Volcanoes. Volcanoes: characteristics and types The most active active volcano

In the past, people thought that volcanic eruptions were punishment from the gods. Today we understand that this is not so. Volcanic eruptions occur due to the excessive accumulation of very hot magma, which makes its way to the earth's surface through holes in the earth's crust, that is, through volcanic craters. When this magma reaches the surface, the consequences are catastrophic.
We have collected especially for your attention the ten most dangerous volcanoes in the world, which can flare up at any time and create devastation around in a matter of hours.

Ten most dangerous volcanoes in the world

10. Taal Volcano, Philippines

This cinder cone volcano is located on the island of Luzon, in Taal Lake. It is located just 31 kilometers from the city of Manila, which has a population of about 1.6 million people. Scientists believe that this volcano has erupted about 33 times. It is reliably known that in 157, magma burned to the ground the population that lived near the active volcano. It is also worth considering that the volcano requires study due to the high danger to humans and the environment.

9.Ulavun Volcano, Papua New Guinea

Also local residents This volcano is also called “Father”. Ulawun is a symmetrical volcano located on the island of New Britain. Its height reaches about 2334 meters, which is why it is one of not only the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, but also the highest.

Ulavun is an active volcano. Since the 1700s, 22 eruptions have been recorded. Local residents regularly observe how tiny explosions occur in the crater of the volcano with a splash of lava and ash.

8. Volcano Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic Congo

He is considered the most active volcanoes on the African continent. Nyiragongo Volcano is known for its lava lakes, which mainly appear in the crater. This volcano is an active threat to people living in its vicinity.

One of the last strong eruptions in 1977 led to the death of several hundred people. There could have been significantly more casualties if people had not evacuated in time. The lava erupted by the volcano destroyed almost all residential buildings located at the foot of Nyiragongo.

7. Merapi Volcano, Indonesia

Locals call this volcano “The Mountain of Fire.” It is also considered one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world. Scientists claim that the activity of this volcano previously continued for more than 10,000 years in a row.

About 1,300 people died during the last major eruption of Mount Merapi, which occurred in 1930. Since then, the government of Yogyakarta, which is located on the slope of the volcano, has developed a special plan for the evacuation of citizens.

6. Galeras Volcano, Colombia

This volcano is located in the young part of Colombia. Galeras has been active for about 1 million years. On its slope there is a city with 450,000 inhabitants called Pasto.

In modern times, the volcano became active in 1978, but its activity was not significant then. Then, ten years later, a new eruption occurred. But the worst thing is that since 2000, Galeras began to erupt regularly, albeit with little force.

5. Sakurajima Volcano, Japan

This is a composite volcano located in Japan. Previously, Sakurajima was located on a separate island. It has a very high activity level.

Every year, scientists record small eruptions from the crater of this volcano, during which ash is thrown into the atmosphere and scattered throughout the surrounding area. If a more serious eruption occurs, then a large number of Residents of the nearby city of Kagoshima will be in mortal danger.

4. Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico

The peak of this volcano is covered by a glacier. Popocatépetl is located just 35 miles from Mexico City. Also within the radius of a possible eruption are many people living in this area. Since 1519, Popocatepetl has erupted more than 20 times.

The last eruption occurred in 2000. Then it was possible to evacuate people in time and save thousands of lives that could have been claimed by one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

3. Yellowstone Caldera, USA

Tourists from all over the world feel the attraction of the bubbling springs in national park Yellowstone. The beauty of this park is breathtaking and intoxicating for visitors. However, underneath this beauty lies a dangerous volcano that will burn to destroy the entire western United States.

The Yellowstone caldera is truly enormous. People have never witnessed its eruption, but scientists have learned that the last eruption of this volcano occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago. Experts suggest that the volume of lava “splashed out” on the surface during that period of time was 25 thousand times greater than the eruption of St. Helens in 1980.

2. Volcano Vesuvius, Italy

Probably the most famous volcano in the world. It is located in the Campania region, Italy. Last eruption Vesuvius occurred in 1944, but fortunately there were no serious consequences. About three million people live in close proximity to the volcano's slope. The houses of these people are located 5 kilometers from Vesuvius. Therefore, it is also considered the most densely populated volcanic region in the entire world.

