What types of volcanoes are there? The most famous volcanoes. Description with names

Volcanic eruptions are dangerous primarily due to their direct impact - the release of tons of burning lava, under which entire cities can perish. But, in addition to this, side factors such as the suffocating effects of volcanic gases, the threat of tsunamis, isolation from sunlight, distortion of the terrain and local climate changes also pose a danger.

Merapi, Indonesia

Merapi is one of the largest volcanoes on the Indonesian islands. It is also one of the most active: large eruptions occur once every seven to eight years, and small ones - once every two years. At the same time, smoke appears from the top of the volcano almost every day, not allowing local residents to forget about the threat. Merapi is also famous for the fact that in 1006 the entire medieval Javanese-Indian state of Mataram was seriously damaged by his activities. The volcano is especially dangerous because it is located near the large Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, which is home to about 400 thousand people.

Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima has been in constant volcanic activity since 1955, with its last eruption occurring in early 2009. Until 1914, the volcano was located on a separate island of the same name, but frozen lava flows connected the island with the Osumi Peninsula. Residents of the city of Kagoshima are already accustomed to the restless behavior of the volcano and are constantly ready to take refuge in shelters.

Aso Volcano, Japan

The last time volcanic activity was recorded at the volcano was quite recently, in 2011. Then the ash cloud spread over an area of more than 100 km. From that time to the present, about 2,500 tremors have been recorded, which indicates the activity of the volcano and its readiness to erupt. Despite the immediate danger, about 50 thousand people live in the immediate vicinity, and the crater is a popular tourist attraction for daredevils. In winter, the slopes are covered with snow and people go skiing and sledding in the valley.

Popocatepetl, Mexico

One of the largest volcanoes in Mexico is located literally fifty kilometers from. This is a city with a population of 20 million people who are in constant readiness to evacuate. In addition to Mexico City, major cities such as Puebla and Tlaxcala de Xicotencatl are located nearby. Popocatepetl also gives them a reason to be nervous: emissions of gas, sulfur, dust and stones occur literally every month. In recent decades, the volcano has erupted in 2000, 2005 and 2012. Many climbers strive to climb to its peak. Popocatepetl is famous for the fact that in 1955 it was conquered by Ernesto Che Guevara.

Etna, Italy

This Sicilian volcano is interesting because it has not only one main wide crater, but also many small craters on the slopes. Etna is constantly active, with small eruptions occurring every few months. This does not prevent the Sicilians from densely populating the slopes of the volcano, since the presence of minerals and trace elements makes the soil very fertile. The last major eruption was in May 2011, and minor emissions of ash and dust occurred in April 2013. By the way, Etna is the largest volcano in the world: it is two and a half times larger than Vesuvius.

Vesuvius, Italy

Vesuvius is one of the three active volcanoes Italy along with Etna and Stromboli. They are even jokingly called the “hot Italian family.” In 79, the eruption of Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii and all its inhabitants, who were buried under layers of lava, pumice and mud. One of the last major eruptions, in 1944, killed about 60 people and almost completely destroyed the nearby towns of San Sebastiano and Massa. According to scientists, Vesuvius destroyed nearby cities about 80 times! By the way, this volcano has set many records. Firstly, this is the only active volcano on the mainland, secondly, it is the most studied and predictable, and thirdly, the territory of the volcano is a nature reserve and a national park where excursions are held. You can only go up on foot, since the lift and funicular have not yet been restored.

Colima, Mexico

The volcanic mountain consists of two peaks: the already extinct Nevado de Colima, which is covered with snow most of the time, and the active Colima volcano. Colima is particularly active: it has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. A strong eruption occurred in the summer of 2005, when authorities had to evacuate people from nearby villages. Then a column of ash was thrown to a height of about 5 km, spreading a cloud of smoke and dust behind it. Now the volcano is fraught with danger not only for local residents, but also for the entire country.

Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA

Scientists have been monitoring the volcano since 1912 - there is a volcanological station on its slopes, as well as solar and atmospheric observatories. The height of the volcano reaches 4169 m. The last strong eruption of Mauna Loa destroyed several villages in 1950. Until 2002, the seismic activity of the volcano was low, until an increase was recorded, which indicates the possibility of eruptions in the near future.

Galeras, Colombia

The Galeras volcano is very powerful: its diameter at the base exceeds 20 km, and the width of the crater is about 320 m. The volcano is very dangerous - every few years, due to its activity, the population of the nearby town of Pasto has to be evacuated. The last such evacuation took place in 2010, when about 9 thousand people found themselves in shelters due to the threat of a strong eruption. Thus, the restless Galeras keeps local residents in constant suspense.

