The largest volcano in the world. The largest volcanoes

Today you will learn interesting facts about the largest volcano in search of which we will visit the island of Hawaii.

A huge volcano named Mauna Loa, which literally means "Long Mountain" in Hawaiian, occupies most of the island and is one of the most active on the planet. Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since the very first documentary record in 1843.

The most recent eruption of the volcano occurred in 1984, as a result of which 30,000 acres of land were covered with lava, and also increased the island's area by 180 hectares, reclaiming space from the sea.

What is the size of the largest volcano on Earth? The height of the volcano above sea level is 4169 meters, but this is not its true height. If you measure the height of Mauna Loa from the bottom, then its height will be about 9,000 meters, which is higher than Mount Everest.

The famous Hawaiian volcano is not only the largest and most powerful, but also the most massive. If you measure its volume from the base to the top, then an impressive figure will come out - 75,000 cubic kilometers.

In one eruption, Mauna Loa spews out so much lava that its volume is equal to the volume of Vesuvius, the famous volcano in Italy.

There are many legends around this Hawaiian volcano. One of which sounds like this. The queen of volcanoes, the goddess Pele, was banished by her older sister, the goddess of water and the sea. Every time Pele tried to build a house for herself, her sister sent huge waves to destroy everything.

In the end, Pele settled on a large island and made herself a large Mauna Loa home, so large that not a single wave could reach her.

There is also a legend that Pele has a faithful white dog and she sends him to the slopes of the volcano to warn people about the danger. In 1959, while exploring this powerful volcano, a white dog was seen on the slopes. All attempts to tame or catch this white dog were in vain. In December of the same year, one of the craters erupted and the dogs disappeared. In 1966, a white dog was again seen on the mountain, in the same year Mauna Loa exploded in a violent eruption.

The map of volcanoes shows the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth, which are currently being closely monitored. Below is their description with a forecast of possible activity and its consequences. Additionally, volcanoes are marked with a red ring, the eruption of which could have catastrophic consequences for the whole world.

Vesuvius (Italy)

Neighborhood with Naples (15 km) makes this volcano deadly for more than three million Italians. He begins his sad glory in 79, when during the eruption the cities of Herculaneum, Stabia and Pompeii were destroyed. Eruptions alternate with fairly long periods of calm. During the XVII - XX centuries. Vesuvius erupted with a period of 30-60 years. The last eruption was recorded in 1944. Scientists are unanimous in the opinion that the "killer of Pompeii" will wake up one day, only the timing and power of the eruption remain unclear. But it seems that the frivolous Neapolitans are not worried at all.

Galeras (Colombia)

Located near the town of Pasto. The most active volcano in the region. Its activity began about 5 thousand years ago and has not subsided to this day. Dangerous eruptions were noted in 2008, 2009, 2010, and each time thousands of people living nearby had to be evacuated.

Galunggung (Indonesia)

Located on the western tip of Java. Its eruptions are very powerful. In 1822, he killed 4,000 people, and in 1982 forced the country's authorities to evacuate about 35,000 residents. It last erupted in 1990. It is included in the list of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet.

Yellowstone Volcano (USA)

It is located in the state of Wyoming, and, fortunately, it is calm today. It has been active several times over the past 2 million years, and its last eruption was more than half a million years ago. The next eruption is not expected earlier than in a few tens of thousands of years. This volcano is so huge that in the event of its awakening, the United States will be almost completely destroyed, and the Earth will be covered for a long time with an impenetrable curtain of volcanic ash.

Katla (Iceland)

Located in the very south of Iceland. Over the past thousand years, according to various sources, it erupted from 14 to 16 times and caused significant melting of glaciers, leading to the flooding of nearby settlements. It is located near the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which recently erupted and blocked air traffic in Europe. Experts believe that the eruption of the latter is the starting mechanism for the awakening of the Katla volcano, the destructive potential of which is much greater. The conclusions are also confirmed by the fact that the magma level has noticeably risen in the bowels of the volcano recently. In this regard, an eruption is expected, in terms of power many times greater than the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. If it happens, then the consequences can be catastrophic for the entire planet - in addition to the formation of a huge cloud of volcanic ash, there will be melting of glaciers and extensive flooding.

Colima (Mexico)

Located in the state of Jalisco in western Mexico. The last major eruption, accompanied by the evacuation of the local population, was recorded in 2005. In recent years, the activity of the Colima volcano has been increasing. It is also called "Mexican Vesuvius".

Koryakskaya Sopka (RF)

Located 35 km. North of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There were powerful eruptions before our era, as well as in 1895 and 1956. May pose a threat to the population of Kamchatka. It belongs to the most dangerous volcanoes in the world and is closely monitored by specialists.