Vesuvius is the only volcano on the European continent that was active in the last century. Its most famous eruption occurred in 79 AD, burying the nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under lava.

1. Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

Mauna Lao the most dangerous volcano in the world and the biggest. The last time it erupted was in 1984. The lava caused serious damage to the surrounding area. However, there is very good news - the erupting lava of Mauna Lao is spreading very slowly throughout the surrounding area, which gives additional time for evacuation.

Mauna Laon also poses another devastating environmental threat in the form of landslides. Although this is a very rare process, it is really worth fearing.

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A truly amazing sight is a volcanic eruption. But what is a volcano? How does a volcano erupt? Why do some of them spew out huge streams of lava at different intervals, while others sleep peacefully for centuries?

What is a volcano?

Externally, the volcano resembles a mountain. There is a geological fault inside it. In science, a volcano is a formation of geological rock located on the surface of the earth. Magma, which is very hot, erupts through it. It is magma that subsequently forms volcanic gases and rocks, as well as lava. Most of the volcanoes on earth were formed several centuries ago. Today, new volcanoes rarely appear on the planet. But this happens much less frequently than before.

How are volcanoes formed?

If we briefly explain the essence of the formation of a volcano, it will look like this. Under the earth's crust there is a special layer under strong pressure, consisting of molten rocks, it is called magma. If cracks suddenly begin to appear in the earth’s crust, then hills form on the surface of the earth. Through them, magma comes out under strong pressure. At the surface of the earth, it begins to break down into hot lava, which then solidifies, causing the volcanic mountain to become larger and larger. The emerging volcano becomes such a vulnerable spot on the surface that it spews volcanic gases onto the surface with great frequency.

What is a volcano made of?

In order to understand how magma erupts, you need to know what a volcano is made of. Its main components are: a volcanic chamber, a vent and craters. What is a volcanic source? This is the place where magma is formed. But not everyone knows what a volcano’s crater and crater are? A vent is a special channel that connects the hearth with the surface of the earth. A crater is a small bowl-shaped depression on the surface of a volcano. Its size can reach several kilometers.

What is a volcanic eruption?

Magma is constantly under intense pressure. Therefore, there is a cloud of gases above it at any time. Gradually they push hot magma to the surface of the earth through the crater of the volcano. This is what causes an eruption. However, just a short description of the eruption process is not enough. To see this spectacle, you can use the video, which you need to watch after you have learned what the volcano is made of. In the same way, in the video you can find out which volcanoes do not exist nowadays and what the volcanoes that are active today look like.

Why are volcanoes dangerous?

Active volcanoes pose a danger for a number of reasons. The dormant volcano itself is very dangerous. It can “wake up” at any time and begin to erupt streams of lava, spreading over many kilometers. Therefore, you should not settle near such volcanoes. If an erupting volcano is located on an island, a dangerous phenomenon such as a tsunami may occur.

Despite their danger, volcanoes can serve humanity well.

How are volcanoes useful?

• During the eruption, a large amount of metals appears that can be used in industry.
• The volcano produces the strongest rocks that can be used for construction.
• Pumice, which appears as a result of the eruption, is used for industrial purposes, as well as in the production of stationery erasers and toothpaste.

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 mega Mauna Loa volcano , 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 local residents to flee the surrounding region. 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!

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 objects.

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 the largest number of eruptions and 90% of earthquakes on our planet occur.

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?

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

1. Llullaillaco, located on the border of Argentina and Chile with an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters;
2. 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.

The last eruption of 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). The volcano's crater houses 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 are 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

Most famous volcano of 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:

1. Was destroyed in 122 AD Catania city;
2. In 1169, during the large-scale eruption of Etna, they died 15 thousand people;
3. In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
4. 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 locals affectionately call it, 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 Pacific Ocean and is located 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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Watch a video about these and other volcanoes in the world:

IN Ancient Rome The name Vulcan was borne by the 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 ejections 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 in the 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 km2), located at the bottom of the 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 in the 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).