Nyiragongo, Republic of Congo

The Nyiragongo volcano is considered the most dangerous in all: it accounts for about half of all cases of volcanic activity recorded on the continent. Since 1882, there have been 34 eruptions. Lava of Nyiragongo has a special chemical composition, so it is unusually liquid and flowing. The speed of erupted lava can reach 100 km/h. In the main crater of the volcano there is lava lake, the temperature of which heats up to 982 Cº, and bursts reach a height of 7 to 30 m. The last largest eruption occurred in 2002, then 147 people died, 14 thousand buildings were destroyed, and 350 thousand people were left homeless.

It is worth noting that scientists have been studying the activity of volcanoes for many years and modern technology recognizes the beginning of their seismic activity. Many volcanoes have webcams that allow you to monitor what is happening in real time. People living nearby are already accustomed to this behavior of volcanoes and know what to do when an eruption begins, and emergency services have the means to evacuate local residents. So every year the likelihood of casualties from volcanic eruptions becomes less and less.

IN Ancient Rome The name Vulcan was borne 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 emerges from the deep bowels of the earth to the surface.

Often accompanied by earthquakes and tsunamis, large volcanic eruptions have had a significant impact on human history.

Geographical object. The importance 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 that these powerful natural objects pose to humans, it was thanks to the study of magma, lava and other products of volcanic activity that we were able to gain knowledge about the structure, composition and properties of the lithosphere.

It is believed that thanks to volcanic eruptions, protein forms of life were able to appear on our planet: the 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 it contained.

The role of volcanoes in regulating the climate on Earth is invaluable: during an eruption, our planet “releases steam” and cools, which largely saves us from the consequences of global warming.

Characteristics of volcanoes

Volcanoes differ from other mountains not only in their composition, but also in their strict external outlines. From the craters at the top of the volcanoes, deep narrow ravines formed by flows of water stretch down. There are also entire volcanic mountains formed by several nearby volcanoes and the products of their eruptions.

However, a volcano is not always a mountain breathing fire and heat. Even active volcanoes can appear as straight-line cracks on the surface of the planet. There are especially many such “flat” volcanoes in Iceland (the most famous of them, Eldgja, is 30 km long).

Types of volcanoes

Depending on the degree of volcanic activity there are: current, conditionally active And extinct (“dormant”) volcanoes. The division of volcanoes by activity is very arbitrary. There are cases when volcanoes, considered extinct, began to exhibit seismic activity and even erupt.

Depending on the shape of volcanoes there are:

Stratovolcanoes- classic “fire mountains” or volcanoes of the central type, cone-shaped with a crater at the top.
Volcanic fissures or fissures- fractures 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.
Panel- so called 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, blocks, etc.).
Complex volcanoes.

In addition to land-based lava volcanoes, there are underwater And mud(they spew out liquid mud, not magma) Underwater volcanoes are more active than land-based ones; 75% of the lava erupted from the bowels of the Earth is released through them.

Types of volcanic eruptions

Depending on the viscosity of lavas, the composition and amount of eruption products, there are 4 main types of volcanic eruptions.

Effusive or Hawaiian type- a relatively calm eruption of lava formed in craters. The gases released during an eruption form lava fountains from drops, threads and lumps of liquid lava.

Extrusion or dome type- is accompanied by the release of gases in large quantities, leading to explosions and the emission of black clouds from ash and lava debris.

Mixed or Strombolian type- abundant lava output, accompanied by small explosions with the release of pieces of slag and volcanic bombs.

Hydroexplosive type- typical for underwater volcanoes in shallow water, accompanied by big amount steam released when magma comes into contact with water.

The largest volcanoes in the world

The tallest volcano in the world Ojos del Salado, located on the border of Chile and Argentina. Its height is 6891 m, the volcano is considered extinct. Among the active "fire mountains" the highest is Llullaillaco- volcano of the Chilean-Argentine Andes with a height of 6,723 m.

The largest (among terrestrial) volcano in terms of area occupied is 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 world: since its “awakening” in 1843, the volcano has erupted 33 times. The most big volcano the planet is a huge volcanic massif Tamu(area 260,000 km 2), located at the bottom Pacific Ocean.

But the most powerful eruption ever historical period produced "low" Krakatoa(813 m) in 1883 in the Malay Archipelago in Indonesia. Vesuvius(1281) - one of the most dangerous volcanoes world, the only active volcano in continental Europe - located in southern Italy near Naples. Exactly Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii in 79.

