The most active volcano on earth. Extinct volcanoes

Volcanoes are geological formations on the Earth's surface where magma emerges as lava. These mountains exist not only on Earth, but also on other planets. Thus, the Olympus volcano on Mars reaches a height of several tens of kilometers. Such formations are dangerous not only because of lava, but also because of the release of large amounts of dust and ash into the atmosphere.

The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 caused a lot of noise. Although it was not the most destructive in terms of strength, its proximity to Europe led to the impact of emissions on transport system mainland. However, history knows many other cases of the destructive effects of volcanoes. Let's talk about ten of the most famous and large-scale of them.

Vesuvius, Italy. On August 24, 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying not only the well-known city of Pompeii, but also the cities of Stabiae and Herculaneum. The ashes even reached Egypt and Syria. It would be a mistake to believe that the disaster destroyed Pompeii alive; out of a population of 20 thousand, only 2 thousand died. Among the victims was the famous scientist Pliny the Elder, who approached the volcano on a ship in order to explore it and thereby found himself practically at the epicenter of the disaster. During the excavations of Pompeii, it was discovered that under a multi-meter layer of ash, the life of the city froze at the time of the disaster - objects remained in their places, houses with furniture, people and animals were found. Today, Vesuvius remains the only active volcano on the continental part of Europe; in total, more than 80 of its eruptions are known, the very first happened supposedly 9 thousand years ago, and the last occurred in 1944. Then the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano were destroyed, and 57 people died. Naples is located 15 kilometers from Vesuvius, and the height of the mountain is 1281 meters.

Tambora, Sumbawa Island. The cataclysm on this Indonesian island occurred on April 5, 1815. This is the largest in terms of the number of people killed and the volume of material released in modern history eruption The disaster associated with the eruption and the ensuing famine killed 92 thousand people. In addition, the Tambora culture, which Europeans had only become acquainted with shortly before, completely disappeared from the face of the earth. The volcano lived for 10 days, decreasing in height by 1400 meters during this time. Ashes hid an area within a radius of 500 kilometers from the sun for 3 days. According to the British authorities, in those days in Indonesia it was impossible to see anything at arm's length. Most of Sumbawa Island was covered with a meter-thick layer of ash, under the weight of which even stone houses. 150-180 cubic kilometers of gases and pyroclassics were released into the atmosphere. The volcano therefore had a strong impact on the climate of the entire planet - the ash clouds did not transmit the rays of the Sun well, which led to a noticeable drop in temperature. 1816 became known as the “year without summer”; in Europe and America the snow melted only in June, and the first frosts appeared in August. The result was widespread crop failure and famine.

Taupo, New Zealand. 27 thousand years ago, a strong volcanic eruption occurred on one of the islands, surpassing even Tambora in strength. Geologists consider this cataclysm to be the last of such force in the history of the planet. As a result of the work of the supervolcano, Lake Taupo was formed, which today is the object of attention of tourists, as it is very beautiful. The last eruption of the giant took place in 180 AD. The ash and blast wave destroyed half of all life on the North Island, and about 100 cubic kilometers of tectonic matter entered the atmosphere. The eruption speed was 700 km/hour. The ash that rose into the sky colored sunsets and sunrises around the world with crimson, which was reflected in ancient Roman and Chinese chronicles.

Krakatoa, Indonesia. The volcano, located between the islands of Sumatra and Java, produced the largest explosion of its kind in modern history on August 27, 1883. During the cataclysm, a tsunami up to 30 meters high occurred, which simply washed away 295 villages and towns, killing about 37 thousand people. The roar from the explosion was heard on 8% of the entire surface of the planet, and pieces of lava were thrown into the air to an unprecedented height of 55 kilometers. The wind blew the volcanic ash so far that 10 days later it was discovered at a distance of 5,330 kilometers from the scene of the events. The island mountain then split into 3 small parts. The wave from the explosion circled the earth 7 to 11 times; geologists believe that the explosion was 200 thousand times stronger than the nuclear strike on Hiroshima. Krakatoa had woken up before, for example, in 535, its activity noticeably changed the climate of the planet, and perhaps it was then that the islands of Java and Sumatra separated. In place of the volcano destroyed in 1883 during an underwater eruption in 1927, a new volcano appeared, Anak Krakatoa, which is still quite active today. Its height is now 300 meters due to new activities.

