The name of active volcanoes. The largest and most dangerous volcanoes in the world

14.10.2019

Volcano. This word fascinates and frightens at the same time. People have always been drawn to something beautiful and dangerous, because beauty, accompanied by risk, becomes even more attractive, but at the same time, the history of the city of Pompeii is immediately remembered. Volcanoes have not brought such terrible destruction for a long time, which are still stored in the pages of our history, because thanks to scientists who can tell which mountain is a volcano and which is not, people have stopped settling at the foot of dangerous mountains. But, nevertheless, volcanoes continue to exist and either go into hibernation or wake up from sleep to start active life. Let's take a look at which volcanoes are the largest in the world.

10 largest volcanoes in the world

Yellowstone volcano. This volcano is located in the Yellowstone national park in the USA. It is Yellowstone that can rightfully be called the largest volcano in the world, as well as the most dangerous volcano in the world. The height of the volcano is 3142 meters above sea level, and the area of the volcano is 4000 square kilometers. The area of this volcano is twenty times the size of Washington, the capital of the United States of America. This volcano is still dormant, although from the beginning of the twenty-first century it began to show signs of activity. According to scientists, this volcano erupts approximately every 600 thousand years, and about 640 thousand years have passed since the last eruption.

Volcano Vesuvius. It is the highest active volcano in Eurasia at this time. And also he is the most high volcano in Europe. It is located fifteen kilometers from the Italian city. Its height is 1281 meters. Currently, Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe, and besides, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Science knows about more than eighty of its eruptions, one of which the famous ones were destroyed.

Volcano Popocatepetl. This volcano is also active. It is located in the southern part of Mexico. Popocateptl's height is 5452 meters. Over the past half century, its activity has been quite insignificant, and in general, history knows about thirty-six major eruptions of this volcano. Popocatepetl can be called the largest active volcano at the moment.

Sakurajima volcano. An active volcano located in Japan. Once it was on the island, but during one of the eruptions, a huge amount of lava connected it to the mainland. The height of the volcano is 1118 meters above sea level. At the moment, Sakurajima is visited by many tourists every year, despite the fact that the volcano is almost constantly in activity - smoke escapes from its vents, and sometimes small eruptions occur.

Volcano Galeras. This volcano is located in Colombia. The height of Galeras is 4267 meters above sea level. The activity of this volcano was noticed in 2006, at the same time people were evacuated from the nearest settlements. In 2010, even more people were evacuated, as the volcano continues to be active. Although over the past several thousand years, if Galeras erupted, it was extremely insignificant.

Volcano Merapi. An active Indonesian volcano located in Java. Height above sea level - 2914 meters. This volcano is active almost constantly. Small eruptions occur several times a year, and large ones approximately once every ten years. Merapi claimed many lives, and in one of its largest eruptions, even changed the surrounding landscape.

Volcano Nyiragongo. This volcano is located in Africa, in the Virunga Mountains. At the moment, it is more in sleep mode, although little activity is sometimes observed. The most terrible eruption of this volcano was recorded in 1977. In general, this volcano is interesting in that its lava is very liquid due to its composition, therefore, during an eruption, its speed can even reach one hundred kilometers per hour.

Volcano Ulavun. The volcano is located on an island New Guinea and at the moment it is an active volcano. Its height is 2334 meters above sea level. This volcano erupts quite often. Once this volcano was located under water, and it came to the surface only in 1878.

Taal volcano. This active volcano is located in the Philippines, on the island of Luzon. Taal is notable for the fact that it is the smallest of all the currently not dormant volcanoes in the world, and there is a lake in the Taal crater. Taal is visited by many tourists from all over the world every year.

Volcano Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is an active volcano in Hawaii, USA. The height of this volcano is 4169 above sea level. This volcano can be considered the tallest volcano on earth, if we take into account its underwater part, the height of which reaches 4500 meters. The last time this volcano erupted seriously was in 1950.

Earth is a hot planet. Under the thin crust is a core of hot magma. In some places, through cracks in the earth's crust, the heat of the earth's core breaks out, carrying lava, gases and ash to the surface. Over time, at the places of such emissions, huge masses of ejected matter accumulate and special geological forms - volcanoes - are formed.

