The concept of the largest volcanoes of the world. The area with the most active volcanoes. The strongest volcanic eruption
People have always been attracted dangerous beauty and greatness mountain peaks. Among the ten highest of them are as active volcanoes, and extinct several centuries ago. Below are the top 10 highest volcanoes on earth.
1 place
Ojos del Salado (6893m) - the highest volcano on Earth. He is in South America in the Chilean Alps. Today, the volcano is considered extinct: the last volcanic activity dates back to 1993, when a small hydrogen sulfide cloud came out of the crater. Researchers on the slopes of the mountain discovered altars from the time of the Incas. Interestingly, in 2007, the peak was conquered by a Chilean motorist, and this ascent became a record among automobile summits.
2nd place 
Lullagliaco (6723m) is the second largest volcano. Today, this massif is in a dormant state, and the area around is covered with petrified lava for many kilometers. It is noteworthy that Llullallaco is covered with snow all year round, and its crater is covered with a thick layer of ice, although the volcano is adjacent to the Ataka Desert, the driest area on earth.
3rd place 
San Pedro(6145m) - the third in the top three highest volcanoes; and it is also found in South America. San Pedro is an active volcano, its last eruption took place in 1960. Interestingly, the volcano has two peaks, the first of which is San Pedro, by which this mountain is usually called, and the second is called San Pablo, whose height is 6092 meters.
4th place 
Cotopaxi (5897 m) - another volcano in South America. Today, Cotopaxi is in a dormant state, and the last powerful eruption took place in the 50s of the last century. However, little activity in the form of emissions of hydrogen sulfide clouds is observed even now.
5th place 
Kilimanjaro (5895 m) — famous volcano immortalized by Hemingway. Is highest mountain Africa, made up of three volcanic formations with a different history of eruptions. The volcano has long been in a dormant state, but today scientists are recording signs of Kilimanjaro's "warming up", which is associated with global climate change on the planet.
6th place 
Misty (5822 m) - the volcano is located in South America on the territory of Peru. Last Activity was recorded in 1985. Today, Misty continues passive volcanic activity - ash emissions, hydrogen sulfide, changes in soil temperature. Artifacts from the time of the Incas were found on the slopes of the mountain, so the mountain is of particular interest to lovers of antiquity.
7th place 
Orizaba (5636m) - the highest volcano in North America. Today the volcano is inactive, and its last eruption dated 1687. All year round, Orizaba is adorned with sparkling ice cap. Glaciers located on the volcano are vital for the region - during the melting period, they fill local reservoirs with water
8th place 
Elbrus (5642 m) — highest peak Caucasus. Today, the volcano is considered extinct. The last powerful eruptions occurred one and a half millennia ago, and the greatest activity in the form of ash and hydrogen sulfide emissions was recorded five centuries ago. However, the presence of hot springs and the growth of moss in some parts of the mountain indicate that hidden volcanic activity is activated deep inside the massif.
9th place 
Popocatepetl (5462 m) is an active volcano located in Mexico. The mountain is located 610 km from Mexico City and belongs to the group of active volcanoes. In February 2015, an eruption occurred, which temporarily suspended the life of the capital - Popocatepetl threw out a pillar of fire and ash 4 km high. This volcano is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Puffs of smoke are always visible above its crater, and over the past five centuries, about twenty powerful eruptions accompanied by the descent of molten magma.
10th place 
Sangai (5230 m) - an active volcano located in South America. The crater of the volcano is constantly emitting exhausts of ash and hydrogen sulfide. Eruptions often occur, the last of which was recorded in 2007. Sangay is located in the Chilean Andes at a considerable distance from the main roads and settlements, and therefore the activity of the volcano does not pose a great threat to the population.
Today on the globe There are over 600 active volcanoes. They are concentrated mainly at the junctions tectonic plates. Nai big amount"Working" volcanoes can boast (or cry) Andes. It is here that the highest active volcano in the world, called Cotopaxi, is located.
