The largest volcano in the world. The highest volcanoes in the world

19.02.2014

In countries where there are volcanoes, such as Indonesia, they are located in such large provinces as West Java, East Java or Central Java. One of the most terrible disasters is a volcanic eruption, which can claim hundreds or even thousands of lives. It is impossible to forget about the eruption of the Krakatau volcano, the huge damage and thousands of victims. And here we present a list of the most dangerous and active volcanoes peace. However, not all volcanoes are dangerous. is in great demand among travelers and connoisseurs of wildlife.

No. 10. Hawaii, Mauna Loa volcano

Mauna Loa is one of the five mountains that make up the island of Hawaii. Although it is not the most high mountain, a volcanic eruption poses a high danger, since its lava is basically liquid, which can lead to serious fires. Mauna LOA is the most big volcano in the world (in terms of volume and area), taking into account the volume of lava, it reaches 18,000 cubic miles. Last eruption happened April 15, 1984.

No. 9. Philippines, Taal volcano

Approximately 50 km (31 miles) from the capital city of Manila, one of the most dangerous volcanoes, Taal. This mountain is an island in Taal Lake, which is located inside a caldera formed as a result of very strong previous eruptions (this process is similar to Lake Toba). Taal Volcano is a complex of volcanoes on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Happened several times strong eruptions this volcano, including one of the most powerful eruptions that claimed more than a thousand people.

No. 8. Papua New Guinea, Ulavun Volcano

Ulawun volcano is located in Papua New Guinea, on the Bismarck archipelago, and is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes New Guinea. Several eruptions have been recorded, one of the strongest being in 1980, with a plume of ash erupting from Ulawun reaching 60,000 feet in height and its pyroclastic flows engulfing the mountains on all sides.

No. 7. Congo, Nyiragongo Volcano

It has erupted at least 34 times since 1882. One of the worst eruptions occurred on September 17, 2002, when lava that flowed down the slopes of Nyiragongo covered about 40% of the city of Goma and left nearly 120,000 people homeless. Nyiragongo is one of most active volcanoes in Africa, its activity never stops.

No. 6. Indonesia, volcano Merapi

Mount Merapi is a conical volcano located in Indonesia on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta. Most of Merapi eruptions, including lava, continue to descend, occasionally accompanied by hot smoke capable of spreading at speeds of up to 120 km per hour. This is the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Indonesia, they became active 10,000 years ago, and since 1548 their activity has not stopped.

No. 5. Colombia, Galeras volcano

This mountain most active volcano in Colombia. Since 2000, its eruptions have occurred almost every year. This is dangerous, because the frequency of eruptions is unpredictable. The Galeras volcano has been active for at least a million years. Its location near the southern Colombian border with Ecuador would have caused hot lava to descend down the slope of Mount Galeras for 3.5 km. The latest eruption on January 3, 2010 forced the government to evacuate 8,000 people.

No. 4. Japan, Sakurajima volcano

The Sakurajima volcano is located on the island of Kyushu in Japan and is one of the the most dangerous volcanoes. March 10, 2009 there was a terrible eruption, when the volcano threw out stones and other rocks up to 2 miles. The intensity of the Sakurajima eruption is one of the strongest not only in Japan, but also in the world. Over the past 45 years, 73 eruptions have been recorded.

No. 3. Mexico, Popocatepetl volcano

The active volcano Popocatepetl is located at an altitude of 5426 meters above sea level. Beginning in December 1994, the dangerous activity of the volcano continued, until in 2000 there was the most powerful eruption known to history. Since 1519, 20 eruptions have been recorded. The explosion was so strong that it threw ashes over a fairly long distance.

No. 2. Italy, Vesuvius volcano

Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano in Gulf of Naples, in Italy, about 9 miles east of Naples. Mount Vesuvius is the only volcano in Europe that has erupted in the last 100 years. This volcano could explode at any moment and severely punish the people living in its vicinity. A lava eruption from a volcano can reach high altitude, so in March 1994 lava splashed to a height of up to 1000 meters. famous eruption 79 destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

No. 1. USA, Yellowstone Volcano

Volcano Yellowstone - the most dangerous and active volcano in the world. Rocks and rocks ejected from this volcano can fly up to 1000 km. The volcanic eruption of lava and ash from this mountain threatens the extinction of the living and can cause a mass disaster because it will entail other volcanic activities determined by tectonic fluctuations, which will cause other explosions.

