100 great mysteries of astronomy Volkov Alexander Viktorovich

Does the planet Vulcan exist?

Does the planet Vulcan exist?

A century and a half ago, the planet Vulcan was discovered, whose orbit was located between Mercury and the Sun. Subsequently, Albert Einstein proved that this celestial body should not exist. However, more than half a century later, the planet Vulcan appeared in the popular television series Star Trek. Is her mystery still not solved? The mystery of this hypothetical planet, discovered at the tip of a pen by an astronomer who had previously become famous for another similar prediction?

So, in 1846, the French scientist Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier, having studied the peculiarities of the movement of Uranus, calculated the orbit and position of the neighboring planet, which was not yet known, which was called Neptune. A few years later, his attention was drawn to some oddities in the behavior of the planet closest to the Sun - Mercury. Its orbit was not at all perfectly elliptical. This means that, having completed a revolution around the Sun, Mercury did not return to its starting point. In other words, with each new revolution its perihelion, that is, the point of its orbit closest to the Sun, shifted slightly.

The French mathematician Le Verrier, studying the deviations of the orbit of Mercury, suggested the existence of a planet, which he gave the name “Vulcan”

A similar phenomenon is typical for all planets in the solar system. It is caused by the attraction of nearby celestial bodies. In the case of Mercury, it is “pulled” towards itself by Venus, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. The perihelion point slowly rotates around the Sun (today it is known that it completes a full revolution in more than 225 thousand years). Over one century, the rotation of perihelion is 574 arc seconds (in one degree - 3600 arc seconds). However, if we take into account the influence of the known planets - and Le Verrier meticulously noted all the positions of perihelion - then this value should be equal to 531 seconds. Strangely, the perihelion of Mercury “ran” forward by 43 seconds every hundred years.

Apparently, somewhere nearby, between Mercury and the Sun, there was another planet that had not yet been discovered. The famous astronomer named this celestial body, literally bathed in solar fire, “Vulcan” in honor of the Roman god of fire. (To be fair, it must be said that the results of the calculations carried out by Le Verrier were, in today’s opinion, not entirely accurate, but they correctly conveyed the essence of the phenomenon - an inexplicable shift in the perihelion).

Le Verrier published the results of his calculations in September 1859, and soon after, the French physician and amateur astronomer Edmond Lescarbault told him that on March 26, 1859, he saw a round black spot on the Sun, which in just 75 minutes moved to a distance exceeding a quarter of the solar diameter . Le Verrier went to his correspondent and got acquainted with the information he had collected. This allowed him to determine that the unknown planet revolved around the Sun in 19 days and 7 hours. Its average distance from the Sun was 21 million kilometers, equal to about a third of the radius of Mercury's orbit, and its mass was 17 times less than its mass. Le Verrier became convinced that the planet discovered by his colleague was too small to explain the features of Mercury's orbit. However, it could be only one of several planets located near the Sun.

Other astronomers also responded to this event. Thus, researcher from Zurich Rudolf Wolf reported his observations. This allowed Le Verrier to discover two more small planets near the Sun. The circulation period of one of them was 26 days, and the second – 38 days.

The New Year of 1860 was supposed to be a triumph for the French master. He was sure that during a total solar eclipse, which was expected in Spain, these planets, opened by calculations, it will finally be possible to see, but this did not happen. Is it really a fiasco?

A debate ensued among astronomers. Some still mistook any suspicious spots on the Sun for a mysterious planet that had passed the solar disk, while others denied its right to exist.

Until his death in 1877, Le Verrier was convinced that the planet Vulcan could be found. However, after many years of unsuccessful searches, most astronomers have lost faith in this.

The riddle of the planet Vulcan was finally solved on November 18, 1915. It was on this day that Albert Einstein published his explanation for the strange behavior of Mercury. What seemed incomprehensible from the point of view of Newtonian mechanics found its interpretation as soon as one turned to the general theory of relativity.