Santorini, Greece. About one and a half thousand years BC, a volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Thera, which put an end to the entire Cretan civilization. Sulfur covered all the fields, making further agriculture unthinkable. According to some versions, Fera is the same Atlantis described by Plato. Someone believes that the eruption of Santorini entered the chronicles as a pillar of fire seen by Moses, and the parting of the sea is nothing more than the consequences of the island of Thera going under water. However, the Vulcan continued its activity; in 1886, its eruption lasted whole year, while pieces of lava flew straight out of the sea and rose to a height of 500 meters. The result is several new islands nearby.

Etna, Sicily. About 200 eruptions of this Italian volcano are known. Among them there were quite powerful ones, for example, in 1169, about 15 thousand people died during the cataclysm. Today Etna remains an active volcano with a height of 3329 meters, waking up approximately once every 150 years and destroying one of the nearby villages. Why don't people leave the slopes of the mountain? The fact is that solidified lava helps the soil become more fertile, which is why the Sicilians settle here. In 1928, a miracle also happened - a stream of hot lava stopped in front of a Catholic procession. This inspired the believers so much that in 1930 a chapel was erected on this site; 30 years later the lava stopped in front of it. The Italians protect these places, so in 1981 the local government created a reserve around Etna. It's interesting that calm volcano There's even a blues music festival. Etna is quite large, exceeding the size of Vesuvius by 2.5 times. The volcano has from 200 to 400 side craters, lava erupts from one of them every three months.

Montagne Pelee, Martinique island. The volcanic eruption on the island began in April 1902, and on May 8, a whole cloud of vapor, gases and hot lava hit the city of Saint-Pierre, located 8 kilometers away. A few minutes later he was gone, and of the 17 ships that were in the harbor at that moment, only one managed to survive. The ship "Roddam" escaped from the clutches of the elements with broken masts, smoking and littered with ash. Of the 28 thousand who inhabited the city, two were saved, one of them was named Opost Siparis, and he was sentenced to death. He was saved by the thick stone walls of the prison. The prisoner was subsequently pardoned by the governor, spending the rest of his life traveling around the world telling stories about what happened. The force of the impact was such that a monument in the square, weighing several tons, was thrown aside, and the heat was such that even bottles melted. It is interesting that there was no direct outpouring of liquid lava; the impact was caused by vapors, gases and sprayed lava. Subsequently, a sharp lava plug 375 meters high emerged from the crater of the volcano. It also turned out that the bottom of the sea near Martinique dropped several hundred meters. The city of Saint-Pierre, by the way, became famous for the fact that Napoleon’s wife, Josephine Beauharnais, was born there.

Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia. The 5,400-meter-high volcano, located in the Andes, burst out lava flows on November 13, 1985, and the main impact fell on the city of Armero, located 50 kilometers away. It only took 10 minutes for the lava to destroy it. The death toll exceeded 21 thousand people, and in total at that time about 29 thousand lived in Armero. It’s sad, but no one listened to the information from volcanologists about the impending eruption, since the information from specialists was repeatedly not confirmed.

Pinatubo, Philippines. Until June 12, 1991, the volcano was considered extinct for 611 years. The first signs of activity appeared in April and Philippine authorities managed to evacuate all residents within a radius of 20 kilometers. The eruption itself claimed the lives of 875 people, and destroyed naval base The United States and the American strategic airbase, located 18 kilometers from Pinatubo. The ejected ash covered an area of ​​the sky of 125,000 km2. The consequences of the disaster were a general drop in temperature by half a degree and a reduction in the ozone layer, due to which a very large ozone hole formed over Antarctica. The height of the volcano before the eruption was 1486 meters, and after - 1745 meters. At the site of Pinatubo, a crater with a diameter of 2.5 kilometers formed. Today, tremors regularly occur in this area, preventing any construction within a radius of tens of kilometers.