Most large volcanoes- these are those that formed especially large cones in volume, although not necessarily the highest, which means they had a particularly large crater or operated for a very long time. Those who continue to act are dangerous to humans. Fortunately, the largest terrestrial volcano, Tamu Massif, discovered in 2013, has long gone extinct, otherwise its eruption would have been disastrous for all life on our planet.

Volcanoes are considered active if they are known to have erupted over the past 10 thousand years, or have shown signs of volcanic activity, such as emissions of gases and water vapor. The presence of volcanic activity means that this volcano may again begin to erupt, and therefore requires careful observation of volcanologists. There are 627 such volcanoes today.4 of the 5 largest volcanoes on the planet are located in the region The Pacific(these are parts of the Ring of Fire of Pacific volcanoes and seismic zones), and 1 in Africa.

It is located in the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, has a volume of 480 cubic kilometers and is the largest of the active volcanoes in Kamchatka, as well as the second highest ( 3613 m above sea level), after the Klyuchevskaya Sopka. The top of the Ichinskaya volcano is covered with eternal glaciers.

It is the youngest among the largest active volcanoes, its age is estimated at 10-15 thousand years. Its cone has a complex structure: the base is of a shield type, on it is the cone of a younger stratovolcano. The last eruption was recorded in 1740, since then volcanic activity has been weak: there are emissions of small amounts of high-temperature water vapor and volcanic gases.

The Galapagos Islands, like the Hawaiian Islands, emerged as a result of volcanic activity. The largest volcano is the Sierra Negra ("black mountain") at 580 cubic meters. kilometers is located on the island of Isabela. It is a shield volcano, high 1,124 m above sea level, and its crater has a diameter 11 km.

The last eruption of the Sierra Negra occurred in 2005. Then the volcano threw out such a quantity of gases and ash that the volcanic cloud reached a height of 7 kilometers or more.

Volume - more 3 200 cc kilometers... The second largest volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its highest point is 4 205 m above sea level. But if you count from the foot, which is under water, then its height reaches 10 203 m, which makes Mauna Kea the most high mountain on the ground. (For comparison, Everest has a height from its own foot to the top of 4,150 m). Unlike its neighboring Mauna Loa, it is a stratovolcano and its viscous lava has formed steep slopes. The last eruption took place 4,500 years ago, and since then the state of the volcano is considered "normal" on the hazard scale.

Among the natives, "White Mountain" (as the name is translated) was considered sacred. Only the highest leaders had the right to climb to its top. The natives gathered fruits and hunted in the dense forests on the slopes of the mountains, and made tools and weapons from volcanic basalt.

Altitude, dry climate and constant wind force make the summit of Mauna Kea one of the best regions for astronomical observation on Earth. Since 1964, 13 telescopes have been installed here. Observations are made at all frequencies, from visible light to radio waves, and the Mauna Kea Astronomical Park is one of the largest in the world. However, protests against its location in the unique ecological zone and in a sacred place for the indigenous people.

Cone volume - 4,800 cubic kilometers... This volcano erupted in thick and viscous lava, resulting in an almost regular steep cone. This type is called a stratovolcano. Highest mountain African continent ( 5895 m above sea level), located in East Africa, between Kenya and northern Tanzania. In Swahili, its name means “ white mountain»: The top of this giant double-headed cone, the only one in the equatorial zone of the Earth, is covered eternal ice... Many rivers originate in its glaciers, including the Nile - the greatest river in Africa. In recent decades, they have been melting faster and smaller.

Europeans discovered this volcano in 1848, since then no activity has been recorded, but aboriginal legends speak of its eruption about 200 years ago. In 2003, it was discovered that under one of its two peaks is molten lava, and its upper level has risen to a distance of only 400 meters from the surface. Gas emissions, rock falls and rock shifts also occur.

The largest active volcano on Earth is located on the island of Hawaii. This volcano is of a shield type: wide, with gentle slopes. Such volcanoes are formed as a result of prolonged eruption of liquid, flowing lava. The volume of its cone is approximately 75,000 cubic kilometers, of which 84% are under water. Actually, the island itself appeared as a result of the eruptions of this and neighboring volcanoes.

In the language of the aborigines, its name means "long mountain". Its mass is so huge that the earth's crust at its location bends inward for several kilometers.

Mauna Loa is one of the most active volcanoes. Its last eruption occurred in 1984, and since then it has gradually shown more and more signs of activity, and its new eruption is considered very likely in the foreseeable future.