According to it, the Sun “bends” space and distorts the orbits of planets. If we describe the movement of Mercury in Euclidean space according to Newton's laws of mechanics, it seems that it is moving too fast. However, if we turn to non-Euclidean geometry and Einstein's theory, the strangeness disappears. The difference in these calculations is the same 43 arc seconds that prompted Le Verrier to come up with the planet Vulcan. Now she had to be written off as unnecessary.

On a short time interest in Le Verrier's hypothesis awoke in 1970, when, during a total solar eclipse, some researchers discovered some strange, faintly luminous objects in the vicinity of the Sun. Astronomers later suggested that these were comets.

So, in the 19th and 20th centuries, researchers observed the planet Vulcan more than once, and now it is unlikely that they will be able to establish what they actually saw. Some "observations" could be explained by a simple defect in the optics. Even a bird flying in the distance could be mistaken for a planet. However, there is a known case when, on the same day, two astronomers who lived in different cities, noticed independently of each other an object that was moving across the disk of the Sun. Perhaps it was an asteroid, although science still does not know of a single reliably confirmed case of an asteroid passing across the solar disk.

The planet Vulcan has disappeared from the annals of astronomy to give way to... a whole scattering of planets that deserve the same name. Enthusiasts continue to search for “volcanoids” - small planets whose orbits may be located inside the orbit of Mercury.

In principle, astronomers have no doubt that some asteroids may be found between Mercury and the Sun. It is known that in the distant past, Mercury was subjected to “formal bombardment” - numerous craters left on its surface after the fall of large meteorites remind us of that time. Perhaps the reason for this “shelling” was the proximity to the asteroid belt. Since then, this cluster of small planets has obviously thinned out considerably, but perhaps several of these planets are still circling the Sun in close proximity to it?

So what do we know about vulcanoids, even if we have not yet been able to detect them? Obviously, these are very small planets, not exceeding fifty kilometers in diameter. Larger celestial bodies orbiting near the Sun would certainly be noticed by the SOHO solar observatory. The distance at which they should be looked for is also known. Probably, the belt of circumsolar asteroids, if any, is located in the range of 0.15-0.18 astronomical units from the Sun, that is, almost next to it. Their surface temperatures are expected to be between 700 and 900 Kelvin. However, despite persistent searches, within the orbit of Mercury it has so far been possible to notice only individual asteroids, which, moving along very elongated trajectories, for some time approached the Sun closer than this planet. To where they would meet the Vulcanoids? Or not?

This text is an introductory fragment.

The volcano in the eyes of the ancient man was like a real natural God who came to punish humanity for its sins. A huge mountain spewing waves of fiery water, destroying everything in its path and knowing no compassion. The crater of the volcano is an abyss into hellish hell. Getting there is a one-way ticket. There are many legends and tales around volcanoes; even now, when the nature of this phenomenon is known, and upcoming eruptions are predicted by scientists, we are unable to contain our inner trepidation before colliding with the fiery element.

The most famous volcano

It is not surprising that the most popular among tourists and the most famous in the world is the Vesuvius volcano. August 24, 79 AD he covered three cities in the Roman Empire with ashes: Pompeii, Oplontis and Herculaneum. The destructive power of Vesuvius was reflected in the works of such artists as Pierre Jacques Volard “The Eruption of Vesuvius”, Karl Pavlovich Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”, and the English artist Joseph Wright witnessed the volcanic eruption and dedicated several dozen paintings to this phenomenon. Until now, this volcano is considered active and is located in Italy 15 km from Naples, reminding people of the dominance of the elements over man.

The most picturesque volcano

The Japanese volcano Fuji amazes with its beauty and harmony; its height is 3776 m (the highest high point Japan). The mountain has an almost perfect conical shape and is considered sacred place for the indigenous population. Since ancient times, Fuji has been depicted by Japanese painters, and in the era of digital technology, the Internet is replete with photographs of the volcano at sunset. At the top of the mountain stands the Shinto Great Shrine, Hongu Sengen. In 1974, the Supreme Court of Japan gave the mountain private ownership to the temple.