Katmai, Alaska. The eruption of this volcano on June 6, 1912 was one of the largest in the 20th century. The height of the ash column was 20 kilometers, and the sound reached the capital of Alaska, the city of Juneau, located 1,200 kilometers away. At a distance of 4 kilometers from the epicenter, the ash layer reached 20 meters. The summer in Alaska turned out to be very cold, as the rays could not break through the cloud. After all, thirty billion tons of rocks were thrown into the air! In the crater itself, a lake with a diameter of 1.5 kilometers formed, and it became the main attraction of the Katmai National Park and Preserve, which was formed here in 1980. Today the height of this active volcano is 2047 meters, and the last known eruption occurred in 1921.

Ecology

In 2018, scientists dared to predict the intensification of volcanic activity on the planet, frightening ordinary people catastrophic consequences in the form of global climate change, destruction of cities and loss of life.

Such bleak forecasts from experts are not unfounded: for many years now, increasing volcanic activity has been observed along the region of the Pacific volcanic ring of fire, where more than three hundred active volcanoes are located.

The behavior of a couple of other active volcanoes that have managed to last years ten to twenty ruin the lives of a significant number of people on our planet. But there are about nine hundred active volcanoes on land alone.

Volcanoes are an integral part of the Earth, reminding us of how destructive the fury of nature can be. We present to your attention a list of the ten most dangerous active volcanoes on our planet today.

Active volcanoes

Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

While the whole world watches with aspiration as the Kilauea volcano covers the most large island Hawaii, not so far from it, peacefully slumbering megavolcano Mauna Loa, whose height is 4169 meters (that is, almost three thousand meters higher than Kilauea!).

Mauna Loa, whose name translates as " long mountain", is the largest active volcano on planet Earth. this moment it is a place of pilgrimage for tourists and a work site for representatives of the scientific world.

The formation of this volcano began approximately 700,000 years ago, while its activity continues to this day. Mauna Loa's most recent eruption occurred in 1984. The underwater part of this volcano is the largest on the planet and is 80 thousand cubic kilometers.

The volcano spews intense lava flows that threaten not only the huge ecosystem that has settled on its slopes, but also nearby human settlements. The Hawaiians in their mythology singled out Mauna Loa as the place of one of the sisters Pele - the goddess of fire, volcanoes and strong winds.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland

For some time now, Eyjafjallajökull has become one of the most famous volcanoes on our planet. And this despite the fact that Very few people can pronounce its name without hesitation.. This 1666-meter-high volcano (a mysterious combination of three sixes, isn't it?) is located in the south of Iceland.

It is part of several small glaciers of this island state. The volcano's crater itself, which is three to four kilometers in diameter, was also covered by glaciers. However, the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, which began on March 20, 2010, melted its ice.

Despite the fact that Eyjafjallajökull is not the largest volcano in Iceland, its eruption caused trouble throughout Europe. The height that the volcanic ash reached was 13 kilometers. And its significant spread led to the suspension of air traffic over the entire Northern Europe.

Almost a month later, volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was recorded over a huge part of the territory Russian Federation. As a result of the last eruption, a new crack formed on the volcano in the direction from north to south, the length of which was two kilometers.

Volcano Vesuvius, Italy

Speaking about the most dangerous active volcanoes on the planet, it would be unforgivable frivolity not to mention the Italian Vesuvius. This volcano the last eruption of which was recorded in 1944, is most famous in the world for the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum that were razed to the ground in 79 AD.

