and small eruptions occur fairly regularly. Last activity - 2014.

13. Santa Maria, height 3,772 m, Guatemala


The first recorded eruption of this volcano occurred in October 1902, before that he "rested" for 500 years. The explosion was heard 800 km away in Costa Rica, and the ash column rose 28 km. About 6 thousand people died. Today the volcano is active. The last eruption was recorded in 2011.

14. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, height 4835 m, Russia


The volcano is located in the east of Kamchatka, 60 km from the coast. It is the largest active volcano in Russia. Over the past 270 years, more than 50 eruptions have been recorded, the last in April 2016.

15. Karymskaya Sopka, height 1468 m, Russia


Also located in Kamchatka. More than 20 eruptions have been recorded since 1852. eruptions recent years: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 Very restless volcano.

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? Which large volcanoes exist 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. Surface layer 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 the South and Central America, Kamchatka, Japanese, in 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. It's potentially active volcano that could 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, Philippine Islands, Japan, the Kuriles, Kamchatka, stretches around Pacific coast Northern 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. largest volcano- Mauna Loa with absolute altitude 4169 meters. By relative altitude 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 Caucasian Kazbek, consists of two vertices separated by a saddle.

Large volcanoes of Russia (list)

In the territory 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 a consequence of the eruption underwater volcano in Iceland became the island of Surtsey.

The volcano is one of the most beautiful, unexpected and terrible riddles nature. There are more than two hundred of them on Earth, and each one impresses with its height and power. Even volcanoes that are considered extinct cannot be trusted, because one day they can “wake up” and start erupting lava. Which of the active volcanoes is considered the highest? Where are they the most? We will talk about this and much more in this article.

The area with the most active volcanoes

A volcano is a crack in the earth's crust through which ash, steam, fiery lava, and gases are thrown out. Appearance the volcano resembles a mountain. Why are volcanoes divided into active and extinct?

If the slightest activity of a giant mountain was recorded in the history of mankind, then the volcano is considered active. It doesn't have to be ejected. By activity is meant even if it just emits steam and ash once every hundred years.

Many active volcanoes are located on Malay Archipelago, which is territorially adjacent to Asia and Australia. On the territory of Russia there is also a dangerous zone of active volcanoes. It is located in Kamchatka with the capture Kuril Islands. According to scientists, at least 60 volcanoes show signs of activity there every year.

The largest volcano in the world

Mauna Loa is the name of a giant that surpassed all other volcanoes in the world in its size. It is located in Hawaii. Translated from local language The volcano is called Long Mountain.

The activity of the giant was first recorded in 1843. Since that moment, it has erupted 33 times already, which makes it perhaps the most active volcano on the planet. The last eruption occurred in 1984. Then the lava covered 30 thousand acres of land. After the eruption, the territory of Hawaii increased by almost 200 hectares.

Above sea level, Mauna Lao has a height of 4,169 m, and if you count the height from the very center, you get almost 9 thousand m. This is even higher than the most high mountain world - Everest.

Mauna Lao is not only the largest, but also the most powerful volcano. 75 thousand cubic kilometers - this is its total volume.

The highest active volcano in the world

In this part, even scientists' opinions divided. As for the height above sea level, there is no doubt, the Llullaillaco volcano is considered the highest - 6,723 m. It is located in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. Its last eruption was recorded in 1877.

Another part of the scientists gives the laurels of primacy to another volcano located in the Andes, but already on the territory of Ecuador - Cotopaxi. Its height above sea level is slightly lower than its competitor - 5,897 m. However, its last eruption was in 1942. And it was much more powerful than the Llullaillaco eruption.

All scientists agree on one thing - Cotopaxi is the most beautiful volcano. It has an elegant crater and incredibly beautiful greenery at the foot. However, such beauty is very deceptive. Over the past 300 years, 10 powerful eruptions have been recorded. All 10 times the city of Latacunga, which is located near the foot of the giant, was completely destroyed.

The most famous volcanoes in the world

Despite the fact that the previous volcanoes are the largest and most beautiful, few have heard of them. But there are two leaders who are known to everyone since school lessons - Fujiyama, Vesuvius and Kilimanjaro.

Fujiyama is located in Asia, on the island of Honshu, not far from Japanese capital. Since ancient times, local residents have erected a volcano in a cult. It rises to 3,776 meters above sea level and has a beautiful outline. Last thing powerful eruption was recorded in 1707.