Cumbre Vieja (Canary Islands)

Located on the island of Palma, which is part of the Canary Islands. As a result of numerous volcanic eruptions, the coast of the island has undergone significant erosion. One of the slopes of the Cumbre Vieiha is unstable and can collapse as a result of a powerful eruption or a series of small eruptions. The fall of a 500 billion ton rock into the ocean will lead to the formation of a tsunami that will destroy virtually the entire US east coast and cause irreparable damage to the countries of the Caribbean. Fortunately, the volcano has not yet shown alarming activity, and the danger of supertsunami occurrence is still hypothetical.

Mauna Loa (USA)

Located on the island of Hawaii. It is the largest volcano on the planet in terms of volume (80,000 cubic kilometers). The nearby Kilaue volcano is considered one of the most beautiful volcanoes on Earth.

Merapi (Indonesia)

The largest active volcano in Indonesia and one of the youngest in Java. It erupts about twice a year, and once every seven years, the eruption is quite strong. Differs in great danger for nearby settlements. In 1673 he destroyed several cities, in 1930 he caused the death of 1,300 people, in 1974-75. destroyed three villages.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia)

Located in the departments of Tolima and Caldas. The largest active volcano in the Andes. Remains active for about two million years. In 1985, His eruption killed more than 20,000 people. The impending eruption was announced in advance, but no one listened to the warning due to several false alarms the day before.

Niragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Located in the Virunga Mountains on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. The most active and dangerous volcano in Africa. Despite the fact that Niragongo is currently relatively calm, his awakening could be a disaster. Its potential is enormous, and in the event of an eruption under the shadow of volcanic ash, not only Africa, but also Europe and partly Asia may end up for a long time.

Pinatubo (Philippines)

Located on the island of Luzon, almost 100 km. From Manila. Until 1991 it was considered extinct. Its awakening was unexpected and rapid - during the eruption in 1991, the US Air Force base was destroyed and about 1000 people died. The main danger of this volcano is a large-scale ejection of volcanic ash. Within a few days of the 1991 eruption, about 10 cubic kilometers of rocks got into the atmosphere. Then, for several months, the Earth's stratosphere was filled with sulfuric aerosol, which led to the formation of a giant ozone hole over Antarctica and a drop in temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Popocatepetl (Mexico)

Located near Mexico City. For the entire time of the presence of Europeans in America, he showed rather weak activity, but in recent years it has become more active. It poses a huge potential danger due to the proximity of the twenty millionth metropolis.

Rainier (USA)

Located 85 kilometers southeast of Seattle. The last eruption was a century and a half ago, but recently the volcano has intensified. In the event of an eruption, the lives of about 200,000 people will be at risk.

Sakurajima (Japan)

Located in Kagoshima Prefecture on (originally) Sakurajima Island. As a result of the eruption of 1914, the strait was filled with lava, and Sakurajima became a peninsula. Its location near the city of Kagoshima, with a population of almost one million, makes this volcano one of the most dangerous on the planet. Probably for the same reason it is called "Eastern Vesuvius". Observing it and predicting its activity is one of the main tasks of Japanese geologists.

Santa Maria (Guatemala)

Located near the town of Quetzaltenango. A young and large volcano, the activity of which has been growing lately. A violent eruption happened in 1902, and caused the death of 6,000 people. The roar of the explosion was heard at a distance of 800 km.

Tambora (Indonesia)

Located on the island of Sumbawa. It is known for the fact that its eruption in the spring of 1815 was the largest in the last several thousand years, both in terms of the number of erupted rocks and the number of victims. As a result of the eruption, 140 billion tons of solids were released into the atmosphere, and 10,000 people died at once. The total death toll eventually reached 100,000. In fact, this volcano destroyed the developed and ancient culture of Tambor, which existed on the island. The discarded ash plunged more than 500 km of territory into complete darkness for three days. from the eruption site. But the consequences have spread much further. In Europe and America in 1816, an extremely low temperature was established, and the snow melted only in the summer, which is why the year was called "the year without summer". Naturally, this led to crop failures and numerous deaths from hunger around the world.

Ulawun (Papua New Guinea)

Located in the eastern part of the island of New Britain. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea, one of the most frequently erupting volcanoes, which, in fact, is remarkable. It is known as an active volcano since 1700. In 1937, during an eruption, it practically covered the capital of the country with ashes, located at a distance of more than 100 km.

Unzen (Japan)

Located on the Shimabara Peninsula in the southwestern part of Kyushu. Currently, it is weakly active and belongs to the most dangerous, rather because of its history. Its eruption in 1792 is one of the most destructive eruptions in the world. The 23 m high tsunami he engendered claimed the lives of about 15,000 people.