The location of this volcano, the only one active in continental Europe, makes it one of the most dangerous in the world. The reason is the proximity of densely populated regions. Suffice it to say that just fifteen kilometers from Vesuvius is Naples, whose agglomeration exceeds three million people.

Vesuvius does not have an outstanding height - it is only 1281 meters above sea level. His quite frequent activity (one eruption approximately every twenty years) due to the relative youth of the volcano - it was formed about 25,000 years ago.

We most often remember the tragedy of Pompeii, where about two thousand people were buried during the eruption. At the same time, we forget that during the eruption on July 26, 1805 (far from the most powerful eruption of this volcano!), Vesuvius took the lives of 26 thousand people!

Active volcanoes

Volcano Nyiragongo, Congo

If we talk about activity, then the Nyiragongo volcano, whose height is 3469 meters, can rightfully be considered one of the most active. It is known that 34 eruptions have been recorded since 1882. Some of these eruptions continued for many months and even years.

In fact, Nyiragongo and its neighbor Nyamlagira are responsible for forty percent of all eruptions that continue to be observed on the African continent to this day. If we talk about the most destructive eruptions of Nyiragongo, the last one occurred on January 10, 1977.

As a result of that cataclysm, about two thousand people died, and the tragedy occurred literally within the first half hour from the moment the eruption began. Deadliest eruption of Nyiragongo in this century happened in 2002, when 45 people died under lava flows.

Nyiragongo is also famous for having the most big lake molten lava, the diameter of which is two kilometers. The temperature of the lava is 1200 degrees Celsius. The lake of fire itself, which is visible even from space, in size resembles a red Cyclopean eye, or, if you like, the eye of Sauron.

Taal Volcano, Philippines

Taal Volcano, whose height is only some 311 meters, is located on the island of Luzon, just 50 kilometers away from the more than one and a half million city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. In fact, it is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet.

Despite his size, Taal sent many thousands of people to the next world. It is known that since 1572 this volcano has erupted at least thirty times. It was thanks to his activity that the third largest lake in the Philippines was formed, the greatest depth of which is 172 meters. It is also called Taal.

One of the most powerful eruptions of Taal, which resulted in the death of all living things within a few minutes at a distance of up to ten kilometers from the volcano, occurred on January 30, 1911. Then masses of superheated steam and hot ash killed 1335 people. It is noteworthy that the volcano did not eject lava.

A huge cloud of ash, according to sources of those years, was visible at a distance of more than four hundred kilometers. The last powerful eruption of Taal was also recorded in the last century. It happened in 1965, taking the lives of more than two hundred people.

Volcano Merapi, Indonesia

Some volcanoes destroy settlements and villages, like Nyamlaghira and Taal. Others, like Vesuvius, entire cities. About the Merapi volcano it is known that he destroyed the entire Javanese-Indian kingdom, which was located on the territory of modern Indonesia. This happened in the year 1006.

The highest point of Merapi is 2968 meters. “Mountain of Fire” (that’s how the name of this volcano is translated) does not skimp on deadly eruptions. And this is not surprising, since Merapi is the youngest volcano from the group of its many “relatives” located in the south of the island of Java.

In the first half of the last century, there were 13 eruptions of the “mountain of fire”. It is known, for example, that in 1930, 1,300 people died due to the activity of this volcano. And now in 1974 Merapi wipes out two villages, and just a year later - another village, causing enormous damage to the region’s infrastructure. 29 people died then.

The last powerful eruption of Merapi in 2010 forced more than 350,000 people to flee the surrounding region. local residents. Some of them, however, dared to return, for which many of them paid with their lives - the volcano sent 353 people to the next world.

The most dangerous volcanoes

Volcano Galeras, Colombia

In Colombia, very close to the border with the Republic of Ecuador, is the majestic Galeras volcano. The height of this giant is 4276 meters. The depth of the crater (about 80 meters) and its diameter (320 meters) turn this volcano into a kind of cannon that has fired more than once.