Hot streams of molten lava pouring out from the bowels of the Earth, and at the same time clouds of ash, hot steam. The spectacle is, of course, exciting, but where does it come from? What large volcanoes exist on our planet? Where are they located?

The origin and varieties of volcanoes

Under a thick layer of the earth's crust is magma - molten matter of tremendous temperature and under great pressure. Magma contains minerals, vaporous water and gases. When the pressure gets too high, gases push magma upward through the weak points of the earth's crust. The surface layer of the Earth rises in the form of a mountain, and eventually magma breaks out.

The erupting magma is called lava, and the upland with the hole is called a volcano. The eruption is accompanied by emissions of ash and steam. Lava moves at a speed of over 40 km / h, with a temperature of about 1000 degrees Celsius. Depending on the nature of the eruption and related phenomena, volcanoes are divided into numerous types. For example, Hawaiian, Plinian, Peleian and others.

As it flows out, the lava solidifies and overlaps in layers, creating the shape of a volcano. So, there are volcanoes of conical shape, gentle, domed, strato- or layered, as well as complex shapes. In addition, they are divided into active, dormant and extinct, depending on the degree of activity of the eruptions.

World's largest volcanoes

There are approximately 540 active volcanoes around the world, with even more extinct volcanoes. All of them are located mainly in the Pacific, East African, Mediterranean fold zones. The greatest activity is manifested in the regions of South and Central America, Kamchatka, Japan, and Iceland.

There are 330 active volcanoes in the Pacific belt alone. Large volcanoes are found in the Andes, on the Asian islands. In Africa, Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is considered the highest. It is a potentially active volcano that can wake up at any moment. Its height is 5895 meters.

Two world volcanic giants are located in Chile and Argentina. They are considered the tallest on Earth. Ojos del Salado is extinct, erupting in AD 700, although it occasionally emits water vapor and sulfur. Argentine Llullaillaco is considered active, it was last erupted only in 1877.

The world's largest volcanoes are presented in the table.

Name	Location	Height, m	Eruption year
Ojos del Salado	Andes, Chile
Llullaillaco	Andes, Argentina
San Pedro	Andes, Chile
Cotopaxi	Andes, Ecuador
Kilimanjaro	Tanzania, Africa		Unknown
	Andes, Peru
	Cordillera, Mexico
	Caucasus mountains, Russia
Popocatepetl	Cordillera, Mexico
	Andes, Ecuador

Ring of Fire of the Pacific Ocean

The waters of the Pacific Ocean hide three lithospheric plates. Their outer edges go under the lithospheric plates of the continents. The Pacific Ring of Fire is located along the entire perimeter of these junctions - small and large volcanoes, most of which are active.

Ring of Fire starts from Antarctica, passes through New Zealand, Philippine Islands, Japan, Kuriles, Kamchatka, stretches all over Pacific coast North and South America. In some places, the ring breaks, for example, near and the state of California.

Large volcanoes of the Pacific belt are located in the Andes (Orizabo, San Pedro, Misty, Cotopaxi), Sumatra (Kerinchi), Ross Island (Erebus), Java (Semeru). One of the most famous - Fujiyama - is located on the island of Honshu. In there is the volcano Krakatoa.

The Hawaiian Islands archipelago is of volcanic origin. The largest volcano is Mauna Loa with absolute height 4169 meters. In terms of relative altitude, the mountain bypasses Everest and is considered the most high peak world, this value is 10 168 meters.

Mediterranean belt

The mountainous regions of North-West Africa, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Indochina, Tibet, Indonesia and the Himalayas make up the Mediterranean. Active geological processes take place here, one of the manifestations of which is volcanism.

The largest volcanoes in the Mediterranean belt are Vesuvius, Santorini (Aegean Sea) and Etna in Italy, Elbrus and Kazbek in the Caucasus, Ararat in Turkey. The Italian Vesuvius consists of three peaks. From its powerful eruption in the first century AD, the cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabia, Oplontia suffered. In memory of this event, Karl Bryullov painted the famous painting "The Last Day of Pompeii".

Ararat stratovolcano is the most high point Turkey and the Armenian Highlands. Its last eruption took place in 1840. It was accompanied by an earthquake that completely destroyed the neighboring village and monastery. Ararat, like the Caucasian Kazbek, consists of two peaks, which are separated by a saddle.