Etna (Italy)

Located on the eastern tip of the island of Sicily. The most active and highest volcano in Europe. It spews out a small amount of lava about four times a year and, on average, completely destroys one or more nearby settlements every one and a half centuries. The danger is the tendency of local residents to settle close to Etna because of the extreme fertility of the soil formed as a result of constant eruptions. Numerous lovers of high yields risk suddenly perishing one day.

The volcano is one of the most beautiful, unexpected and terrible mysteries of nature. There are more than two hundred of them on Earth, and each amazes with its height and power. Even volcanoes that are considered extinct cannot be trusted, because one day they may "wake up" and start erupting lava. Which of all active volcanoes is considered the highest? Where are the most of them? We will talk about this and much more in this article.

The area with the most active volcanoes

A volcano is a crack in the earth's crust, through which ash, steam, fiery lava, gases are thrown out. The appearance of the volcano resembles a mountain. Why are volcanoes divided into active and extinct?

If in the history of mankind the slightest activity of a giant mountain was recorded, then the volcano is considered active. It doesn't have to erupt. By activity it is meant even if it simply emits steam and ash once every hundred years.

Many active volcanoes are located in the Malay Archipelago, which is geographically adjacent to Asia and Australia. There is also a dangerous zone of active volcanoes on the territory of Russia. It is located in Kamchatka with the capture of the Kuril Islands. According to scientists, at least 60 volcanoes show signs of activity there every year.

The largest volcano in the world

Mauna Loa is the name of the giant, which surpassed all other volcanoes in the world in size. It is located in Hawaii. Translated from the local language, the volcano is called "Long Mountain".

For the first time, the giant's activity was recorded in 1843.Since that moment, it has erupted 33 times, which makes it perhaps the most active volcano on the planet. The last eruption occurred in 1984. Then lava covered 30 thousand acres of land. After the eruption, the territory of Hawaii increased by almost 200 hectares.

Above sea level, Mauna Lao has a height of 4,169 m, and if you count the height from the very center, you get almost 9 thousand m. This is even higher than the highest mountain in the world - Everest.

Mauna Lao is not only the largest, but also the most powerful volcano. 75 thousand cubic km - this is its total volume.

The tallest active volcano in the world

In this respect, even scientists were divided. As for the height above sea level - there is no dispute, the highest volcano is Llullaillaco - 6,723 m. It is located in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. Its last eruption was recorded in 1877.

Another part of scientists gives the laurels of primacy to another volcano located in the Andes, but already on the territory of Ecuador - Cotopaxi. Its height above sea level is slightly lower than the competitor - 5 897 m. However, its last eruption was in 1942 and it was much more powerful than the eruption of Llullaillaco.

All scientists agree on one thing - Cotopaxi is the most beautiful volcano. It has a graceful crater and incredibly beautiful greenery at the foot. However, such beauty is very deceiving. Over the past 300 years, 10 most powerful eruptions have been recorded. All 10 times the city of Latacunga, which is located near the foot of the giant, was completely destroyed.

The most famous volcanoes in the world

Despite the fact that the previous volcanoes are the largest and most beautiful, few have heard of them. But there are two leaders who are known to everyone from school lessons - Fujiyama, Vesuvius and Kilimanjaro.

Fujiyama is located in Asia, on the island of Honshu, not far from the Japanese capital. Since ancient times, local residents have built the volcano into a cult. It rises 3,776 m above sea level and has a beautiful outline. The last powerful eruption was recorded in 1707.

Vesuvius is an active volcano in southern Italy. By the way, this is one of the three active volcanoes in the country. Although Vesuvius is not as high as other volcanoes (only 1,281 m above sea level), it is considered one of the most dangerous. It was he who completely destroyed Pompeii, as well as Herculaneum and Stabiae. Its last eruption took place in 1944. Then the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa were completely destroyed by lava.

Kilimanjaro is not only the tallest African volcano, but also the highest point on the continent. Scientists believe that the history of Kilimanjaro goes back two million years. The volcano is located 300 m south of the Equator. Despite this, a large number of glaciers have accumulated at its foot.

The tallest extinct volcano in the world

The highest extinct volcano is also located in two countries - Chile and Argentina. The peak of the volcano Ojos del Salado (translated from Spanish - "Salty Eyes") is located on the Chilean side. The height of the peak is 6,891 m above sea level.

In the entire history of human existence, Ojos del Salado has never erupted. On several occasions, he released water vapor and sulfur. The last time such a case was noticed was in 1993.

This fact made many scientists think about whether to write Ojos del Salado into the ranks of active volcanoes? If this happens, it will become the tallest active volcano in the world.

Cities and even entire states were destroyed. Today the volcanoes of the Earth have not become calmer. Nevertheless, both in the distant past and today they attract thousands of researchers and scientists from all over the world. The desire to find out and understand what happens to the fire-breathing mountain during the eruption, how this process takes place, what precedes it, forces scientists to climb dangerous slopes, approaching craters where the elements are raging.