About 70 thousand years ago in South America, 80 km from the equator and 150 km from the coast Pacific Ocean the volcano exploded. From huge mountain there was a funnel with a diameter of several tens of kilometers with an almost flat bottom and sheer walls. It seemed that everything was over. But a few years later, a new crater formed in the center of the funnel-caldera. With each new eruption, lava and ash were layered on top of each other, forming an even cone. The mountain grew and for many centuries became one of the highest. The wind from the ocean brought moisture to it, settling on the top in a white cap of ice and snow. It sparkled in the rays of the sun and was visible for many kilometers.
The people of one of the tribes who saw the mountain gave it a name in their own language: Sparkling Mountain. Or maybe the volcano got this name not because of the snow, but because of the column of fire escaping from the crater during the eruption, illuminating the top, or smoke. One of the translations of the name is Smoking Mountain. In the language of another tribe, the name of the mountain was translated into Russian as “Neck of the Moon” or “Throne of the Moon”. Be that as it may, those tribes do not exist, and the highest active volcano in the world bears the name they invented - Cotopaxi.
For many years, only the surrounding tribes knew about the volcano. They considered the fiery mountain sacred and treated it with reverence. Years passed, the volcano seemed to subside. Only old people remembered eruptions. But one day, around 1530, the priests watching the mountain noticed that the snow cap began to melt and by 1534 it had completely disappeared. What happened was interpreted as a terrible omen. At the same time, strange armed people appeared in the vicinity, speaking in an incomprehensible language. They demanded something incomprehensible, and killed those who could not give it to them, that is, everyone. The warriors of the tribe entered into battle with them and, in the heat of battle, did not notice the eruption that had begun. When the danger was discovered, all that remained was to run. The tribal leaders and priests interpreted what happened as the wrath of the gods. So the territory near Cotopaxi submitted to the Spaniards, and the volcano became known in Europe.
Note! The first attempt to explore Cotopaxi was made in 1802, but the expeditions led by the German geographer Alexander von Humboldt and the Frenchman Aimé Bonpland failed to climb the mountain. The summit was conquered by Humboldt's compatriot, geologist Wilhelm Reiss on November 28, 1872.
Travel to the volcano
Cotopaxi with a height of about 5900 m is clearly visible from Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
From the city along a fertile valley of volcanoes, formed by two parallel chains of mountains, the Pan-American Highway leads to it. An inconspicuous turn to the left, another ten kilometers, and the entrance to the national park Cotopaxi.
The entrance fee is 2 dollars from "ours" and 10 from "strangers". Up to a height of 4500 m can be reached by car, further - on foot. Shelter where climbers gather located at an altitude of 4800 m.
Guests meet manual fox. He feeds on the remnants of food and therefore is happy to have guests.
From above you can see the area. The foot of the mountain is covered coniferous forest, in which there is a multitude of all kinds of animals and birds.
Above, the forest gives way to tundra with mosses, lichens and heather valleys. Relief becomes visible. The undulating surface is cut by cracks left by mudflows and rivers flowing down the mountain. Some recesses filled with water. Numerous birds and amphibians live on the formed lakes. Stones and boulders brought by mudflows are scattered everywhere. Volcanic ash covering the ground is of two colors: almost black and red-pink.
In the mountain shelter, groups are formed to climb to the top, they take everyone, even beginners.
In the daytime, you can climb to the snow line on your own, but higher - only accompanied local guide. Equipment is issued on the spot. The ascent starts at night and lasts 7-8 hours. Dawn overtakes travelers on the edge of the crater, it is double.
The outer funnel is more ancient and rectangular, approximately 500x800 m, while the inner one is new and almost perfectly round. From the top there is an unparalleled view of the surrounding landscape.
Note! The top of Cotopaxi is one of the few places on Earth where you can see both polar star, and the constellation Southern Cross.