Large volcanoes of Russia (list)

Within the territory of Russian Federation volcanoes are located in the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, the Caucasus and Transbaikalia. They make up approximately 8.5% of all volcanoes in the world. Many of them are considered extinct, although the sudden eruptions of Nameless in 1956 and the Academy of Sciences in 1997 proved the relativity of this term.

The largest volcanoes are located in Kamchatka and Kuril Islands... The highest in all of Eurasia (among the existing ones) is considered (4835 meters). Its last eruption was recorded in 2013. There are very small volcanoes in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. For example, the height of Baranovsky is 160 meters. Over the past decade, Berg (2005), Ebeko (2010), Chikurachki (2008), Kizimen (2013) and others have shown their activity.

The largest volcanoes in Russia are presented in the table.

Name	Location	Height, m	Eruption year

			650 BC NS.
Klyuchevskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Krai
	Kamchatka Krai		Unknown
Ushkovsky	Kamchatka Krai
Tolbachik	Kamchatka Krai
Ichinskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Krai
Kronotskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Krai
	Kamchatka Krai
Zhupanovskaya Sopka	Kamchatka Krai

Conclusion

Volcanoes are the consequences of active processes that take place inside our planet. They are formed in the earth's crust, where the crust cannot withstand the onslaught of pressure and high temperatures. The consequences of a volcanic eruption can be quite serious, since they are accompanied by emissions of ash, gases, sulfur into the atmosphere.

The accompanying phenomena of the eruption are often earthquakes and faults. The flowing lava has such a high temperature that it instantly affects biological organisms.

However, in addition to the destructive effect, volcanoes also have the opposite effect. Lava that has not come to the surface can lift sedimentary rocks to form mountains. And the result of the eruption of an underwater volcano in Iceland was the island of Surtsey.

A volcanic eruption is one of the most serious dangers to humans. In addition to the risk of being buried (burned) under lava flows near the volcano, there is a risk of volcanic ash poisoning, as well as complete isolation from sunlight.

The International Association for Volcanology and Earth Chemistry (IAVCEI), which tracks the most likely volcanic eruptions that pose a threat to human life, with the support of the UN, has compiled a list of the most dangerous "volcanoes of the decade." They are closely monitored by specialists. In case of signs of an imminent eruption, IAVCEI informs the local authorities of the need for emergency measures. We bring to your attention photos and short description these dangerous giants who can present a hot, loud and unexpected surprise at any moment.

1. Volcano Etna (Sicily, Italy) - active, one of the largest and most dangerous volcanoes in the world, located on east coast Sicily (Mediterranean Sea), near the cities of Messina and Catania. The altitude cannot be specified accurately, as the high point is constantly changing as a result of eruptions that occur at intervals of several months. Etna covers an area of 1250 square kilometers. As a result of lateral eruptions, Etna has 400 craters. On average, once every three months, the volcano erupts lava. Potentially dangerous in the event of a powerful eruption from several craters at the same time. In 2011, Etna erupted colorfully in mid-May.

2. Sakurajima volcano (Kagoshima, Japan) - usually an active volcano is considered if it has been active in the last 1000 - 3000 years. But Sakurajima has been constantly active since 1955. This volcano belongs to the first category, which means that an eruption can occur at any time. The last such event, but not very strong, was noted on February 2, 2009. Residents of the nearby city of Kagoshima are in constant readiness for an urgent evacuation: exercises and shelters are common here. Webcams are installed over the volcano. Observations are ongoing. In 1924, there was a major eruption of Sakurajima: then strong tremors unequivocally warned the city about the danger, most of the residents managed to leave their homes and evacuate in time.

After the eruption of 1924, a volcano named Sakurajima - "Sakura Island" can no longer be called an island. So much lava poured out of its vent that it formed an isthmus that connected the volcano with the island of Kyushu, on which Kagoshima stands. After this eruption, lava slowly poured out of the volcano for about a year, and the bottom of the bay became much higher. It dropped only at one point - in the center of the ancient Caldera Air, eight kilometers from Sakurajima. This shows that the current volcanic eruptions are supported by the same processes that formed the huge caldera more than 22 thousand years ago.

And even today Sakurajima is considered one of the most dangerous and largest volcanoes in the world, which can erupt at any time and cause a lot of trouble for local and non-residents.

Sakurajiyama

Sakurajiyama. Volcanic lightning.