Volcano. This word is enchanting and scary at the same time. People have always been drawn to something beautiful and dangerous, because beauty, accompanied by risk, becomes even more attractive, but at the same time, the history of the city of Pompeii immediately comes to mind. Volcanoes have not brought such terrible destruction for a long time, which are still stored on the pages of our history, because thanks to scientists who can tell which mountain is a volcano and which is not, people stopped settling at the foot dangerous mountains. But, nevertheless, volcanoes continue to exist and then fall into hibernation, then wake up from sleep to begin active life. Let's look at which volcanoes are the largest in the world.

10 biggest volcanoes in the world

1. Volcano Yellowstone. This volcano is located in the Yellowstone national park in USA. It is Yellowstone that can rightly be called the most big volcano in the world, as well as the most dangerous volcano in the world. The height of the volcano is 3142 meters above sea level, and the area of ​​the volcano is 4000 square kilometers. The area of ​​this volcano is twenty times the size of Washington, the capital of the United States of America. This volcano is still dormant, although it has begun to show signs of activity since the beginning of the twenty-first century. According to scientists, this volcano erupts approximately every 600 thousand years, and about 640 thousand years have passed since the last eruption.


2. Volcano Vesuvius. This is the highest active volcano in Eurasia at the moment. It is also the highest volcano in Europe. It is located fifteen kilometers from Italian city. Its height is 1281 meters. Currently, Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe, and in addition, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Science is aware of more than eighty of its eruptions, one of which destroyed the famous ones.


3. Volcano Popocatepetl. This volcano is also active. It is located in the southern part of Mexico. The height of Popocateptl is 5452 meters. Over the past half century, its activity has been quite insignificant, and in general about thirty-six are known to history. major eruptions this volcano. Popocatepetl can be called the largest active volcano on this moment.


4. Volcano Sakurajima. An active volcano located in Japan. Once it was on the island, but during one of the eruptions a huge amount of lava connected it to the mainland. The height of the volcano is 1118 meters above sea level. At the moment, Sakurajima is visited by many tourists every year, despite the fact that the volcano is almost constantly active - smoke comes out of its mouth, and sometimes small eruptions occur.


5. Volcano Galeras. This volcano is located in Colombia. The height of Galeras is 4267 meters above sea level. The activity of this volcano was noticed in 2006, at the same time people were evacuated from the settlements closest to it. In 2010, more were evacuated more people, as the volcano continues its vigorous activity. Although over the past few thousand years, Galeras, if erupted, is extremely insignificant.


6. Volcano Merapi. An active Indonesian volcano located in Java. Height above sea level - 2914 meters. This volcano is active almost constantly. Small eruptions occur several times a year, and large ones about once every ten years. Merapi claimed many lives of people, and in one of its largest eruptions, even changed the surrounding landscape.


7. Volcano Nyiragongo. This volcano is located in Africa, in the Virunga mountains. At the moment it is more in sleep mode, although minor activity is sometimes observed. The most terrible eruption of this volcano was recorded in 1977. In general, this volcano is interesting in that its lava is very liquid due to its composition, therefore, during an eruption, its speed can reach even one hundred kilometers per hour.


8. Volcano Ulavun. The volcano is located on the island New Guinea and is currently an active volcano. Its height is 2334 meters above sea level. This volcano erupts frequently. Once this volcano was located under water, and it came to the surface only in 1878.


9. Volcano Taal. This active volcano is located in the Philippines, on the island of Luzon. Taal is remarkable in that it is the smallest of all the currently dormant volcanoes in the world, and there is a lake in the Taal crater. Every year, Taal is visited by many tourists from all over the world.


10. Volcano Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is an active volcano in Hawaii, USA. The height of this volcano is 4169 above sea level. This volcano can be considered the highest volcano on earth, if we take into account its underwater part, the height of which reaches 4500 meters. The last time this volcano erupted seriously was in 1950.

Despite their lethality, various volcanoes have long attracted man. Previously, people were attracted by fertile soils enriched with minerals and trace elements due to the activity of volcanoes, now tourists are attracted by the beauty and majesty of these natural objects.