In Africa, the highest volcano is Kilimanjaro (5895), and in Russia it is a double-peaked stratovolcano Elbrus (North Caucasus) (5642 m - western peak, 5621 m - eastern).

In ancient times, volcanoes were the tools of the gods. These days they pose a serious danger to settlements and entire countries. Not a single weapon in the world has been given such power on our planet - to conquer and pacify a raging volcano.

Now means mass media, cinema and some writers fantasize about the future events of the famous park, the location of which is known to almost everyone who is interested in modern geography - we are talking about national park in Wyoming. Undoubtedly, the most famous supervolcano in world history of the last two years is Yellowstone.

What is a volcano

For many decades, literature, especially in fantasy stories, has attributed magical properties to the mountain, which is capable of spewing fire. The most famous novel that described an active volcano is “The Lord of the Rings” (where it was called “the lonely mountain”). The professor was right about this phenomenon.

None of the people can look at mountain ranges up to several hundred meters high, without respect for the ability of our planet to create such magnificent and dangerous natural objects. These giants have a special charm that can be called magic.

So, if we discard the fantasies of writers and the folklore of our ancestors, then everything will become simpler. From point of view geographical definition: a volcano (vulkan) is a rupture in the crust of any planetary mass, in our case the Earth, due to which volcanic ash and gas accumulated under pressure along with magma escape from the magma chamber, which is located under the solid surface. At this moment an explosion occurs.

Causes

From the very first moments, the Earth was a volcanic field, on which trees, oceans, fields and rivers subsequently appeared. Therefore, volcanism accompanies modern life.

How do they arise? On planet earth, the main cause of formation is the earth's crust. The fact is that above the earth’s core there is a liquid part of the planet (magma), which is always moving. It is thanks to this phenomenon that there is a magnetic field on the surface - a natural protection against solar radiation.

However, the earth's surface itself, although solid, is not solid, but is divided into seventeen large tectonic plates. As they move, they converge and diverge; it is because of the movement that ruptures occur at the places where the plates touch, and this is how volcanoes arise. It is not at all necessary that this happens on continents; at the bottom of many oceans there are also similar gaps.

Structure of the volcano

A similar object forms on the surface as lava cools. It is impossible to see what is hidden under many tons of rock. However, thanks to volcanologists and scientists, it is possible to imagine how it works.

Schoolchildren see a drawing of such a representation high school on the pages of a geography textbook.

The structure of the “fire” mountain itself is simple and in cross-section looks like this:

crater - top;
vent – a cavity inside a mountain through which magma rises;
magma chamber - a pocket at the base.

Depending on the type and form of formation of the volcano, some structural element may be missing. This option is classic, and many volcanoes should be considered in this context.

Types of volcanoes

The classification is applicable in two directions: by type and form. Since the movement of lithospheric plates is different, the rate of cooling of magma varies.

Let's first look at the types:

active;
sleeping;
extinct.

Volcanoes come in different shapes:

The classification would not be complete if we did not take into account the relief forms of the volcano crater:

caldera;
volcanic plugs;
lava plateau;
tuff cones.

Eruption

An ancient force, like the planet itself, that can rewrite the history of an entire country is an eruption. There are several factors that make such an event on earth the deadliest for residents of some cities. It is better not to get into a situation where a volcano is erupting.

On average, 50 to 60 eruptions occur on the planet in one year. At the time of writing, about 20 ruptures are flooding the surrounding area with lava.

The algorithm of actions may change, but this depends on the accompanying weather conditions.

In any case, the eruption occurs in four stages:

Silence. Large eruptions show that it is generally quiet until the first explosion occurs. There is nothing to indicate the coming danger. A series of small tremors can only be measured by instruments.
Lava ejection and pyroclastite. A deadly mixture of gas and ash at a temperature of 100 degrees (reaches 800) Celsius is capable of destroying all life within a radius of hundreds of kilometers. An example is the eruption of Mount Helens in May of the eighties of the last century. Lava, the temperature of which can reach one and a half thousand degrees during an eruption, killed all living things at a distance of six hundred kilometers.
Lahar. If you are unlucky, it may rain at the eruption site, as happened in the Philippines. In such situations, a continuous stream is formed consisting of 20% water, the remaining 80% rock, ash and pumice.
"Concrete". The conventional name is the hardening of magma and ash caught under a rain stream. A similar mixture destroyed more than one city.

