The Volcanoes is the largest volcano. The strongest eruption in history. highest volcano

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. 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 recorded in 2005. In recent years, the activity of the Colima volcano has been 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 the 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 everything East Coast United States and will cause hard-to-repair 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 the ground.

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 of the Democratic Republic of the 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. young and big volcano which has been growing in activity in recent years. 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 few 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)

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.

Today on our planet there are several hundred active volcanoes, 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 on 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, the last time he woke up in 1877, but everyone remembered this eruption 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 most high volcano on the planet, but also the most peaceful 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.

Today you will know Interesting Facts about the largest volcano in search of which we will visit the island of Hawaii.

A huge volcano named Mauna Loa, which literally means " long mountain”, occupies most of the island and is one of the most active on the planet. Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since it was first documented in 1843.

The most recent volcanic eruption occurred in 1984, as a result of which 30,000 acres of land were covered with lava, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe island increased by 180 hectares, reclaiming space from the sea.

What is the size of the largest volcano on Earth? The height of the volcano above sea level is 4169 meters, but this is not its true height. If you measure the height of Mauna Loa from the bottom, then its height will be about 9,000 meters, which is higher than Mount Everest.

The famous Hawaiian volcano is not only the largest and most powerful, but also the most massive. If you measure its volume from the bottom to the top, then an impressive figure will come out - 75,000 cubic kilometers.

In one eruption, Mauna Loa erupts so much lava that its volume is equal to the volume of Vesuvius, the famous volcano in Italy.

There are many legends around this Hawaiian volcano. One of which is as follows. The mistress of volcanoes, the goddess Pele, was expelled by her older sister, the goddess of water and the sea. Every time Pele tried to build a house for herself, her sister sent huge waves to destroy everything.

In the end, Pele settled on big island and made myself big house Mauna Loa, so big that not a single wave could reach it.

There is also a legend that Pele has a faithful white dog and she sends him to the slopes of the volcano to warn people of danger. In 1959, while researching this powerful volcano a white dog was seen on the slopes. All attempts to tame or catch this white dog were in vain. In December of the same year, one of the craters erupted and the dogs disappeared. In 1966, a white dog was again seen on the mountain, in the same year Mauna Loa exploded with a strong eruption.

Volcanoes in our mind represent the boiling of emotions. They are huge and unpredictable, and their action is destructive. In general, a volcano of passions. In fact, how big are they? And do they all continuously boil and smoke, throwing out red-hot lava? For the inhabitants of which regions do they pose a danger? How big is it? When was the world's largest volcano last erupting? What is the name and where is it located? Does activity depend on size?

Volcanoes of the planet

Actually most of volcanoes located in the southern latitudes. Conventionally, the volcanic belts of the earth are divided into three groups: Pacific, Mediterranean-Indonesian and Atlantic. The most active zones are located along these lines, in each of which there are volcanoes - large, relatively small and gigantic. Map Latin America literally strewn with them, especially in the middle part, from Mexico in the north to Ecuador in the south. There are many of them in the countries of Central Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea). Southeast Asia is also rich in these wonders of nature, as is island states(Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Fiji Islands), whose names please the ears of exotic lovers. Nevertheless, there are volcanoes in other places, for example, in Kamchatka, in Japan, and also in Alaska, New Zealand and other regions with a cold and temperate climate.

In Europe, Vesuvius and Etna became notorious, causing the death, complete or partial, of entire cities (sometimes to the delight of modern archaeologists). Despite the tragedies, people continue to settle near the towering masses with smoking craters, tourists go to them, rightfully considering them to be real sights. Their sizes range from 350 meters (Taal, Philippines) to almost seven kilometers Ojos del Salado (border of Chile and Argentina). But height is not the main criterion for determining the largest volcano in the world. In America, they believe that he is in the state of Wyoming. And this opinion has serious grounds. The Yellowstone Volcano is considered the largest on the planet in terms of the area occupied on the map. But the criteria for sizing are ambiguous. For example, there are volcanoes much higher.

Old and young volcanoes

To assess the degree of danger of the proximity to the volcano, you need to understand what it is. After all, it's not just high mountain so called. So, volcanoes are located in those places on the earth's surface where the movement of the upper solid layer occurs. The interior of the Earth is filled with boiling magma, it seethes and sometimes asks to come out. In those places where it comes closest to the upper hardened edge, a volcano can arise under certain conditions. This process is long, sometimes taking millions of years, but it does not stop even for a moment. In this case, the age of the volcano does not really matter. A long-extinct crater may suddenly awaken. It is not always known when the previous eruption occurred. It is believed, however, that young volcanoes are the most active. Eruptions often occur quite unexpectedly.

What is inside?

Both the largest volcano in the world and the relatively small one have a similar internal structure. The mass of previously ejected petrified lava rises above the surface and presses on a layer of granite, basalt and other stone deposits, provoking the release of magma through the main trunk and its side branches. The eruption does not last long (sometimes several hours), then a precarious equilibrium sets in, sometimes leading to the freezing of the surface of the crater, in which a lake often appears. This parity of internal pressure and external conditions can be violated at any moment. And then the sky will darken from the ashes, so much carbon monoxide and other ozone-depleting compounds will rise into the air that all prohibitions on the use of freon in cans will seem completely inappropriate and useless. And all this happens, even if it is not the largest volcano in the world that erupts, but rather a medium or very “small” one.