The most mysterious volcano

Volcano Bromo in Indonesia is shrouded in a veil of secrets and legends. The most common version is that during the Majapahit kingdom, a young princess, Raru Anteng, married a young man named Jaka Seger. The lovers fled from their father's house and established their kingdom at the foot of the Bromo volcano. For many years they had no heirs and then, in despair, they climbed to the top of the volcano and day and night they prayed to the Gods for help. The wise Gods had mercy on the king and queen and gave them children with the condition that they would sacrifice the youngest by throwing them into the mouth of a volcano. But the couple did not want to fulfill this vow and paid for it. The gods were very angry with them, and since then, every year people threw one child into the mouth of the volcano. Traditions and morals have changed, but even in our times, representatives of the Tenger Buddhist ethnic group make sacrifices to the gods in the form of rice, fruits and livestock.

Northernmost volcano

The northernmost active volcano on our planet belongs to Norway and is called Beerenberg, which translated into Russian means Bear Mountain. The top of the volcano is covered with a cap of ice and snow. For a long time, Bear Mountain was considered a dormant volcano, but on September 20, 1970, life suddenly “awakened” in it. The volcano released hot magma and ash into the air, putting the lives of 39 island residents at risk.

Tallest volcano

The highest volcano on Earth, Ojos del Salado, is located on the border of Argentina and Chile, its height is 6893 m. In its entire history, the volcano has not had a single eruption, but emissions of sulfur and water vapor into the atmosphere were recorded. The conquest of the volcano took place in 1937 by Polish climbers, but the path to the top of the volcano was difficult and dangerous. On April 21, 2007, the Chilean athlete Gonzalo Bravo managed on a modified Suzuki S.J. climb the slope of Ojos del Salado to a height of 6,688 meters, thus setting a world record for climbing for cars.

The most ancient volcano

The Brazilian volcano Zhamanshin deservedly takes the lead in the category among the oldest volcanoes. After much calculation and research, scientists were able to find out the approximate age of the volcano - 2 billion years. Despite its longevity, the volcano rises 250 meters above ground level. It has ceased to function for several million years, but in its “golden years” Zhamanshin was able to cover an area of ​​22 km around with ash and lava.

The most unusual volcano

The Dallol volcano, located in Ethiopia, amazes with its magical and inimitable appearance. The landscapes surrounding the volcano's crater are believed to be similar to the landscape of Jupiter's moon Io. And, indeed, such an abundance of colors cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. In 1926, a strong explosion occurred, which formed a lake of yellow and purple flowers. In addition to its uniqueness, the Dallol volcano earns another championship - the lowest volcano. The height of its crater above sea level is only 45 meters.

Text: Yulia Tsvetkova

Volcano- hypothetical inframercurian planet, one of the eight trans-Neptunian bodies introduced into astrological practice by the Hamburg School of Astrology of Alfred Witte. The ephemeris for Vulcan was calculated by Friedrich Siggrün, a colleague and student of Witte. The semimajor axis of Vulcan's orbit is 77.4459 AU. Circulation period - 663 years; annual shift - 0.33 degrees. Vulcan's ecliptic latitude is considered to be permanently zero.

Modern astronomers reject the existence of any large inframercurian planet, but a number of astrological schools use Volcano in your work. At the same time, the opinions of astrologers who take into account the influence of Vulcan are divided into two main groups. Representatives of the first of them believe that Vulcan is not an independent planet, but is a symbol of the astrological influence of the solar crown, which differs from the influence of the center of the Sun. Astrologers of this group use Vulcan more often in their theoretical constructions than in practical work.