3. Vesuvius Volcano (Napoli, Italy) - is also considered one of the most powerful and dangerous volcanoes in the world. Vesuvius is one of the three active volcanoes in Italy (above we mentioned Mount Etna). Vesuvius is the only active volcano in continental Europe. There are reports of more than 80 significant eruptions, the most famous of which occurred on August 24, 79, when the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia were destroyed. One of the last violent eruptions occurred in 1944. The height is 1281 m above sea level, the diameter of the crater is 750 m.

4. Volcano Colima (Jalisco, Mexico) - one of the most dangerous and powerful volcanoes in the world. The last strong eruption of this handsome man was noted on June 8, 2005. Then the thrown out ash rose to a height of more than 5 km, which forced the authorities to evacuate people from nearby villages. The volcanic mountain consists of 2 conical peaks, the highest of them (Nevado de Colima, 4625 m) - dormant volcano covered with snow for most of the year. Another peak is the active volcano Colima, or Volcan de Fuego de Colima (" Fiery volcano"), With a height of 3 846 m, is called the Mexican Vesuvius. Colima has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. And today it carries a potential threat not only to residents of nearby cities, but to the whole of Mexico.

5. Volcano Galeras (Nariño, Colombia) - a powerful and huge volcano (4276 meters above sea level) has a diameter at the base of more than 20 kilometers. The diameter of the crater is 320 meters, the depth of the crater is more than 80 meters. This volcano is located in South America, in Colombia, near the town of Pasto. As seen in the photo, right at the foot dangerous mountain a small town is located, which on August 26, 2010 had to be evacuated due to a powerful eruption. The region was declared an emergency of the highest degree. More than 400 police officers have been deployed to the area to assist the civilian population. Scientists say that over the past 7 thousand years, at least six major eruptions have occurred on Galeras. In 1993, during research works six geologists died in the crater (then the eruption also began). In November 2006, in connection with the threat of a major eruption, more than eight thousand residents were evacuated from the surrounding villages.

6. Mauna Loa volcano (Hawaii, USA) - is considered the largest volcano on the Earth (together with the underwater part), namely 80,000 cubic kilometers (!). The summit and southeastern slope are part of the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, as is the neighboring volcano, Kilauea. There is a volcanological station on the volcano, constant observations have been conducted since 1912. In addition, there are atmospheric and solar observatories on Mauna Loa. The last eruption took place in 1984, the last strong eruption in 1950. The height of the volcano above sea level is 4,169 meters (the second highest in the Hawaiian Islands after Mauna Kea). This giant is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous and powerful volcanoes in the world.

Mauna loa

7. Volcano Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of Congo) - an active volcano 3469 meters high, located in the Virunga Mountains in central Africa and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the African continent. Nyiragongo overlaps with the two older volcanoes Baratu and Shaheru. It is surrounded by hundreds of small, smoldering side volcanic cones. Nyiragongo, along with neighboring Niamuragira, accounts for 40% of all observed eruptions in Africa.

Nyiragongo

8. Mount Rainier (Washington, USA) is a stratovolcano in Pierce County, Washington, located 87 km southeast of Seattle (Washington, USA). Rainier, being part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, has the highest peak in the Cascade Mountains at 4,392 meters. The top of the volcano consists of two volcanic craters, each over 300 meters in diameter. Mount Rainier was originally known as Tatol, or Tahoma, from the Leshutsid word for "mother of the waters."

9. Teide volcano (Tenerife, Spain) - one of the most powerful and dangerous volcanoes in the world, which is located on the island of Tenerife, being the highest point in Spain. Teide is 3718 meters high. Tenerife is the third largest volcanic island in the world. Teide is currently inactive, the last eruption occurred in 1909, but of course the awakening of such a giant will be a big surprise not only for the Spaniards.

10. Volcano Santa Maria (Santiagito, Guatemala) - located in western Guatemala, near the city of Quetzaltenango. Height mountain range above sea level only 3772 meters. The first eruptions began about 30 thousand years ago, and in the 20th century there were 3 powerful eruptions, the first of which after 500 years of sleep was in 1902. The eruption severely destroyed part of one side of the volcano. Approximately 5.5 km³ of volcanic ash and lava were ejected. The explosion was heard even 800 km away in Costa Rica. The column of ash rose 28 km. About 6 thousand people died. And today this volcano carries a considerable potential danger, at any moment ready to burst out with a roar and tons of emissions from the crater.