Vesuvius is an active volcano in southern Italy. By the way, this is one of the three active volcanoes in the country. Although Vesuvius is not as high as other volcanoes (only 1,281 m above sea level), it is considered one of the most dangerous. It was he who completely destroyed Pompeii, as well as Herculaneum and Stabiae. Its last eruption took place in 1944. Then the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa were completely destroyed by lava.

Kilimanjaro is not only the highest African volcano, but also the highest point on the continent. Scientists believe that the history of Kilimanjaro goes back two million years. The volcano is located 300 meters south of the Equator. Despite this, at its foot accumulated a large number of glaciers.

The tallest extinct volcano in the world

The highest extinct volcano is also located on the territory of two countries - Chile and Argentina. The peak of the Ojos del Salado volcano (translated from Spanish as “Salty Eyes”) is located on the Chilean side. The height of the peak is 6,891 m above sea level.

In the entire history of human existence, Ojos del Salado has never erupted. There were several cases when he threw out water vapor and sulfur. Last time such a case was noticed in 1993.

This fact made many scientists think about whether Ojos del Salado should be included in the ranks of active volcanoes? If this happens, it will become the highest active volcano in the world.

Volcanoes - geological formations on the surface of the crust of the Earth or another planet, where magma comes to the surface, forming lava, volcanic gases, stones (volcanic bombs and pyroclastic flows).

The word "volcano" comes from the name of the ancient Roman god of fire, Vulcan.

The science that studies volcanoes is volcanology, geomorphology.

Volcanoes are classified according to their shape (shield, stratovolcanoes, cinder cones, domes), activity (active, dormant, extinct), location (terrestrial, underwater), etc.

Volcanoes are divided depending on the degree of volcanic activity into active, dormant and extinct. An active volcano is considered to be a volcano that erupted in a historical period of time or in the Holocene. The concept of "active" is rather inaccurate, since a volcano that has active fumaroles is classified by some scientists as active, and some as extinct. Sleepers are not considered active volcanoes, on which eruptions are possible, and extinct - on which they are unlikely.

However, among volcanologists there is no consensus on how to define an active volcano. The period of volcano activity can last from several months to several million years. Many volcanoes showed volcanic activity several tens of thousands of years ago, but are not currently considered active.

Astrophysicists, in a historical aspect, believe that volcanic activity, caused, in turn, by the tidal action of other celestial bodies, can contribute to the emergence of life. In particular, it was volcanoes that contributed to the formation of the earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere, throwing out a significant amount of carbon dioxide and water vapor. Scientists also note that too active volcanism, such as on Jupiter's moon Io, can make the planet's surface uninhabitable. At the same time, weak tectonic activity leads to the disappearance of carbon dioxide and sterilization of the planet. "These two cases represent potential habitable boundaries for planets and exist alongside traditional life zone parameters for low-mass main-sequence star systems," the scientists write.

Volcanoes, for all their danger, are one of the most beautiful and majestic wonders nature. Active volcanoes look especially beautiful at night. But this beauty brings death to everything around. Lava, volcanic bombs, pyroclastic flows, consisting of hot volcanic gases, ash and stones, can wipe out even big cities. Mankind managed to make sure of the incredible power of volcanoes during the sad famous eruption Vesuvius, which killed the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae. And there are many such examples in history. The largest volcanoes in the world - let's talk today about these dangerous, but beautiful giants. Our list includes volcanoes varying degrees activity - from conditionally dormant to active. The main selection criterion was their size.

10 Sangay Height 5230 meters

The active stratovolcano Sangay, located in Ecuador, opens the rating of the largest volcanoes on Earth. Its height is 5230 meters. The top of the volcano consists of three craters with a diameter of 50 to 100 meters. Sangai is one of the youngest and most restless volcanoes in South America. Its first eruption occurred in 1628. The last one took place in 2007. Now the volcanic activity of the giant from the Equator is estimated as moderate. Tourists who visited national park Sangai, on the territory of which the volcano is located, can climb to its summit.

9 Popocatepetl Height 5455 meters

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8 Elbrus Height 5642 meters

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7 Orizaba Height 5675 meters

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6 Misty Height 5,822 meters

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5 Kilimanjaro Altitude 5,895 meters

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4 Cotopaxi Height 5,897 meters

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3 San Pedro Height 6,145 meters

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2 Mauna Loa Height 4205 meters

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1 Llullaillaco Height 6,739 meters

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