Representatives of another group of astrologers believe that Volcano- independent planet very small in size, and use one or another version of the ephemeris of this hypothetical planet. The astrologers of this group have not yet been able to reach a firm agreement regarding the position of Vulcan, its distance from the Sun and its orbital period.

E.B. Donat points out that Vulcan revolves around the center of the Sun with a period of 17 to 25 days and appears at a distance of 8 to 10 degrees from the Sun. According to calculations by L.H. Weston, Vulcan has an orbital period of 19.5 days and is removed by a maximum of 8 degrees from the Sun. Professor Weston based his conclusions on numerous purported observations of Vulcan by astronomers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A full statement of Weston's theory can be found in the booklet "The Planet Vulcan", published by the American Federation of Astrologers in 1941.

Another researcher, Dr. D. Baker, proposed a different theory of Vulcan's movement. According to Baker, Vulcan is always located near Mercury, and when Mercury is more than 3 degrees from the Sun, Vulcan is on the same side of the Sun as Mercury, and when Mercury is located within 3 degrees from the Sun, then Volcano connects with the Sun. This concept is substantiated in Baker's book "Dictionary of Astrology".

In the Avestan tradition, the period of Vulcan’s revolution around the Sun is taken to be 40 days, and its maximum elongation is 13 degrees. It is characteristic that adherents of using Vulcan as an independent planet admit that Vulcan may never be discovered on the physical plane, but the existence of this planet on more subtle levels of existence still makes it possible to take into account its influence. Modern English astrologer Raymond Henry identifies Vulcan with Black Sun of Mercury.

Astrological interpretation influence Vulcana differs significantly from school to school. A. Volgin claims that the planet has an influence on “strange distressing phenomena” such as fires, kidnappings, rapes, attempted murders; it is associated with the combustion process (it is implied that it is Vulcan that provides not combustion, but the combustion process itself).

In the concept of esoteric astrology by A. Bailey, Vulcan is considered the esoteric ruler of Taurus and symbolizes the soul of the individual, inner, spiritual person; Vulcan presides over the “forging” of this inner man. This planet also rules over peoples at a certain stage of embryonic expression of the soul, such as sex, and directs their actions, forging the instruments of war, when war and conflict are the only means by which liberation can come. Volcano also signifies the use of the mineral kingdom by man.

According to E.B. Donat, Volcano relates to the efforts used in achieving personal freedom, in struggle, in outbursts of love of freedom; in overcoming fears, in overcoming obstacles and feelings of dislike and hostility from others; in purification processes and the fight against significantly superior forces. IN Everyday life Vulcan is associated with isolation, burning, paralysis, violent eccentricities, outbursts of anger, suppressed emotions and long hours of hard work. Vulcan openly states the naked truth to discard the husks of useless words, just as combustion purifies iron ore, turning it into pure steel.

Volcano, presumably controls dense durable materials - heavy metals, minerals. It is associated with those materials that are extracted from mines and mines. Donat points out that when trying to use the energies of Vulcan, crises often occur. Vulcan is the impulse that forces the master to work on his creations until a real masterpiece comes out of his hands. Only in this way can a person free himself from earthly limitations.

Keywords for Vulcan: homelessness, pain, endurance, grief, burning, discipline, exile, blacksmithing, metallurgy, silence, lack, unloved person, injury, artisan, robots, creator, suffering, withering, tenacity, lameness.

Semira and V. Vetash believe (following the astrologers of the Avestan School) Volcano unmanifested ruler of the sign Libra and interpret this planet as a harmonious fusion of opposites, forming the diversity of this world. The volcano is an ethical and aesthetic border that protects the world from spontaneous battles, a single moral agreement between people, rituals and cultural interaction based on the principles of equality and justice. This is the law of balance, which stands above the concepts of good and evil, and proportionality, which serves as the basis of beauty. This is art and a creator who dissolves himself in the world process of creativity, skill and a reality artificially created by man, made possible by mastering the element of fire, which in man himself symbolizes the energy of his instincts. This is an abstractly sublime reflection of life in thinking, a similarity between the very top and the very bottom, oneself and another, external and internal, and the choice between them. This is a sphere where a person is independent from nature, from the struggle for existence, suffering and death; the utopia of his omnipotence and free pursuit of his evolutionary path - on the first turn of the spiral cultural development, associated with a preference for a stable life within civilization.