But it's all on the earth's surface. And under the water passes its own volcanic life. And if "land" volcanoes emit substances harmful to the ozone layer into the atmosphere, then their underwater counterparts, on the contrary, help to restore it. This happens because by their activity they contribute to the vital activity of phytoplankton, which in turn produces oxygen in the process of photosynthesis. Due to the iron emitted by underwater volcanoes, the microelement supply of the food chain of a number of living microorganisms occurs.

Underwater seismic and volcanic activity lead to a change in the topography of the ocean floor, up to the appearance or disappearance of islands, and sometimes even causes giant waves-tsunami. But underwater volcanoes worries people to a lesser extent than those that can be seen with one's own eyes, making the way to the nearest national park or making a tourist voyage.

yellowstone miracle

The USA is a young country, its history is not calculated in many centuries, and even more so in millennia, as in many European or Asian countries. The more Americans love and appreciate everything that can be proud of in their homeland. If there is something very special in the country (better than in the whole world), then the guides do not forget to remind tourists about this, and numerous avenues vied with each other to point to such an attraction. This is what the United States authorities have really succeeded in, so it is in respect for nature. There are wonderful national parks all over the country. They began to be created back in the 19th century, many presidents paid great attention to them, and F. D. Roosevelt believed that they, like nothing else, convey the essence of the whole country.

Any resident of Wyoming knows where the largest volcano is located. "In America, of course!" he says confidently. Moreover, in Yellowstone national park, from which the process of creating reserves in the United States began in 1872. And this reserve is named after the volcano. It is really huge, but somehow flattened. Even having arrived here, not everyone will immediately understand that they are in the crater itself. The area occupied by the largest volcano in the world (and this is four thousand square kilometers) is twenty times the size of the US capital, the city of Washington. The height of the crater, in fact, is also by no means small, more than three kilometers, but, given such a vast base, it is somehow lost in the general landscape of the National Park.

Yellowstone is the largest volcano in the world. The US is very proud of it. It would take at least an hour to cross its extinct crater alone by car. Its dimensions are 72 kilometers long and 55 kilometers wide.

It is the area occupied by Yellowstone that gives grounds for its title. Looking at its cartographic plan, it is easy to conclude that although it is not the highest, it is still the largest volcano in the world in terms of volume. What is the name of his Ecuadorian competitor, who has risen to almost seven kilometers in height? More on this later. In the meantime, you can speculate about the potential danger posed by Yellowstone.

One of the threats to the US

Modern geodetic science allows us to assume with a high degree of certainty that it erupted infrequently, only a hundred times in its entire life. And its age is quite respectable, seventeen million years. The last time he showed his temper about 6400 centuries ago. A simple arithmetic calculation leads to the frightening thought that an eruption may soon begin again. And every year the probability of this event increases more and more. The data obtained using the means of objective control is alarming, since the beginning of the new millennium, the internal activity of the mountain has been growing. Inside a gigantic flattened cone with a collapsed center-crater, lava is noisy, and louder and louder. This hum scares not only the inhabitants of Wyoming and neighboring states. Pessimists argue that no thermonuclear war can be compared in terms of consequences with the destruction that the largest volcano in the world can cause. In the United States, life will become impossible, and not in some figurative, political or economic sense, but in the most literal, physical sense, and throughout the country. If you imagine that the largest volcano in the world woke up, there is something to be horrified. sunlight ceases to flow, the ashes raised into the air will close the luminary. The greenhouse effect will lead to sharp decline temperature. The overall picture is reminiscent of a futuristic horror film in which the consequences of a nuclear war are plotted.

However, not all scientists are so pessimistic. In fact, no one knows exactly how events will develop in the event of a new eruption, and how serious the catastrophe will be if the largest volcano in the world begins to erupt. On the other hand, if something like this does happen, then no security measures will be effective. Evacuate to safe place the entire population of the United States (and it is possible that Canada and Mexico will also suffer) is simply impossible. So you should not be afraid in any case, what to be, that cannot be avoided.

In general, all these fears are reminiscent of the concern of a listener of a lecture on the future of the universe, who was very frightened when he heard that in a hundred million years the Sun would go out and life on Earth would end, but calmed down, realizing that the speaker misspoke. It turns out that there is still a hundred billion years ahead, not a hundred million. Quite another matter!

Despite the monstrous threat to national security, any American student knows which is the largest volcano in the world and where it is located. And he is very proud that Yellowstone is an American landmark.