The cold wind does not allow to linger at the top. On the descent in daylight, cracks between the flows of solidified lava are clearly visible, through which bridges of packed snow are “thrown”.
dangerous neighborhood
The Cotopaxi volcano is the most visited mountain in Ecuador. It seems that people have firmly settled down at its foot and on the slopes, but the columns of steam and sulfur oxide escaping from the vent remind what, or with whom, they are dealing.
Note! Over the past 250 years, the volcano has erupted 50 times. The most powerful ejection occurred on April 4, 1768. Then the lava reached the coast of the ocean, and in Quito, because of the ash, the day turned into night. At the foot of the mountain itself, it was light from the fire escaping from the crater. The explosion of the volcano in 1746 was heard 800 kilometers away, in Bolivia. In the twentieth century, he woke up the most in 1904, 1942 and 1976.
Now Cotopaxi is sleeping, but the danger of a new eruption remains. Mudflows and lahars are the main threat. These are streams of water flowing from the mountain along cracks and riverbeds and sweeping away everything in its path. In 1887, such a mudflow washed away a village located 240 km from the volcano. Lahars, a mixture of water and ash with the properties of liquid concrete, have repeatedly flooded the city of Latacunga, located 40 km from Cotopaxi. The proximity to the capital of two million, which is 60 km in a straight line, makes the volcano one of the most dangerous in the world.
However, who is higher?
Cotopaxi is considered the highest active volcano on the planet. But not everyone agrees with this. In the Andes, there are two of his "colleagues" higher: Lullaillaco with a height of 6739 meters and Ojos del Salado, its height is 6887 meters. This is the highest of all existing volcanoes active and extinct. They argue about whether they are sleeping or extinguished. Llullaillaco last erupted in 1877. It is said that a column of steam was recently seen over it. Ojos del Salado was active about 1300 years ago, but steam and sulfur emissions have also been recorded at a later time.
Whether they are active or already extinguished, no one can accurately answer this question. So only a new eruption of one of the volcanoes will put an end to the discussion: which of the active volcanoes on earth is the highest.
Video
Timelapse of the night sky over Cotopaxi volcano:
Aerial shot of Cotopaxi and Antizan:
Volcanoes are not only an exciting and dangerous sight. It is thanks to volcanic activity that life on planet Earth was born. The atmosphere and hydrosphere appeared due to emissions of a huge amount carbon dioxide and water vapor. To date, some fire-breathing mountains are inactive, while others cause trouble and anxiety to mankind.
Volcano Vesuvius. Italy
Considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes Europe. It was he who in August 1979 destroyed several ancient Roman cities, including Pompeii. It wakes up about every 20 years. Last time- in 1944.
Volcano Yellowstone Caldera. USA
About a third of Yellowstone national park occupies an active volcano. Inside his bubble of magma is constantly heating thermal springs, which is manifested in the formation of geysers and mud pots. 
Volcano Krakatau. Indonesia
The last time it erupted was in 1883, as a result of which the island on which the volcano is located was destroyed. The process lasted from May to the end of August. The victims of the ash and tsunami were 36 thousand people and 259 settlements. Today, a 1.5 km zone around the island is closed to the public.
Volcano Mauna Loa. Hawaii
This is the second largest of the megavolcanoes, the top of which is covered with snow from January to March. Sometimes he wakes up and pours out lava flows.
Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania, Africa
The volcano consists of 3 extinct peaks. However, scientists have found that only at a depth of 400 m under the crater of the mountain is red-hot lava. In addition, the centuries-old ice cap that covered the peak has almost melted.
Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Iceland
Not so long ago, the volcano paralyzed the work of several European airports. The eruption was rated at 4 points on the VEI scale. Some researchers believe that the awakening of Eyyafyatlayokudl may be the trigger for the Katla eruption.
Volcano Cotopaxi. Ecuador
This is the most active volcano. After more than 150 years of silence, Cotopaxi came to life again in 2015. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Volcano Merapi. Java Island
One of the most active volcanoes erupts at least twice a year, and major eruptions occur every seven years. For local residents have to evacuate. The top of Merapi smokes non-stop.