Where are the largest volcanoes on the world map?

Most of today's active volcanoes are located in Pacific volcanic ring- area in which the largest number eruptions and 90% of earthquakes on our planet.

The second most powerful seismic zone is the Mediterranean fold belt, stretching from the Indonesian islands to.

The strongest eruption in history

The most destructive eruption in terms of its consequences is considered to be a catastrophe that occurred in 1883 during an explosion. Krakatoa volcano located in . During this cataclysm, more than 36 thousand people died, more than 165 cities and villages were completely destroyed, and ash was thrown to a height of 70 kilometers.

The force of the explosion during the eruption exceeded the force of the nuclear bomb explosion over Hiroshima by 10,000 times. Most of the deaths are the result of huge tsunami caused by the eruption. The island on which Krakatoa was located was almost completely destroyed during the disaster. The sound from the explosion spread to a distance of 5 thousand kilometers from the epicenter of the disaster.

Earth's Greatest Active Volcanic Mountains

The largest active volcanoes in the world in terms of volume:

• mauna loa, Hawaii, with a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers;
• kilimanjaro(Tanzania), which is considered dormant but potentially active, has a volume of 4,800 cubic kilometers;
• Volcano Sierra Negra located on Galapagos Islands(Ecuador) has a volume of 580 cubic kilometers.

Which country has the largest source of lava?

In terms of size, there is no equal to the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa, which has a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers. The title of the highest is contested by 2 volcanoes from South America:

1. Llullaillaco, located on the border of Argentina and Chile with a height of more than 6 thousand meters;
2. Cotopaxi, located in Ecuador with a height of 5897 meters.

Description with titles

On our planet, there are from 1000 to 1500 active volcanoes. Many of them are located close to densely populated areas and pose a threat to human life. The most dangerous volcanoes, which are under special supervision, are included in List of Volcanoes of the United Nations Decade.

Merapi

Merapi, which in Indonesian means "mountain of fire", recognized as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Asia. It is located in the south of the island of Java in Indonesia, and its peak rises to a height of 3 thousand meters.

Significant eruptions of Merapi occur with a frequency of about 7 years; during its history, Merapi has repeatedly caused the death of many people. In 1930, 1400 people became victims of the eruption, and in 2010 more than 350 thousand people had to be evacuated, 353 inhabitants of the island died.

Located near Merapi Yogyakarta city, in the agglomeration of which more than 2 million people live. For its activity and danger to people's lives, Merapi is included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Sakurajima

Sakurazdima volcano (Japan) is located on Kyushu island, its peak rises to a height of 1110 meters. The first eruption recorded by the chronicles occurred in 963, and the most powerful one dates back to 1914, but thanks to the tremors preceding it, most of the local residents managed to evacuate, “only” 35 people died.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the volcano has been constantly active. Every year there are thousands of small explosions and ash emissions.

In 2013, there was a large ash ejection, reaching a height of 4000 meters.

Sakurajima is also on the Volcanoes of the Decade list.

Aso

Aso Volcano is also located on Kyushu island in Japan. The highest point of Aso is at an altitude of 1592 meters. During the observation of the volcano, about 165 large and medium-sized eruptions occurred, many of which led to human casualties.

The last time people died as a result of volcanic eruptions in 1979, when 3 people died and 11 were injured. But Aso is dangerous not only for its eruptions, poisonous vapors of volcanic gas regularly poison tourists who try to conquer Aso. The last such incident occurred in 1997, when two climbers died.

The last eruption of Aso was noted in 2011, when ash was ejected to a height of up to 2 kilometers.

If you are traveling by plane, then you will be interested in where you will find out how the seats on the plane are located and which ones are the most convenient.

Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is located in DR Congo V mountain system Virunga (Africa). In the crater of the volcano is the world's largest lava lake, the depth of which can reach 3 kilometers. In 1977, the crater wall ruptured, resulting in a major lava flow to the surrounding area, resulting in the death of 70 people.