Other Greatest Volcanoes in the World, Active and Dormant

Despite its huge size, Yellowstone cannot boast of worldwide fame. It is known in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the inhabitants of the Old World, visiting America, are more often interested in other wonders, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood and the skyscrapers of New York, Dallas or San Francisco. Not every tourist will remember where the largest volcano in the world is located. Photos of Fujiyama, Vesuvius, Popocatepetl and other eternal masses are replicated in tourist brochures much more widely. These volcanoes have become a kind of visiting cards of the countries in which they are located, and often even cultural and national symbols. They compose songs, write poems about them, since ancient times they have become inanimate (and sometimes living) characters of folk sagas, legends and traditions. Perhaps, in addition to deep folklore roots, the fact that from time to time, unlike Yellowstone, they smoke, make noise and show other signs of “aliveness”, usually unpleasant, contributed to the popularity of these natural attractions. So where are the largest active volcanoes in the world and what is the secret of their popularity?

Calm Vesuvius

You can start from anywhere in the world. For example, from the old lady of Europe. Vesuvius is not the largest volcano. Its height would not make much impression on America, it is almost three times lower than Yellowstone. But this does not prevent him, decorating the Neapolitan landscape, from being considered the highest in Europe. It was Vesuvius that destroyed ancient city Pompeii. In previous centuries, the volcano erupted at different intervals, but quite often according to volcanic concepts. Sometimes a century and a half passed between revivals, and sometimes only fifty years. In 1631, four thousand Neapolitans became victims of the elements, and the crater, as a result of the rapid outflow of red-hot magma, fell by almost 170 meters.

The last eruption happened during World War II, in 1944. Then the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano became victims of destruction not related to the actions of the Allied bomber aircraft. A column of ash and smoke rose to a nine-kilometer height, showing mankind the full power of nature, in comparison with which the explosions of all bombs pale, at least as of 1944. In 1945, people used weapons commensurate with the forces of the earth's interior. It was in Japan.

Fujiyama: extinguished fire deity

Volcanoes are beautiful. Their silhouettes evoke poetic emotions, they make you think about the frailty of human life, eternity and many other philosophical issues that people rarely address in everyday life. Of course, people as prone to contemplation as the Japanese could not help but succumb to the charm of such a majestic spectacle as Mount Fuji. But in addition to purely aesthetic pleasure, the islanders also showed a completely practical mindset, using the image for commercial purposes. sacred mountain. Perhaps the same fate awaits other big volcanoes peace. Photo, video and other products of the Japanese corporation Fuji are widely known all over the world.

Fujiyama itself is considered an extinct volcano, the last time she spewed lava and ash back in 1707. This symbol of Japan is really very beautiful, both Japanese and foreigners go to admire it. Artists often depict snow-capped peak volcano combined with cherry blossoms, one more " calling card" Countries rising sun. Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters high.

Volcanoes of Ecuador and the largest active volcano in the world

There are more than six hundred active volcanoes on our planet. They are located on lines along which they press each other with their edges. tectonic plates. It is on these frontiers that revolutionary changes in the relief take place. mountain ranges. An example is the Andes. Here, according to Ecuador, is the largest active volcano in the world, it is called Cotopaxi. Its height exceeds 5911 meters. This, of course, is a lot, but the reasons for such a high title of this volcano remain a mystery. The fact is that its neighbors in the Andes - Lullaillaco and Ojos del Salado - are higher than it (6739 and 6887, respectively). This discrepancy can only be explained by commercial considerations. It’s just that a developed system has been created around Cotopaxi tourism infrastructure, which prompts visiting guests to inspire that they have visited the largest volcano in America, this time in Latin. To see Ojos del Salado, you need to make a long and difficult journey.

Volcano in the country - happiness or sorrow?

Many countries of the world somehow do without volcanoes. No, and don't. Neighborhood with a fire-breathing mountain always threatens with unpredictable consequences. If the element rages, destruction and casualties are inevitable, and humanity has not yet learned to counter these threats. The most that can be done in this case is to try to leave the dangerous territory in a timely manner. However, since such a natural formation does exist in a number of countries, it should be treated as something useful.

Tens of thousands of tourists, climbers and climbers climb the craters, descend into them, sometimes risking their lives. Such is human nature, although they say that "the smart one will not go uphill."

Eric Peterson, a Swedish climber, died on Batur in Bali. Kamchatka volcano The stone took the lives of three Belarusian travelers. Japanese volcano Ontake, located two hundred kilometers from Tokyo, suddenly woke up, throwing a huge amount of ash into the sky, which led to the death of at least three dozen tourists. And all these tragedies happened literally for Last year. Not the largest volcanoes in the world pose a mortal danger, although they cannot be called small either. The luckiest countries are those in which volcanoes are dormant, and even better if they are completely extinct.

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?

Unmatched in size 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:

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

Description with titles

There are between 1000 and 1500 active volcanoes on our planet. 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.

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Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is located in DR Congo in the Virunga mountain range (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.

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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:

Destroyed in 122 AD city of Catania;
In 1169 during massive eruption Etna died 15 thousand people;
In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
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 the locals affectionately call it, 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 integral part of the 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 mountain system Andes. 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 will provoke many earthquakes, giant tsunami waves and eruptions of other volcanoes, 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. Related to the list the highest peaks six parts of the world. Scientists consider the activity of the volcano not so much completed as fading.
Most large volcano modern times cannot be visited and is very hard to see as it is under water. array Tamu located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and is located about 1600 kilometers east of the 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.

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