Volcano Popocatepetl. Mexico
The most powerful eruption occurred in 2000. It was preceded by 15 years of increased activity of the fiery mountain. In March 2016, Popocatepetl raised a column of steam, gas and ash to a height of 2 km. At risk are the cities of Mexico City and Puebla.
Today, there are about 600 active volcanoes and up to 1000 extinct volcanoes on the Earth's surface. In addition, about 10,000 more hide under water. Most of them are located at the junctions of tectonic plates. About 100 volcanoes are concentrated around Indonesia, on the territory of the western American states there are about 10 of them, a cluster of volcanoes is also noted in the region of Japan, Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. But they are all nothing compared to the one megavolcano that scientists fear the most.
The most dangerous volcanoes
This or that danger is represented by any of the existing volcanoes, even sleeping. Not a single volcanologist or geomorphologist undertakes to determine which of them is the most dangerous, since it is impossible to accurately predict the time and strength of the eruption of any of them. The name "the most dangerous volcano in the world" is simultaneously claimed by the Roman Vesuvius and Etna, the Mexican Popocatepetl, the Japanese Sakurajima, the Colombian Galeras, located in the Congo Nyiragongo, in Guatemala - Santa Maria, in Hawaii - Manua Loa and others.
If the danger of a volcano is judged by the expected damage that it can cause, then it would be reasonable to turn to history describing what consequences the most dangerous eruptions volcanoes in the world in the past. For example, the well-known Vesuvius carried away in 79 AD. e. up to 10 thousand lives and wiped off the face of the Earth two major cities. The Krakatoa eruption in 1883, which was 200,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, echoed across the Earth and took the lives of 36,000 islanders.
The eruption in 1783 of a volcano called Laki led to the fact that a huge part of the livestock and food stocks was destroyed, due to which 20% of the population of Iceland died of starvation. The following year, because of Lucky, became a poor harvest for the whole of Europe. All this shows what large-scale consequences can turn out for people.
Destructive supervolcanoes
But did you know that all the biggest dangerous nothing compared to the so-called supervolcanoes, the eruption of each of which thousands of years ago brought truly catastrophic consequences for the entire Earth and changed the climate on the planet? The eruptions of such volcanoes could have a force of 8 points, and ash with a volume of at least 1000 m 3 was thrown to a height of at least 25 km. This led to prolonged sulfur precipitation, the absence sunlight for many months and covering a vast area of the earth's surface with huge layers of ash.
Supervolcanoes are distinguished by the fact that at the site of the eruption they do not have a crater, but a caldera. This cirque-shaped hollow with a relatively flat bottom is formed as a result of the fact that after a series of strong explosions with the release of smoke, ash and magma, the upper part of the mountain collapses.
The most dangerous supervolcano
Scientists are aware of the existence of approximately 20 supervolcanoes. On the site of one of these awesome giants is today Lake Taupa in New Zealand, another supervolcano is hidden under the one located on the Long Valley in California, Wallis in New Mexico and Ira in Japan.
But the most dangerous volcano in the world is the Yellowstone supervolcano, located on the territory of the western American states, which is the most “ripe” for an eruption. It is he who makes volcanologists and geomorphologists in the United States, and indeed the whole world, live in a state of growing fear, forcing them to forget about all the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world.
Location and size of Yellowstone
The Yellowstone Caldera is located in the northwestern United States, in the state of Wyoming. She was first noticed by satellite in 1960. The caldera, which measures approximately 55*72 km, is part of the world famous Yellowstone National Park. One third of almost 900,000 ha park area located in the caldera of the volcano.
To this day, a giant magma bubble with a depth of about 8,000 m rests under the Yellowstone crater. The temperature of the magma inside it approaches 1000 0 C. Due to this, a lot of hot springs rage on the territory of the Yellowstone Park, clouds of steam and gas mixtures rise from cracks in the earth's crust.
Also there are many geysers and mud pots. The reason for this was a vertical stream of solid rock heated to a temperature of 1600 0 C 660 km wide. Under the territory of the park at a depth of 8-16 km there are two branches of this stream.