L. Konstantinovskaya suggests that planet Vulcan It is still at the stage of formation and is formed only after approximately 30 billion years. Characteristics attributed to Vulcan: powerful, mature entity with cosmic consciousness, warrior, good physical health.

According to a number of meanings of Western schools, keywords for characterizing influence of Vulcan in the horoscope: according to E.B. Donat - information/coverage; according to W. Brewster - release of strength, power. Associated with Vulcan are such concepts as power over nature, enormous energy, power, influence, potency, superiority, intensity, undirected energy similar to a volcano. Some sources indicate that the abode of Vulcan is in the sign of Aries, and the sign of exaltation is Leo.

Volcano(lat. Vulcanus) - god of fire and patron of blacksmithing in ancient Roman mythology. Vulcan is often depicted with a blacksmith's hammer. The cult of Vulcan was accompanied by human sacrifices. Vulcan's festival, Vulcanalia, was celebrated every year on August 23, when the summer heat meant that barns and grain were at greatest risk of catching fire. During the festival, live fish or small animals were thrown into the bonfires that were lit to honor the god as sacrifices.

Volcano was the son of Jupiter and Juno. His wives were Maya (Maiesta) and Venus. The plot of Vulcan’s revenge on his wife for infidelity (Mars and Venus playing chess, Padovanino, 1530-40, Landesmuseum fur Kunst und Kulturgeschichte Augusteum, Oldenburg) has become popular in new European painting since the Renaissance. Vulcan made weapons and armor for many gods and heroes. His forge was located in the volcano Etna (Sicily). He created golden women to help himself. He created lightning for Jupiter. According to myth, one day an angry Jupiter threw him from Olympus. Vulkan broke both legs and limped.

The origin of the name is unclear. Roman scholars claim that it is related to the Latin words associated with lightning (fulgur, fulgere, fulment), which in turn are associated with flame. In ancient Greek mythology the god Hephaestus corresponds to him.

In the mid-19th century, precise observations of the movement of Mercury were made, and it turned out that the shift in the perihelion of this planet cannot be explained using classical celestial mechanics. French astronomer and mathematician Urbain Le Verrier suggested that this was the result of influence unknown planet, located between Mercury and the Sun. At the suggestion of physicist Jacques Babinet, a hypothetical planet given a name Volcano.

In 1859, Le Verrier received a letter from the amateur astronomer Lescarbo, who reported that on March 25 he observed a round dark spot similar to a planet moving across the disk of the Sun. Le Verrier immediately went to Lescarbot to personally question him about what he had discovered. celestial body. In addition to Lescarbot's data, Le Verrier selected the results of five other observations, which, in his opinion, could not be attributed to cases of the passage of Mercury or Venus across the solar disk. Based on these six observations, he calculated the orbit of the invisible planet in 1859, which he called Vulcan.

In 1877, Le Verrier died without waiting for the discovery of Vulcan, in the existence of which he believed until the end of his life. Then, during the eclipse of July 29, 1878, the ghost planet was observed by several astronomers at once. University of Michigan astronomy professor James Watson said he observed as many as two planets within the orbit of Mercury. Another astronomer, Lewis Swift, who discovered the comet named after him, also stated that he saw a luminous object similar to a planet. However, it turned out that the orbits calculated from these observations did not coincide either with each other or with the orbit once calculated by Le Verrier. Naturally, such observational results could not be taken seriously by the scientific community.