The Galeras volcano continues to be active, as can be seen from numerous small eruptions. Not many really strong eruptions happened on Galeras. According to scientists, over the past seven thousand years there have been about six major bursts of its activity.

Galeras is very popular place for tourists in South America who also come to admire the beauty of the mountain located at the foot of the mountain national reserve , the area of ​​which is several thousand hectares.

Galeras constantly keeps in suspense almost half a million people living near the volcano, which, according to experts, remains active for at least a million years. Because of small eruptions, people often die there, and because of the threat of large ones, the authorities periodically evacuate many thousands of residents.

Sakurajima Volcano, Japan

The active Japanese volcano Sakurajima was once an independent island. However, after the eruption of 1914, it became part of the Osumi Peninsula, connecting with it through frozen lava flows.

Sakurajima has been continuously active since 1955, posing a serious threat to the city of Kagoshima, with a population of more than six hundred thousand people. However, this did not prevent (or rather helped) the residents of the city to benefit from such a dangerous neighborhood, making the volcano a tourist attraction.

There is a regular ferry to Mount Sakurajima, and from the city itself to the volcano, whose height is 1117 meters, a breathtakingly beautiful view opens up. Given the constant small eruptions of the volcano, it is not surprising that residents have become accustomed to it. For example, in 2014 alone, 471 eruptions occurred!

According to a 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.


The list of the most dangerous volcanoes scientists included the Philippines' Pinatubo, which in 1991 released so much gas and ash into the atmosphere that changes in the planet's climate were observed 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 leading to melting of the ice. This phenomenon also affects the movement of magma under the surface of the Earth," 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.

Volcanoes on Earth are divided into two types:

• Active(active) - erupted in historical period time or during the Holocene (in the last 10 thousand years). Some active volcanoes may be considered sleeping, but eruptions are still possible on them.
• Inactive(extinct) - ancient volcanoes that have lost their activity.

There are about 900 active volcanoes on land (see list of the largest volcanoes below), in the seas and oceans their number is being determined.

The period of a volcanic eruption can last from several days to several million years.

On other planets

Types of volcanic structures

In general, volcanoes are divided into linear And central, however, this division is arbitrary, since most volcanoes are confined to linear tectonic disturbances ( faults) in the earth's crust.

The shapes of central-type volcanoes depend on the composition and viscosity of the magma. Hot and easily mobile basaltic magmas create vast and flat panel volcanoes (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Kilauea). If a volcano periodically erupts either lava or pyroclastic material, a cone-shaped layered structure, a stratovolcano, appears. The slopes of such a volcano are usually covered with deep radial ravines - barrancos. Volcanoes of the central type can be purely lava, or formed only by volcanic products - volcanic scoria, tuffs, etc. formations, or be mixed - stratovolcanoes.

There are also monogenic And polygenic volcanoes. The former arose as a result of a single eruption, the latter as a result of multiple eruptions. Viscous, acidic in composition, low-temperature magma, squeezed out of the vent, forms extrusive domes (Montagne-Pelé needle, 1902).