Yellowstone eruptions in the past
The first eruption of Yellowstone, which occurred, according to scientists, more than 2 million years ago, was the largest catastrophe on Earth in its entire history. Then, according to the assumption of volcanologists, about 2.5 thousand km 3 were thrown into the atmosphere rock, and the top mark reached by these emissions was 50 km above the earth's surface.
The largest and most dangerous volcano in the world began a second eruption more than 1.2 million years ago. Then the volume of emissions was approximately 10 times less. The third eruption occurred 640 thousand years ago. It was then that the walls of the crater collapsed and the caldera that exists today was formed.
Why You Should Be Afraid of the Yellowstone Caldera Today
In light of recent changes in the territory of Yellowstone National Park, it is becoming clearer to scientists which volcano is the most dangerous in the world. What is going on there? Scientists were alerted by the following changes, which were especially intensified in the 2000s:
- In the 6 years leading up to 2013, the ground covering the caldera has risen by as much as 2 meters, while in the previous 20 years the rise was only 10 cm.
- New hot geysers bubbled up from underground.
- The frequency and strength of earthquakes in the area of the Yellowstone caldera is increasing. In 2014 alone, scientists recorded about 2,000 of them.
- In some places, underground gases make their way through the layers of the earth to the surface.
- The water temperature in the rivers has risen by several degrees.
This frightening news alarmed the public, and especially the inhabitants of the North American continent. Many scientists agree that the supervolcano will erupt in this century.
Consequences of the eruption for America
No wonder many volcanologists believe that the Yellowstone Caldera is the most dangerous volcano in the world. They assume that its next eruption will be as powerful as the previous ones. Scientists equate it to the explosion of a thousand atomic bombs. This means that within a radius of 160 km around the epicenter, everything will be completely destroyed. The territory covered with ash, stretching for 1600 km around, will turn into a "dead zone".
The eruption of Yellowstone can lead to eruptions of other volcanoes and the formation of powerful tsunamis. There will be a state of emergency for the United States and martial law will be introduced. Information comes from various sources that America is preparing for a disaster: building shelters, making more than a million plastic coffins, drawing up an evacuation plan, drawing up agreements with countries on other continents. IN Lately about the true state of affairs on the Yellowstone caldera, the United States prefers to remain silent.
Yellowstone Caldera and the End of the World
The eruption of the caldera, located under the Yellowstone Park, will bring trouble not only to America. The picture that can unfold in this case looks sad for the whole world. Scientists have calculated that if the release to a height of 50 km lasts only two days, then the “cloud of death” during this time will cover an area twice as large as the entire American continent.
In a week, emissions will reach India and Australia. The sun's rays will drown in thick volcanic smoke and a long one and a half year (at least) winter will come to Earth. average temperature air on Earth will drop to -25 0 C, and in some places it will reach -50 o. People will die under debris falling from the sky from red-hot lava, from cold, hunger, thirst and inability to breathe. According to assumptions, only one person in a thousand will survive.
The eruption of the Yellowstone caldera can, if not completely destroy life on earth, then radically change the conditions for the existence of all life. No one can say for sure whether this most dangerous volcano in the world will begin its eruption in our lifetime, but the existing fears are really justified.
IN Ancient Rome the name Vulcan was worn by a mighty god, the patron of fire and blacksmithing. We call volcanoes geological formations on the surface of the land or on the ocean floor, through which lava comes to the surface from the deep interior of the earth.
Often accompanied by earthquakes and tsunamis, major volcanic eruptions have had a significant impact on human history.
Geographic feature. Significance of volcanoes
During a volcanic eruption, magma comes to the surface through cracks in the earth's crust, forming lava, volcanic gases, ash, volcanic rocks, and pyroclastic flows. Despite the danger posed to man by these mighty natural objects, it was thanks to the study of magma, lava and other products of volcanic activity that we managed to gain knowledge about the structure, composition and properties of the lithosphere.