During observations of Nyiragongo since 1882, it was recorded 34 major volcanic eruptions. A feature of the Nyiragongo eruptions is an extremely fast flow of lava, reaching a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. During a major eruption in 2002, 400,000 residents of the city of Goma, located near the volcano, were evacuated. Nevertheless, 147 of them died as a result of this cataclysm, and the city itself received significant damage.

All these factors make Nyiragongo one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, for which he was rightly included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Galeras

Galeras volcano is located in Colombia near the city of Pasto, whose population is more than 400 thousand people. Its height exceeds 4200 meters. Due to its danger, Galeras has been included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade that pose the greatest threat in the foreseeable future.

It is believed that over the past 7000 years, Galeras has experienced at least 6 major eruptions, in 1993 the last of them was recorded.

mauna loa

Mauna Loa Volcano is located on Hawaiian Islands owned by the United States of America. This giant volcano occupies more than half of the area of ​​Hawaii, the height of the peak above sea level is 4169 meters, but most of the volcano is located under water. Together with the underwater part, its height from the base to the top reaches 9170 meters, which exceeds the height of Everest.

Mauna Loa eruptions occur along the so-called Hawaiian type with an outpouring of lava, but without explosions and large ash emissions. Observations of the volcano have been conducted only since 1832, but during this time 39 major eruptions of Mauna Loa were recorded. This volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade due to the huge lava flows that accompany the eruption and the densely populated area in its immediate vicinity.

The top of the volcano and its slopes are included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

Colima

The most active volcano in Central America located in the state of Jalisco. Due to its activity, Colima received the nickname "little Vesuvius", its height exceeds 3800 meters.

Over the past 450 years, more than 40 large and medium-sized volcanic eruptions have been recorded, the last of which occurred on September 12, 2016. More than 400 thousand people live near Colima, which makes it America's most dangerous volcano. For this reason, the volcano was included in the Volcanoes of the Decade list.

And you will learn about the largest cities in the world in - the most densely populated, the longest and others.

Vesuvius

Most famous volcano the world is located on peninsula V . The lone peak of Vesuvius, 1281 meters high, rises above the spacious fields of the province of Campania and is part of the Apennine mountain system.

Located just 15 kilometers from Naples, Vesuvius has repeatedly entered history with its catastrophic eruptions, about 80 large ones alone were recorded. In 79 AD, there was the most destructive eruption of Vesuvius, during which famous cities were killed:

• Pompeii;
• Oplontis;
• Herculaneum;
• Stabiae.

It is believed that at least 16,000 people died during this cataclysm.

In 1944, the last eruption of Vesuvius occurred at the moment, cities were destroyed during this natural disaster. Weight And San Sebastiano, 27 people became victims. Since then, Vesuvius has not shown much activity, but the danger of a new eruption always remains. Vesuvius is one of the main attractions of the province of Campania and its visit is included in sightseeing tour when traveling to Naples.

Etna

Another famous volcano in Italy is located in the east of the island of Sicily and is highest volcano, rising to a height of 2329 meters. Etna eruptions are observed several times a year. History has recorded several major eruptions of this volcano, which led to devastating consequences:

1. Destroyed in 122 AD city ​​of Catania;
2. In 1169 during massive eruption Etna died 15 thousand people;
3. In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
4. In 1928, the ancient Mascali city.

Despite the danger of the volcano, the inhabitants of the island continue to settle on its slopes. The reason for this is fertile soil, enriched with minerals and trace elements contained in the cooled lava flows and ash.

Etna is one of the main natural attractions of Sicily. Tourists from all over the world come to see the volcano and climb to its top.

popocatepetl

Volcano Popocatepetl, or El Popo as it is affectionately called locals, is located in Mexico, 70 kilometers from the capital of this country, the city of Mexico City. The height of the volcano is almost 5500 meters. Over the past 500 years, Popocatepetl has erupted more than 15 times, with the latest occurring as recently as 2015. An extinct volcano is located near Popocatepetl Istaxihuatl.

A trip to these volcanoes is an essential part of excursion program when visiting Mexico City.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka

The highest volcano in Eurasia is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula and is considered the most famous of the many volcanoes in Kamchatka. Highest point outside Caucasus mountains reaches a height of 4750 meters. It is the most active volcano in Eurasia, on average its eruptions occur almost every year. The last significant eruption occurred in 2013, the height of the ash emission was 10-12 kilometers. The eruption was accompanied by mud flows and ashfall.