Santa maria

11. Volcano Santorini (Cyclades, Greece) - an active shield volcano on the island of Thira, another name for Fera, in the Aegean Sea, which erupted during the era of the Aegean culture in the period 1460-1470 BC, which led to the death of Aegean cities and settlements on Crete, Thira and the coast Mediterranean Sea... However, around 1627 BC. an event occurred that drastically changed history the ancient world and the shape of the island as well. Then there was a powerful eruption of Santorini, as a result of which the crater of the volcano collapsed and a huge funnel (caldera) was formed, which did not hesitate to flood the sea, the area of this flooding was 32 square meters. miles with an average depth of 350 m. Of course, such a powerful eruption did not pass without a trace: a huge tsunami was the decline of the Minoan civilization, which was buried under water, and those who survived after the eruption died from subsequent powerful earthquakes.

Santorini

12. Taal Volcano (Luzon, Philippines) - an active volcano, which is located 50 km south of Manila on the island of Luzon. The volcano crater is located 350 meters above sea level. In the crater formed small lake... Taal is the smallest active volcano on the planet, but its strength should not be underestimated. So, on January 30, 1911, the strongest eruption of the Taal volcano in the 20th century occurred - 1,335 people died. In 10 minutes. all living things ceased to exist at a distance of 10 km. The ash cloud was seen from a distance of 400 km. It was an eruption of the "Peleus" type, when the eruption occurs not only from the summit crater, but also from craters on the slopes of the mountain, the volcano ejected not lava, but masses of white hot ash and superheated steam. The last eruption took place in 1965, killing about 200 people.

13. Papandayan Volcano (Java Island, Indonesia) - one of the largest and most dangerous volcanoes in the world is located in Indonesia. The crater of the Papandayan volcano is located at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. A warm river flows from the slope of the volcano, the temperature of which reaches 42 degrees Celsius. The slopes of Papandayan are teeming with mud pots, hot springs and geysers. The last eruption was recorded in 2002.

Papandayan

14. Volcano Unzen (Nagasaki, Japan) - a volcanic group on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The volcano is located on the Shimabara Peninsula in the southwestern part of the island. Height - 1.486 m. Currently, the volcano is considered weakly active. However, volcanic activity has been recorded since 1663. Since then, the volcano has erupted several times. The eruption of the Unzen volcano in 1792 is one of the five most destructive eruptions in human history in terms of the number of human victims. As a result of this disaster, 15,000 people died due to the tsunami that was caused by the eruption of the volcano, the wave height reached 23 meters. And in 1991, 43 scientists and journalists were buried under the lava that rolled down the slope of the volcano.

16. Volcano in Yellowstone (USA) - considered potentially the most powerful volcano peace, but the nature of this formation, which is called the Yellowstone Caldera, located in Yellowstone National Park in the United States does not allow accurately assessing the possible damage from the eruption. This caldera is often called a "supervolcano", as it was formed as a result of a very powerful eruption 640 thousand years ago. There are more than 3 thousand geysers in the park, which is two-thirds of all geysers in the world, as well as about 10 thousand geothermal springs and mud volcanoes, which is half of all geothermal springs in the world. In May 2001, the Yellowstone Volcanic Observatory was created, which monitors the state of this giant. Since the beginning of the observatory's operation, rumors and guesses around the most dangerous volcano in the world have been circulating to this day. Yellowstone is one of the most popular "culprits" of the possible end of the world, the script of which was colorfully played in the movie "2012".

Sierra Negra

Of course, these are not all the giants of our planet, but some of the most dangerous. Let's hope that these gentlemen will not darken the life of the planet's inhabitants with their violent disposition, although the increased seismic activity of recent years suggests otherwise.

All tourists and travelers are interested in learning about the largest volcano in the world. A volcano is a formation on the surface of the Earth, from which magma comes out, forming lava, rocks and volcanic gases. There are a huge number of such formations on our planet. Some of them are considered active, as they were active during the historical period.

Many of the volcanoes are extinct and dormant. The latter include those whose eruption is already unlikely, while the former have the possibility of manifestation of activity. Some volcanoes reach incredible sizes and are distinguished by their extraordinary power and beauty.