• Shield (shield) volcanoes. Formed as a result of repeated ejections of liquid lava. This shape is characteristic of volcanoes that erupt low-viscosity basaltic lava: it long time flows from both the central vent and the side craters of the volcano. Lava spreads evenly over many kilometers; Gradually, a wide “shield” with gentle edges is formed from these layers. An example is the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, where lava flows directly into the ocean; its height from its base on the ocean floor is approximately ten kilometers (while the underwater base of the volcano is 120 km long and 50 km wide).
• Slag cones. When such volcanoes erupt, large fragments of porous slag are piled up around the crater in layers in the shape of a cone, and small fragments form sloping slopes at the foot; With each eruption the volcano gets higher. This is the most common type of volcano on land. They are no more than a few hundred meters in height. Often cinder cones are formed as side cones of a large volcano, or as separate centers of eruptive activity during fissure eruptions. An example is that several groups of cinder cones appeared during the last eruptions of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano in Kamchatka in 1975-76 and in 2012-2013.
• Stratovolcanoes, or "layered volcanoes". Periodically erupt lava (viscous and thick, quickly solidifying) and pyroclastic matter - a mixture of hot gas, ash and hot stones; as a result, deposits on their cone (sharp, with concave slopes) alternate. Lava from such volcanoes also flows out of cracks, solidifying on the slopes in the form of ribbed corridors that serve as the support of the volcano. Examples are Etna, Vesuvius, Fuji.
• Dome volcanoes. They are formed when viscous granite magma, rising from the depths of the volcano, cannot flow down the slopes and hardens at the top, forming a dome. It clogs its mouth, like a cork, which over time is knocked out by the gases accumulated under the dome. Such a dome is now forming over the crater of Mount St. Helens in the northwestern United States, formed during the 1980 eruption.
• Complex (mixed, composite) volcanoes.

Baransky Volcano. Iturup Island.

Volcanic eruption

Hawaiian type

Strombolian type

Volcanic eruptions are geological emergencies that often lead to natural disasters. The eruption process can last from several hours to many years.

An eruption is understood as the process of a significant amount of incandescent and hot volcanic products in gaseous, liquid and solid states coming from the depths to the surface. During eruptions, volcanic structures are formed - characteristically shaped hills, confined to channels and cracks through which eruption products flow from magma chambers to the surface. They usually have the shape of a cone with a depression - a crater - at the top. If it subsides and collapses, a caldera is formed - a vast circus-shaped basin with steep walls and a relatively flat bottom.

A generally accepted assessment of the strength of an eruption, or its explosiveness, without taking into account the individual characteristics of the volcano, is made using the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) scale. It was proposed in 1982 by American scientists C.A. Newhall and S. Self, allowing for a general assessment of the eruption’s impact on the earth’s atmosphere. An indicator of the strength of a volcanic eruption, regardless of its volume and location, on the VEI scale is the volume of erupted products - tephra and the height of the ash column - the eruptive column.

Among the various classifications, general types of eruptions are distinguished:

• Hawaiian type- emissions of liquid basaltic lava, often formed lava lakes, a lava flow can spread over long distances.
• Strombolian type- the lava is thicker and is thrown out of the vent in frequent explosions. The formation of cones from ash, volcanic bombs and lapilli is characteristic.
• Plinian type- powerful rare explosions capable of throwing tephra to a height of several tens of kilometers.
• Peleian type- eruptions, the distinctive feature of which is the formation of extrusive domes and pyroclastic flows (“scorching clouds”).
• Gas (freotic) type- eruptions in which only volcanic gases reach the crater and solid rocks are ejected. No magma is observed.
• Submarine type- eruptions that occur underwater. As a rule, they are accompanied by emissions of pumice.

Post-volcanic phenomena

After eruptions, when the activity of the volcano either stops forever, or it “dormants” for thousands of years, processes associated with the cooling of the magma chamber and called post-volcanic. These include:

During eruptions, a volcanic structure sometimes collapses with the formation of a caldera - a large depression with a diameter of up to 16 km and a depth of up to 1000 m. As magma rises, the external pressure weakens, associated gases and liquid products rush to the surface, and a volcanic eruption occurs. If it is not magma, but ancient rocks that are brought to the surface, and the gases are dominated by water vapor formed when groundwater is heated, then such an eruption is called phreatic.

Volcanic domes of the Eifel

Lava that rises to the earth's surface does not always reach this surface. It only raises layers of sedimentary rocks and hardens in the form of a compact body (laccolith), forming a unique system of low mountains. In Germany, such systems include the Rhön and Eifel regions. On the latter, another post-volcanic phenomenon is observed in the form of lakes filling the craters former volcanoes, which failed to form a characteristic volcanic cone (the so-called maars).