Cotopaxi

The active volcano Cotopaxi is located in South America on the territory of the state Ecuador in the Andean mountain system. The height of the top of Cotopaxi is 5897 meters. Over the entire history of observations, 86 eruptions have been recorded, the largest of which led to the complete destruction of the city of Latacunga in 1786. Last Activity Cotopaxi was seen in 1942, after which the volcano is still sleeping.

Famous extinct giants

In addition to active volcanoes, there are many extinct volcanoes on our planet that do not show volcanic activity.

Supreme

The tallest extinct volcano in the world aconcagua, is located in Argentina and is part of the Andes mountain system. Aconcagua is not only the highest extinct volcano in the world, but also the highest peak in America, Western and Southern hemispheres. The height of Aconcagua exceeds 6950 meters.

sleeping giants

Many extinct volcanoes are now considered just mountains, although some of them could potentially “wake up” and begin to show activity. Such volcanoes, which may become active in the future, are called "asleep".

• famous Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa) is a dormant volcano that does not show active activity. Scientists believe that one day Kilimanjaro may wake up, then this potential volcano will become one of the highest in the world, because the height of Kilimanjaro is 5895 meters above sea level.

colossal supervolcano yellowstone considered extinct, but scientists have found that there is little activity in it, so now Yellowstone is categorized as dormant volcanoes. The last time the giant erupted almost a million years ago.

It is believed that if Yellowstone wakes up, the potential eruption will become one of the largest disasters in the history of the Earth, every third inhabitant of the planet will die, and several US states will be completely destroyed.

Yellowstone eruption cause many earthquakes giant waves tsunamis and other volcanic eruptions, which will affect almost every inhabitant of the planet. The ash thrown out by the volcano will cover the surface of the earth from the sun for a year and a half, and a volcanic winter will come throughout the planet.

However, not all scientists believe that the consequences of this cataclysm will be so serious. In any case, the eruption of this volcano remains one of the main potential threats to humans.

• The largest extinct volcano in Russia - - 5642 meters. It is located on the border of the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Refers to the list of the highest peaks of the six parts of the world. Scientists consider the activity of the volcano not so much completed as fading.
• The largest volcano of our time cannot be visited and is very difficult to see, as it is under water. array Tamu located at the bottom Pacific Ocean and is located about 1600 kilometers east of Japanese islands. Its dimensions are 650 by 450 kilometers; in terms of its scale, the array is one of the largest not only on Earth, but in the entire solar system. The last volcanic eruption occurred 140 million years ago.
• dormant volcanoes Big and Small Ararat are now located on the territory and belong to the category of volcanoes that do not show volcanic activity. The top of Mount Ararat, reaching 5165 meters, is the highest point Turkey.
• One of the highest peaks of the Caucasus, Mount Kazbek is also an extinct volcano. Kazbek is located on the border with Russia, the highest point of the mountain is located at an altitude of more than 5 kilometers. During research, volcanic ash from an eruption that allegedly occurred 40 thousand years ago was found in one of the caves of Kazbek.

Do you like extreme tourism to shaky knees? If yes, then you are the most scary places on Earth reveal their secrets.

Watch a video about these and other 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 Largest cities of that era (Pompeii, Stabia, Herculaneus).

The article describes largest volcanoes in the world. This list includes volcanoes from different corners 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 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, 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 Presents great danger for residents 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. At their sign eternal love the gods turned the lovers into two mountains.

6. Orizaba

Orizaba - highest peak Mexico and one of the most huge 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. Square 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 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.

To date, there are several hundred active volcanoes on our planet, among all this diversity there are both the most powerful and largest, and the highest. Each of the volcanoes has one important characteristic that unites them all - they have great potential and power. Volcanoes majestically rise above the ground from a few hundred to several thousand meters above the ground.

In addition, volcanoes have two unpleasant characteristics - they are very dangerous and unpredictable.

THE LARGEST VOLCANOES

Probably, we can safely say that the most massive among its relatives in the whole world is located in Hawaii and has the name Mauna Loa. Indeed, he can be called a real giant, and he takes huge area in the Hawaiian Islands. Firstly, this volcano can frighten anyone with its gigantic size, and secondly, today it is the most active volcano in the world. The first recorded eruption of Mauna Loa occurred in 1843, since then 43 such eruptions have been counted.