The eruption is an extremely dangerous phenomenon; over half a century it has killed more than twenty scientists and several hundred civilians. Right now (at the time of writing) the Hawaiian Kilauea continues to destroy the island.

The largest volcano in the world

Mauna Loa is the highest volcano on earth. It is located on the island of the same name (Hawaii) and rises 9 thousand meters from the ocean floor.

His last awakening took place in the year 84 of the last century. However, in 2004 he showed the first signs of awakening.

If there is the largest one, then there is also the smallest one?

Yes, it is located in Mexico in the town of Pueblo and is called Coshcomate, its height is only 13 meters.

Active volcanoes

If you open a world map, then with a sufficient level of knowledge you can find about 600 active volcanoes. About four hundred of them are found in the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire."

Eruption of the Guatemalan volcano Fuego

Perhaps someone will be interested list of active volcanoes:

on the territory of Guatemala - Fuego;
on the Hawaiian Islands - Kilauea;
within the border of Iceland – Lakagigar;
on Canary Islands– La Palma;
on the Hawaiian Islands - Loihi;
on the Antarctic island - Erebus;
Greek Nisyros;
Italian volcano Etna;
on Caribbean island Montserrat – Soufrière Hills;
Italian mountain in the Tyrrhenian Sea - Stromboli;
and the most famous Italian - Mount Vesuvius.

Extinct volcanoes of the world

Volcanologists sometimes cannot say for sure whether a natural object is extinct or dormant. In most cases, zero activity of a particular mountain does not guarantee safety. More than once, giants that had fallen asleep for many years suddenly showed signs of activation. This happened with the volcano near the city of Manila, but there are many similar examples.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Below are just some of the extinct volcanoes known to our scientists:

Kilimanjaro (Tanzania);
Mt Warning (in Australia);
Chaine des Puys (in France);
Elbrus (Russia).

The most dangerous volcanoes in the world

Eruption even small volcano It looks impressive, you just have to imagine what monstrous power lurks there, in the depths of the mountain. However, there is clear data that volcanologists use.

Through long observations, a special classification of potentially dangerous volcanic mountains was created. The indicator determines the impact of the eruption on the surrounding areas.

The most powerful explosion can follow from the eruption of a mountain of colossal proportions. Volcanologists call this kind of “fire” mountains a supervolcano. On the activity scale, such formations should occupy a level of at least eight.

Volcano Taupo in New Zealand

There are four of them in total:

Indonesian supervolcano of Sumatra-Toba island.
Taupo is located in New Zealand.
Serra Galan in the Andean mountains.
Yellowstone in the North American park of the same name in Wyoming.

We have collected the most interesting facts:

the largest (in terms of duration) is the eruption of Pinatubo in 91 (20th century), which lasted more than a year and reduced the temperature of the earth by half a degree (Celsius);
the mountain described above threw 5 km 3 of ash to a height of thirty-five kilometers;
the largest explosion occurred in Alaska (1912), when the Novarupta volcano became active, reaching a level of six points on the VEI scale;
the most dangerous is Kilauea, which has been erupting for thirty years since 1983. Active on this moment. Killed more than 100 people, over a thousand more remain at risk (2018);
the deepest eruption to date occurred at a depth of 1200 meters - Mount West Mata, near the island of Fiji, Lau River basin;
the temperature in a pyroclastic flow can be more than 500 degrees Celsius;
The last supervolcano erupted on the planet about 74,000 years ago (Indonesia). Therefore, we can say that no person has ever experienced such a catastrophe;
Klyuchevsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula is considered the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere;
ash and gases emitted by volcanoes can color sunsets;
the volcano with the coldest lava (500 degrees) is called Ol Doinyo Langai and is located in Tanzania.

How many volcanoes are there on earth

There are not too many crustal ruptures in Russia. From the school geography course we know about Klyuchevsky volcano.

In addition to him, on the beautiful planet there are about six hundred active ones, as well as a thousand extinct and sleeping ones. It is difficult to determine the exact number, but their number does not exceed two thousand.

Conclusion

Humanity should respect nature and remember that it has more than one and a half thousand volcanoes in its arsenal. And let as few people as possible witness such a powerful phenomenon as an eruption.

Despite their deadly nature, various volcanoes have long attracted people. 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 sites.

Where are the largest volcanoes on the world map?

Most of the modern active volcanoes are located in Pacific volcanic ring- the area in which it occurs greatest number eruptions and 90% of earthquakes on our planet.