Geysers are found in areas of volcanic activity, where hot rocks are located close to the earth's surface. In such places, underground water is heated to a boiling point, and a fountain of hot water and steam is periodically released into the air. In New Zealand and Iceland, the energy from geysers and hot springs is used to generate electricity. One of the most famous geysers in the world is Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone. national park(USA), which shoots a jet of water and steam to a height of 45 m every 70 minutes.

Mud volcanoes are small volcanoes through which it is not magma that comes to the surface, but liquid mud and gases from the earth's crust. Mud volcanoes are much smaller in size than ordinary ones. Mud typically comes to the surface cold, but the gases emitted by mud volcanoes often contain methane and can ignite during the eruption, creating what looks like a miniature volcano eruption.

Heat sources

One of the unresolved problems of volcanic activity is determining the heat source necessary for local melting of the basalt layer or mantle. Such melting must be highly localized, since the passage of seismic waves shows that the crust and upper mantle are usually in a solid state. Moreover, the thermal energy must be sufficient to melt huge volumes of solid material. For example, in the USA in the Columbia River basin (Washington and Oregon states) the volume of basalts is more than 820 thousand km³; the same large strata of basalts are found in Argentina (Patagonia), India (Deccan Plateau) and South Africa (Great Karoo Rise). Currently there are three hypotheses. Some geologists believe that the melting is caused by local high concentrations of radioactive elements, but such concentrations in nature seem unlikely; others suggest that tectonic disturbances in the form of shifts and faults are accompanied by the release of thermal energy. There is another point of view, according to which the upper mantle under conditions of high pressure is in a solid state, and when, due to cracking, the pressure drops, a so-called phase transition occurs - the solid rocks of the mountain mantle melt and liquid lava flows through the cracks onto the surface of the Earth.

Extraterrestrial volcanoes

Volcanoes exist not only on Earth, but also on other planets and their satellites. The first highest mountain solar system is the 21.2 km high Olympus volcano on Mars.

On some satellites of the planets (Enceladus and Triton), at low temperatures, the erupted “magma” does not consist of molten rocks, but of water and light substances. This type of eruption cannot be classified as ordinary volcanism, therefore this phenomenon is called cryovolcanism.

Famous eruptions

• The eruption of Mount Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883 produced the loudest roar ever heard in history; the sound was heard at a distance of more than 4800 km from the volcano. Atmospheric shock waves circled the Earth seven times and were still visible for 5 days. The eruption killed more than 36,000 people, destroyed 165 villages and damaged another 132 (mostly through the tsunami that followed the eruption). Volcanic eruptions after 1927 created a new volcanic island called Anak Krakatoa.
• The Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii is the most active volcano currently. Last eruption has been going on since 1983, and lava flows reach the ocean.
• In 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano caused the cancellation of more than 60 thousand flights across Europe.

Recent eruptions

Scientists have observed eruptions at 560 volcanoes. The latest largest of them are presented in the list:

Largest volcanoes on Earth

The largest areas of volcanic activity are South America, Central America, Java, Melanesia, the Japanese Islands, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, the northwestern part of the USA, Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, the Aleutian Islands, Iceland, etc.