Despite many years of searching, this planet was never discovered. Several reports of observations of Vulcan were published, but these observations generally did not agree with each other or with Le Verrier's calculations, and other astronomers were unable to confirm them. At the beginning of the 20th century, the behavior of Mercury was fully explained by Einstein's general theory of relativity without introducing additional celestial bodies.

Because the planet Vulcan does not exist and this name is vacant, there was a proposal to name the satellite of Pluto discovered in 2012 “Vulcan”. However, this option was rejected, since the mythological Vulcan was not directly related to the kingdom of the dead god Pluto, and the satellite was named Styx.

Today on the surface of the Earth there are about 600 active volcanoes and up to 1000 extinct ones. In addition, there are approximately 10 thousand more of them hiding under water. Most of them are located at the junctions of tectonic plates. About 100 volcanoes are concentrated around Indonesia, in the western American states there are about 10 of them, a cluster of volcanoes is also noted in the region of Japan, Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. But they are all nothing compared to the one megavolcano that scientists fear most.

The most dangerous volcanoes

Any existing volcano, even a dormant one, poses one danger or another. No volcanologist or geomorphologist undertakes to determine which of them is the most dangerous, since it is impossible to accurately predict the time and strength of the eruption of any of them. The title of “the most dangerous volcano in the world” is simultaneously claimed by the Roman Vesuvius and Etna, the Mexican Popocatepetl, the Japanese Sakurajima, the Colombian Galeras, located in the Congo Nyiragongo, in Guatemala - Santa Maria, in Hawaii - Manua Loa and others.

If the danger of a volcano is assessed by the estimated damage it can cause, then it would be reasonable to turn to history that describes the consequences of the most dangerous volcanic eruptions in the world in the past. For example, the well-known Vesuvius carried away in 79 AD. e. up to 10 thousand lives and wiped out two large cities from the face of the Earth. The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which was 200 thousand times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, echoed across the Earth and took the lives of 36 thousand islanders.

The eruption of a volcano called Laki in 1783 led to the destruction of a huge part of the livestock and food supplies, due to which 20% of the population of Iceland died of starvation. The next year, because of Lucky, became a lean year for the whole of Europe. All this shows what large-scale consequences it can have for people

Destructive supervolcanoes

But did you know that all the biggest dangerous ones are nothing compared to the so-called supervolcanoes, the eruption of each of which thousands of years ago brought truly catastrophic consequences for the entire Earth and changed the climate on the planet? Eruptions of such volcanoes could have a force of 8, and ash with a volume of at least 1000 m 3 was thrown to a height of at least 25 km. This resulted in prolonged sulfur precipitation, the absence of sunlight for many months and the covering of a vast area of ​​the earth's surface with huge layers of ash.

Supervolcanoes are distinguished by the fact that at the site of the eruption they have not a crater, but a caldera. This circus-shaped basin with a relatively flat bottom is formed as a result of the fact that after a series of powerful explosions with the release of smoke, ash and magma, the upper part of the mountain collapses.

The most dangerous supervolcano

Scientists know about the existence of approximately 20 supervolcanoes. Today, on the site of one of these terrifying giants, Lake Taupa in New Zealand is located; another supervolcano is hidden under the one located on the other. Examples of supervolcanoes include Long Valley in California, Valleys in New Mexico and Aira in Japan.

But the most dangerous volcano in the world is the Yellowstone supervolcano, which is most “ripe” for an eruption, located in the western American states. It is he who forces volcanologists and geomorphologists in the United States, and throughout the world, to live in a state of increasing fear, forcing them to forget about all the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world.

Location and size of Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera is located in the northwestern United States, in the state of Wyoming. It was first spotted by satellite in 1960. The caldera, whose dimensions are approximately 55 * 72 km, is part of the world famous Yellowstone national park. A third of the nearly 900,000 hectares of parkland is located within the volcano's caldera.

Under the Yellowstone crater to this day rests a giant bubble of magma about 8,000 m deep. The temperature of the magma inside it is close to 1000 0 C. Thanks to this, many hot springs bubble in the territory of Yellowstone Park, from cracks in earth's crust Clouds of steam and gas mixtures rise.