The last time a rather powerful eruption occurred in the twentieth century, namely: in 1984. It was then that a huge amount of lava poured out of the mouth of the volcano, it covered an area of ​​​​more than 12 thousand hectares of land. Also, the frozen lava significantly increased the area of ​​the island itself. Mauna Loa rises above the ocean level by 4170 meters, and do not forget that the volcano goes under water for a similar distance. Therefore, if we combine the height above the level and the depth below the sea level, it turns out that this particular volcano is the highest, and also that this is the most big mountain on the planet. According to such a total indicator, Mauna Loa even surpasses the famous Jomalungma.

Among a large number of scientists, there is an opinion that Llullaillaco should be considered the most massive volcano on Earth, and we are talking about volcanoes that are currently active. This volcano is located in the Andes, and more specifically, among the Argentine and Chilean Andes. Llullaillaco has a height of 6723 meters, last time he awakened back in 1877, but this eruption was remembered by all the locals.

Llullaillaco volcano

But in the scientific community there is disagreement about which of the volcanoes should be called the largest. For example, some believe that the highest and largest volcano is located in South America, near the equator. This refers to the actually huge volcano and it is called Cotopaxi, whose height is 5879 meters. Despite being lower in height than Llullaillaco, the Cotopaxi volcano has more rich story eruptions, the last time it happened in 1942.

Cotopaxi volcano

And if Cotopaxi cannot be called the largest volcano on Earth, then it definitely deserves the epithet “the most beautiful”. Judge for yourself - at the foot of just an abundance of green vegetation tropical jungle, and the top of the volcano is covered with a white snow cap. Of course, like the whole family of volcanoes, Cotopaxi is also quite dangerous, since during the entire observation period it woke up more than a dozen times and spewed out a huge amount of lava from its mouth. In one of these eruptions, the city of Latacunga was completely destroyed.

THE HIGHEST VOLCANO

If we talk about such a characteristic as height, then the highest of all volcanoes on Earth is Ojos del Salado. This volcano is located between two states - Chile and Argentina. Translated from Spanish it translates as "salty tears". The height of this volcano is 6890 meters above sea level, while the highest peak is located on Chilean territory. This cannot but please the citizens of Chile, moreover, they are proud of having such a high volcano in their country.

Various scientists conducted a large number of expeditions to this volcano, conducted a lot of research there, and in the end they came to the unanimous opinion that Ojos del Salado did not erupt even once. More specifically, we are talking about the last two million years. Despite the fact that the volcano is in a dormant state, most recently, in 1993, it released a large amount of sulfur and water vapor into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is not only the highest volcano on the planet, but also the calmest to date.

THE BIGGEST VOLCANO ERUPTION

by the most powerful eruption volcano, documentary information about which has survived to this day, is an eruption near the capital of Indonesia - the proud Jakarta. All the fear and power of the volcano, its inhabitants felt on themselves. Tragic events took place back in 1883, just then, on May 20, a local volcano called Krakatau woke up. At first, the eruption was manifested by strong tremors, the earth literally shook. It should be noted that Krakatoa itself is located at a distance of 50 kilometers from Jakarta. Actually, for three months, tremors of various strengths occurred from time to time, but the worst began on August 27, on that day Krakatau woke up for real.

It began with the terrible force of the explosion, it was even heard by those who were 5 thousand kilometers from the volcano. Further, a huge cloud of ash rose into the sky, and the volcano threw it to a height of 30 kilometers. If we talk about the gas-ash column, then it flew all the way to the mesosphere. Then a deafening explosion sounded, today it corresponds to a force of 6 points. settling long time ash covered almost the entire territory of Indonesia. A terrible explosion provoked a devastating tsunami, from the impact of which 37,000 people died in one day. Some eyewitnesses claimed that in some areas the wave reached a height of 30 meters.

As a result, the volcanic eruption completely destroyed 165 towns and cities. Huge clouds of volcanic ash settled over the entire territory of the Earth for several more years and influenced the climate throughout the planet for two years.