List of largest active volcanoes

Volcano name	Location	Height,	Region
Ojos del Salado	Chilean Andes	6893	South America
Llullaillaco	Chilean Andes	6723	South America
San Pedro	Central Andes	6159	South America
Cotopaxi	Equatorial Andes	5911	South America
Kilimanjaro	Masai Highlands	5895	Africa
Misty	Central Andes (southern Peru)	5821	South America
Orizaba	Mexican Highlands	5700
Elbrus	Greater Caucasus	5642	Europe
Popocatepetl	Mexican Highlands	5455	Northern and Central America
Sangay	Equatorial Andes	5230	South America
Tolima	Northwestern Andes	5215	South America
Klyuchevskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Peninsula	4850	Asia
Rainier	Cordillera	4392	North and Central America
Tajumulco	Central America	4217	North and Central America
Mauna Loa	O. Hawaii	4169	Oceania
Cameroon	Massif Cameroon	4100	Africa
Erciyes	Anatolian plateau	3916	Asia
Kerinci	O. Sumatra	3805	Asia
Erebus	O. Rossa	3794	Antarctica
Fujiyama	O. Honshu	3776	Asia
Teide	Canary Islands	3718	Africa
Seven	O. Java	3676	Asia
Ichinskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Peninsula	3621	Asia
Kronotskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Peninsula	3528	Asia
Koryakskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Peninsula	3456	Asia
Etna	O. Sicily	3340	Europe
Shiveluch	Kamchatka Peninsula	3283	Asia
Lassen Peak	Cordillera	3187	North and Central America
Llyama	Southern Andes	3060	South America
Apo	O. Mindanao	2954	Asia
Ruapehu	New Zealand	2796	Australia Oceania
Baekdusan	Korean Peninsula	2750	Asia
Avachinskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Peninsula	2741	Asia
Alaid	Kuril Islands	2339	Asia
Katmai	Alaska Peninsula	2047	North and Central America
Tyatya	Kuril Islands	1819	Asia
Haleakala	O. Maui	1750	Oceania
Hekla	O. Iceland	1491	Europe
Montagne-Pelée	O. Martinique	1397	North and Central America
Vesuvius	Apennine Peninsula	1277	Europe
Kilauea	O. Hawaii	1247	Oceania
Stromboli	Aeolian Islands	926	Europe
Krakatoa	Sunda Strait	813	Asia

The list of the largest eruptions in the history of the Earth is constantly updated as the issue is studied.

In culture

Bryullov K.P. The last day of Pompeii. 1830-1833

• Painting by Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation;
• Movies "Volcano", "Dante's Peak" and a scene from the film "".
• The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland became a hero during its eruption huge number humorous programs, television news stories, reports and folk art discussing events in the world.

19.02.2014

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

No. 10. Hawaii, Mauna Loa volcano

Mauna Loa is one of the five mountains that form the island of Hawaii. Despite the fact that this is not the most high mountain, a volcanic eruption poses a high danger, since its lava basically has a liquid consistency, which can lead to serious fires. Mauna LOA is the most big volcano in the world (by volume and area), taking into account the volume of lava, it reaches 18,000 cubic miles. The last eruption occurred on April 15, 1984.

No. 9. Philippines, Taal Volcano

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

No. 8. Papua New Guinea, Ulawun Volcano

Ulawun Volcano is located in Papua New Guinea, on the Bismarck Archipelago, and is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes New Guinea. Several eruptions have been recorded, with one of the most powerful occurring in 1980, the ash column spewed from Ulawun reaching 60,000 feet in height, and its pyroclastic flows engulfing the mountains on all sides.

No. 7. Congo, Nyiragongo volcano

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

No. 6. Indonesia, Merapi volcano

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

No. 5. Colombia, Galeras volcano

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

No. 4. Japan, Sakurajima volcano

The Sakurajima volcano is located on the island of Kyushu in Japan and is one of the most dangerous volcanoes. On March 10, 2009, a terrible eruption occurred, with the volcano throwing rocks and other rocks up to 2 miles away. The intensity of the Sakurajima eruption is one of the most powerful not only in Japan, but also in the world. Over the past 45 years, 73 eruptions have been recorded.

No. 3. Mexico, Popocatepetl volcano

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

No. 2. Italy, Vesuvius volcano

Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano in the Bay of Naples, Italy, approximately 9 miles east of Naples. Mount Vesuvius is the only volcano in Europe that has erupted in the last 100 years. This volcano could explode at any moment and severely punish the people living in its vicinity. Lava eruptions from a volcano can reach great heights; in March 1994, lava splashed out to a height of up to 1000 meters. Famous eruption 79 destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

No. 1. USA, Yellowstone volcano

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