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

The strongest eruption in history

The most destructive eruption in terms of its consequences is considered to be the catastrophe that occurred in 1883 during the 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 released to a height of 70 kilometers.

The force of the explosion during the eruption exceeded the force of a nuclear bomb over Hiroshima by 10 thousand times. Most deaths are a consequence of huge tsunami caused by the eruption. The island on which Krakatoa was located was almost completely destroyed during the disaster. The sound of the explosion spread over 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 by volume:

Mauna Loa, Hawaii, with a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers;
Kilimanjaro(Tanzania), which is considered dormant but could potentially become active, has a volume of 4,800 cubic kilometers;
Volcano Sierra Negra, located in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) has a volume of 580 cubic kilometers.

Which country has the largest source of lava?

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

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

Description with names

There are between 1000 and 1500 active volcanoes on our planet. Many of them are located near densely populated areas and pose a threat to human life. The most dangerous volcanoes, which are under special surveillance, are included in UN Decade Volcanoes list.

Merapi

Merapi, which means in Indonesian "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 at intervals of approximately 7 years; throughout its history, Merapi has repeatedly caused the death of many people. In 1930, the eruption killed 1,400 people, and in 2010 more than 350 thousand people had to be evacuated, killing 353 island residents.

Located near Merapi Yogyakarta city, in the agglomeration of which more than 2 million people live. Due to its activity and danger to human life, 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 chronicles occurred in 963, and the most powerful one dates back to 1914, but thanks to the tremors that preceded it most of local residents managed to evacuate, “only” 35 people died.

Since the mid-20th century, the volcano has been constantly active. Happen every year thousands of small explosions and ash emissions.

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

Sakurajima is also on the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Aso

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

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

Last eruption Aso was noted in 2011, ash emission occurred to a height of up to 2 kilometers.

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Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is located in the territory DR Congo in the Virunga mountain system (Africa). In the crater of the volcano there is the world's largest lava lake, the depth of which can reach 3 kilometers. In 1977, the crater wall ruptured, causing a large flow of lava into the surrounding area, ultimately killing 70 people.

During observations of Nyiragongo since 1882, it was recorded 34 major volcanic eruptions. A feature of the Nyiragongo eruptions is the extremely rapid flow of lava, reaching speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. During a major eruption in 2002, 400 thousand 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 suffered significant damage.

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

Galeras

The 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 was 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 7,000 years, Galeras has experienced at least 6 major eruptions, the last of which was recorded in 1993.

Mauna Loa

The Mauna Loa volcano is located on Hawaiian Islands belonging to the United States of America. This giant volcano occupies more than half 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 base to top reaches 9170 meters, which exceeds the height of Everest.

Mauna Loa erupts according to what is called Hawaiian type with an outpouring of lava, but without explosions and large ash emissions. Observations of the volcano have been carried out only since 1832, but during this time 39 major eruptions of Mauna Loa have been recorded. This volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade due to the huge lava flows accompanying the eruption and the densely populated area in its immediate vicinity.

The summit of the volcano and its slopes were included in the list World Heritage UNESCO.

Colima

The most active volcano in Central America located in the state of Jalisco. Thanks to her 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, making it America's most dangerous volcano. For this reason, the volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

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Vesuvius

The most famous volcano in the world is located on the Apennine Peninsula in. The lonely peak of Vesuvius, 1281 meters high, rises above the vast fields of the province of Campania and is part of the Apennine mountain system.

Located just 15 kilometers from Naples, Vesuvius has repeatedly gone down in history with its catastrophic eruptions; about 80 major ones alone were recorded. In 79 AD, the most destructive eruption of Vesuvius, during which famous cities perished:

Pompeii;
Oplontis;
Herculaneum;
Stabiae.

It is believed that at least 16 thousand people died during this disaster.

In 1944, the last eruption of Vesuvius occurred, during which cities were destroyed 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 a visit to it 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 the highest volcano, rising to a height of 2329 meters. Etna erupts several times a year. History has recorded several major eruptions of this volcano that led to devastating consequences:

Was destroyed in 122 AD Catania city;
In 1169, during the large-scale eruption of Etna, they died 15 thousand people;
In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
In 1928, the ancient Maskali 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 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 they affectionately call him local residents, is located in Mexico, 70 kilometers from the capital of this country, Mexico City. The height of the volcano is almost 5500 meters. Popocatépetl has erupted more than 15 times over the past 500 years, with the most recent one occurring as recently as 2015. An extinct volcano is located near Popocatepetl. Iztaccihuatl.