Of course, active volcanoes are of great interest to all travelers. They are extraordinarily beautiful and fascinate with their danger of eruption at any moment. Having seen such a phenomenon once, a person gets a lot of incredible impressions that remain in his memory for a lifetime. The highest active volcano in the world is Llullaillaco. It is located in Argentina in the Peruvian Andes. The height of its summit is 6739 m. The last time an eruption occurred in 1877.

At the top of this volcano there is eternal glaciation. It is shaped like a cone. This natural formation has been considered since 1999 archaeological site since human mummies were found on its top. These were the children of the Incas. There is a possibility that they were sacrificed about 500 years ago.

Mauna Loa volcano

In terms of volume, Mauna Loa is considered the largest active volcano. The height of its summit is 4169 m, and the volume is estimated at 75,000 km. It is located on the island of Hawaii in the United States. The last time the eruption took place relatively recently - in 1984.

This volcano, more precisely, its summit and southeastern slope, is part of the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. This park is on the famous List World heritage UNESCO. Mauna Loa is home to animals and plants that are called endemic. This means that they have a small habitat. Very often, such animals are considered a rarity, therefore they are listed in the Red Book.

Dangerous volcano Merapi

The most dangerous volcano in the world is Merapi. It is located in Indonesia on the island of Java. There are large eruptions every 7 years. Small eruptions happen 2 times a year. Many settlements were destroyed by this mountain. Back in 1006, he wiped out the Javanese-Indian kingdom from the face of the earth, and in 1673 one of the most destructive eruptions occurred. It destroyed several cities and villages at once, which were located at the foot.

In 1930, the volcano also caused major destruction. This eruption killed 1,300 people. 44 years later, Merapi destroyed 2 villages, and a year later - another village, 5 bridges, killing 29 people. Moreover, the eruptions overtook many scientists and tourists. The last action of the Merapi volcano was recorded in 2010. This time, about 350 thousand people were initially evacuated. Some residents did return. Among them, 353 people died, who fell into a stream of volcanic gases, ash and stones.

Volcano with the worst eruption in history

It is an active volcano that erupted the most violently in the 19th century. The volcano is located in Indonesia. Now its height is 813 m. Before its famous eruption in 1883, it was much higher. Moreover, he represented one big Island... During the strongest action of the volcano, the main part of the island was destroyed.

The rumble from the eruption was heard even 5000 km from the volcano itself. The volcanic edifice spreads over 500 km. The ash rose 30 km, and the gas-ash column - 70 km. Scientists estimated the force of the explosion at 6 points. This violent eruption resulted in 37,000 deaths and 300 villages destroyed.

There are many different volcanoes in the world, which differ either in their height, or in volume, or in actions. Some of them are the most dangerous or the oldest. Scientists have not yet compiled an accurate list of volcanoes by their size or degree of danger. Each of them is interesting and unique in its own way. There are volcanoes that are known to every traveler and tourist. The most popular of them are Vesuvius, Fujiyama, Etna. These are active volcanoes in the world.

Vesuvius has been attracting tourists for many years. Those who visit Naples usually do not miss the opportunity to admire and even climb this famous volcano. Previously, it was possible to climb the mountain using a funicular, and then a conventional lift. However, the transport was destroyed by the next eruptions. They did not begin to restore it, so at the moment the mountain can only be climbed on foot along the footpath.

Fujiyama volcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu. He is popular tourist spot... Residents consider it sacred. The mountain is also a place of religious pilgrimage for Buddhist and Shinto cults. A temple is built on top of it. In addition, there is a weather station and even a post office. Scientists believe that Fuji is a weakly active volcano, since the last eruptions took place at the beginning of the 18th century.

A popular volcano located in Italy is... It has many craters, from time to time at least one of them erupts lava. Sometimes the actions of Etna are disastrous in relation to the nearest settlements, but, despite this, new residents do not stop settling here. At the foot of the mountain there is very fertile soil that allows you to grow various vegetables and fruits.

Tourists have the opportunity to visit this extraordinary mountain. You should climb it on foot. Before tourist base can be reached by bus. For lovers of souvenirs, there are shops on the mountain itself where you can buy some souvenir item or even a popular 70-degree liqueur.

All these and many other volcanoes are extraordinarily beautiful and interesting for residents, travelers and tourists. Each such mountain has its own story. Before climbing any volcano, you need to find out the exact information about its activity and the possibility of an eruption, since such natural formations can begin their actions at any time. Therefore, deciding to admire extraordinary beauty volcanoes, protect yourself from accidents.