It is believed that thanks to volcanic eruptions, proteinaceous forms of life could appear on our planet: eruptions released carbon dioxide and other gases necessary for the formation of the atmosphere. And volcanic ash, settling, became an excellent fertilizer for plants due to the potassium, magnesium and phosphorus contained in it.
The role of volcanoes in regulating the climate on Earth is invaluably important: during the eruption, our planet “lets off steam” and cools, which largely saves us from the effects of global warming.
Characteristics of volcanoes
Volcanoes differ from other mountains not only in composition, but also in strict external outlines. From the craters at the top of the volcanoes, deep narrow ravines formed by streams of water stretch down. There are also whole volcanic mountains, formed by several nearby volcanoes and products of their eruptions.
However, a volcano is not always a mountain breathing fire and heat. Even active volcanoes can look like straight cracks on the surface of the planet. There are especially many such "flat" volcanoes in Iceland (the most famous of them, Eldgja, has a length of 30 km).
Types of volcanoes
Depending on the degree volcanic activity distinguish: current, conditionally active And dormant ("sleeping") volcanoes. The division of volcanoes according to activity is very conditional. There are cases when volcanoes, considered extinct, began to show seismic activity and even erupt.
Depending on the shape of volcanoes, there are:
- Stratovolcanoes- classic "fire mountains" or volcanoes central type cone-shaped with a crater at the top.
- Volcanic crevices or fissures- Faults in the earth's crust through which lava comes to the surface.
- calderas- depressions, volcanic cauldrons formed as a result of the failure of a volcanic peak.
- Shield- are called so because of the high fluidity of the lava, which, flowing for many kilometers in wide streams, forms a kind of shield.
- lava domes - formed by the accumulation of viscous lava above the vent.
- Cinder or tephra cones- have the shape of a truncated cone, consist of loose materials (ash, volcanic stones, boulders, etc.).
- complex volcanoes.
In addition to terrestrial lava volcanoes, there are underwater And mud(spewing liquid mud, not magma) Underwater volcanoes are more active than terrestrial ones, through them 75% of the lava erupted from the bowels of the Earth is ejected.
Types of volcanic eruptions
Depending on the viscosity of the lavas, the composition and amount of eruption products, 4 main types of volcanic eruptions are distinguished.
Effusive or Hawaiian type- relatively quiet eruption of lava formed in craters. The gases released during the eruption form lava fountains from drops, filaments and lumps of liquid lava.
Extrusion or dome type- accompanied by the release of gases in large quantities, leading to explosions and emissions of black clouds from ash and lava debris.
Mixed or strombolian type- abundant lava output, accompanied by small explosions with ejection of pieces of slag and volcanic bombs.
hydroexplosive type- characteristic of underwater volcanoes in shallow water, accompanied by a large amount of steam released when magma comes into contact with water.
The largest volcanoes in the world
The highest volcano in the world is Ojos del Salado located on the border between Chile and Argentina. Its height is 6891 m, the volcano is considered extinct. Among the active fiery mountains» the highest is Llullaillaco- volcano of the Chilean-Argentine Andes with a height of 6,723 m.
The largest (among terrestrial) in terms of area is a volcano mauna loa on the island of Hawaii (height - 4,169 m, volume - 75,000 km 3). mauna loa also one of the most powerful and active volcanoes in the world: since its “awakening” in 1843, the volcano has erupted 33 times. by the most big volcano the planet is a huge volcanic massif Tamu(area 260,000 km 2), located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
But the most strong eruption for the entire historical period produced a "low" Krakatoa(813 m) in 1883 on Malay Archipelago in Indonesia. Vesuvius(1281) - one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, the only active volcano in continental Europe - is located in southern Italy near Naples. Exactly Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii in 79.
In Africa the most high volcano is Kilimanjaro (5895), and in Russia - a two-peak stratovolcano Elbrus (North Caucasus) (5642 m - western peak, 5621 m - eastern).