A trip to these volcanoes is an integral part 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 of Kamchatka. Highest point beyond Caucasus Mountains reaches an altitude of 4750 meters. It is the most active volcano in Eurasia, with an average of 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 Cotopaxi volcano is located in South America on the territory of the state Ecuador part of the Andes mountain system. The height of the peak of Cotopaxi is 5897 meters. In 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. The last activity of Cotopaxi was noticed in 1942, after which the volcano is still dormant.

Famous extinct giants

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

Supreme

The tallest extinct volcano on the planet, 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 the Americas, Western and Southern Hemispheres. The height of Aconcagua exceeds 6950 meters.

Sleeping giants

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

Famous Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa) is a dormant volcano that is not active. 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 was considered extinct, but scientists have found that there is little activity in it, so now Yellowstone is classified as a dormant volcano. The giant last erupted almost a million years ago.

It is believed that if Yellowstone wakes up, a 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 other volcanic eruptions, which will affect almost every inhabitant of the planet. The ash ejected by the volcano will cover the surface of the earth from the sun for a year and a half, and a volcanic winter will occur 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 is 5642 meters. It is located on the border of the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Belongs to the list highest peaks 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, since it is under water. Array Tamu located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and is approximately 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 throughout 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 exhibit volcanic activity. The peak of Mount Great Ararat, reaching 5165 meters, is 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 top 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 Kazbek caves.

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According to the register of active volcanoes compiled by scientists from the University of North Carolina, it was found that out of 1,500 dangerous craters, 50 erupt and 11 are of special concern. Oddly enough, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, whose eruption paralyzed the sky over all of Europe for several days, is considered a “supporting character” in the world.

In just three days, it released 140 million cubic meters of gas and dust into the atmosphere. The column of smoke rose to a height of 10 km, in which the air is so electrified that incredible lightning can be observed every 15 minutes.

In the list of the most dangerous volcanoes, scientists included the Philippine Pinatubo, which in 1991 released so much gas and ash into the atmosphere that changes were observed in the planet’s climate over the next two years. Also included here are the Italian volcanoes Stromboli and Etna.

As the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports, according to the European Space Agency, up to 500 million people live in the immediate vicinity of volcanoes. 90% of the 1,500 active volcanoes are concentrated in the 40,000-kilometer "ring of fire" in the Pacific Ocean.

The publication recalled that a week ago the deepest volcanic eruption took place at a depth of 1,500 meters under water in the area of Fiji and Samoa. To observe the volcano, it was necessary to construct a camera that could withstand the melting temperature of lead. But the “coldest” vent is located above the ice shell in the Antarctic region.

Eruptions usually begin with deep "breathing". The earth around the volcano seems to be retracted. Then the mountain begins to tremble, special sensors record the shaking of the soil. Then there is a dull sound that comes from the depths.

However, the most dangerous volcanic eruption could happen very soon, scientists worry. The recently awakened Eyjafjallajökull is not so scary (his behavior already seems stable). However, the Katla volcano, located 20 km away, is of concern: it is five times larger and 100 times more powerful than Eyjafjallajokull, capable of erupting up to a billion cubic meters of lava per second. Data obtained from observation equipment indicate that the volcano will soon awaken. A rapid eruption is also indicated by a change in the direction of flow of local rivers.
“History indicates that it is very rare that Eyjafjallajökull comes to life without awakening the Katla volcano,” says a report from the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction at the University of North Carolina.

In the event of an eruption, scientists predict, we can expect a phenomenon called “volcanic winter”: a cloud of ash reflects the sun’s rays at a height, preventing them from reaching the surface of the earth.
Experts see the reason for such massive manifestations of volcanic force in the melting of ice, which probably weakened the pressure of the surface layers of the Earth, allowing magma to rise to the top.
"We expect more frequent and more powerful eruptions in Iceland in the coming years. Global warming is causing the ice to melt. This phenomenon also affects the movement of magma under the Earth's surface," explained geologist Freysteinn Sigmundsson.

But the current eruption is not capable of affecting the Earth's climate, even if someone believes that the cloud released by the volcano could contribute to a decrease average temperature on the planet. Because the Icelandic volcano is much weaker than the Philippine one, which ranks 6th out of 8 possible.

"We don't expect anything like this from Eyjafjallajokull. Its eruption level is too low to influence the climate," explained Olav Hija from the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology.
At the same time, it is possible that in the next 12-14 months Northern Europe will observe unusual sunsets of an intensely red color.