There are also many geysers and mud pots there. The reason for this was a vertical flow of solid rock 660 km wide, heated to a temperature of 1600 0 C. Under the territory of the park at a depth of 8-16 km there are two branches of this stream.

Yellowstone's past eruptions

The first eruption of Yellowstone, which occurred, according to scientists, more than 2 million years ago, was the largest disaster on Earth in the entire history of its existence. Then, according to volcanologists, about 2.5 thousand km 3 of rock was released into the atmosphere, and the highest point these emissions reached was 50 km above the earth's surface.

The biggest and dangerous volcano the world began to re-erupt more than 1.2 million years ago. Then the volume of emissions was approximately 10 times less. The third eruption occurred 640 thousand years ago. It was then that the walls of the crater collapsed and the caldera that exists today was formed.

Why you should be afraid of the Yellowstone Caldera today

In light of recent changes in the territory of Yellowstone National Park, it is becoming increasingly clear to scientists which volcano is the most dangerous in the world. What's going on there? Scientists were alarmed by the following changes, which especially intensified in the 2000s:

• In the six years leading up to 2013, the ground covering the caldera rose by as much as 2 meters, compared with only 10 cm in the previous 20 years.
• New hot geysers erupted from the ground.
• The frequency and strength of earthquakes in the Yellowstone caldera area is increasing. In 2014 alone, scientists recorded about 2,000 of them.
• In some places, underground gases make their way through the layers of the earth to the surface.
• The water temperature in the rivers increased by several degrees.

This frightening news alarmed the public, and especially the residents of the North American continent. Many scientists agree that the supervolcano will erupt this century.

Consequences of the eruption for America

It is not for nothing that many volcanologists believe that the Yellowstone caldera is the most dangerous volcano in the world. They assume that its next eruption will be as powerful as the previous ones. Scientists equate it to the explosion of a thousand atomic bombs. This means that within a radius of 160 km around the epicenter, everything will be completely destroyed. An ash-covered area stretching 1,600 km around will turn into a “dead zone.”

The eruption of Yellowstone can lead to the eruption of other volcanoes and the formation of powerful tsunamis. There will be a national emergency for the United States and martial law will be imposed. Information comes from various sources that America is preparing for disaster: building shelters, making more than a million plastic coffins, drawing up an evacuation plan, drawing up agreements with countries on other continents. Recently, the United States has preferred to remain silent about the true state of affairs at the Yellowstone Caldera.

Yellowstone Caldera and the end of the world

The eruption of the caldera located under Yellowstone Park will bring disaster not only to America. The picture that can unfold in this case looks sad for the whole world. Scientists have calculated that if the release to a height of 50 km lasts only two days, then the “cloud of death” during this time will cover an area twice as large as the entire American continent.

In a week, emissions will reach India and Australia. The sun's rays will drown in thick volcanic smoke and a long year and a half (at least) winter will come to Earth. average temperature air on Earth will drop to -25 0 C, and in some places it will reach -50 o. People will die under debris falling from the sky from hot lava, from cold, hunger, thirst and the inability to breathe. According to assumptions, only one person in a thousand will survive.

The eruption of the Yellowstone caldera can, if not completely destroy life on earth, then radically change the conditions of existence of all living things. No one can say for sure whether this most dangerous volcano in the world will erupt in our lifetime, but the existing fears are indeed justified.

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, and last eruption happened 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, the following are located in the neighborhood: big cities, like Puebla and Tlaxcala de Xicotencatl. 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 most big volcano c: it is two and a half times larger than Vesuvius.

Vesuvius, Italy

Vesuvius is one of the three active volcanoes in 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. First of all, this is the only one active volcano on the mainland, secondly, it is the most studied and predictable, 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 most time covered with snow, and active volcano Colima. 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 whole 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.