Today volcanologists have united into an international organization (IAVCEI). She carefully monitors possible eruptions that could pose a threat to human life. Today there is a list where there is the name of the volcanoes, their location and the likelihood of the next eruption. This helps prevent loss of life, evacuate people from the danger zone if necessary, and take emergency measures.

Etna (Italy)

We decided to start our review from this mountain not by accident. The Etna volcano, the photo of which you see below in the article, is active, active, one of the largest and most dangerous on Earth. It is located in the east of Sicily, near Catania and Messina.

Its activity is explained by its location at the junction of the Eurasian and African ones.On this break there are other active mountains of the country - Vesuvius, Stromboli, Vulcano. Scientists claim that in antiquity (15-35 thousand years ago) Mount Etna, a photo of which is often printed in special editions, was distinguished by explosive eruptions that left vast layers of lava. In the 21st century, Etna eruptions occurred more than 10 times, fortunately, without human casualties.

It is difficult to pinpoint the height of this mountain, since its top point changes due to frequent eruptions. They usually happen after a few months. Etna covers a huge area (1250 sq. Km). After side eruptions, 400 craters appeared near Etna. On average, every three to four months the volcano ejects lava. It is potentially dangerous in the event of a powerful eruption. Thanks to the latest scientific developments, scientists hope to detect the increased activity of the mountain in time.

Sakurajima (Japan)

Experts consider the Earth's volcanoes active if they have been active in the last 3000 years. This Japanese volcano has been active all the time since 1955. It belongs to the first category. In other words, the eruption can start at any time. A not very strong lava outburst was noted in February 2009. The residents of the city of Kagoshima are almost constantly accompanied by anxiety. Teachings, equipped shelters have become firmly established in their everyday life.

Researchers have installed webcams over the crater, so Sakurajima is under constant surveillance. I must say that volcanoes on the islands can change the topography of the area. This happened in Japan, when in 1924 there was a violent eruption of Sakurajima. Powerful tremors warned the city of danger, most of the residents managed to leave their homes and evacuate.

After that, the volcano bearing the name Sakurajima (which means "Sakura Island") can no longer be called an island. A huge amount of lava formed an isthmus that connected the mountain with the island of Kyushu. And another year after the eruption, lava slowly flowed out of the crater. The bottom of the bay rose in the center of the Aira caldera, located eight kilometers from Sakurajima.

Aso (Japan)

This popular tourist destination for extreme lovers is actually a dangerous volcano, which in 2011 threw out a large amount of lava and ash, which covered an area of ​​100 kilometers. Since that moment, more than 2500 powerful tremors have been registered. This suggests that at any moment he can destroy the nearby village.

Vesuvius (Italy)

Wherever there are volcanoes - on continents or on islands, they are equally dangerous. Vesuvius is very powerful, and therefore very dangerous. He is one of the three active. Scientists have information about 80 large eruptions of this mountain. The worst thing happened in 79. Then the cities of Pompey, Stabia, Herculaneum were completely destroyed.

One of the last powerful eruptions was noted in 1944. The height of this mountain is 1281 m, the diameter of the crater is 750 m.

Colima (Mexico)

Many of us remember the name of the volcanoes (at least some of them) from the school curriculum, we learn about others from the newspapers, and only specialists are aware of the third ones. Colima is perhaps the most dangerous and powerful in the world. It last erupted in June 2005. Then the column of ash ejected from the crater rose to a great height (more than 5 km). Local authorities had to evacuate residents of nearby villages.

This fire-breathing mountain consists of 2 conical peaks. Nevado de Colima is the highest of them all. Its height is 4,625 m. It is considered extinct, and the other peak is an active volcano. It is called Volcan de Fuego de Colima - "Fiery Volcano". Its height is 3,846 m. ​​The locals called it the Mexican Vesuvius.

Since 1576, it has erupted over 40 times. And today it is extremely dangerous not only for residents of nearby cities, but for the whole of Mexico.

Galeras (Colombia)

Often, the name of volcanoes is directly related to the terrain on which the mountain is located. But the name Galeras has nothing to do with the nearby town of Pasto.

It is a huge and powerful volcano. Its height reaches 4276 meters. The diameter of the base is more than 20 kilometers, and the diameter of the crater is 320 meters. It is located in Colombia (South America).

At the foot of this gigantic mountain is the small town of Pasto. In August 2010, its residents had to be urgently evacuated due to a violent eruption. The region has declared an emergency of the highest degree. The authorities sent more than 400 police officers to the area to provide assistance to the townspeople.

Scientists say that over the past 7 thousand years, the volcano has woken up at least 6 times. Moreover, all the eruptions were very powerful. During research work in 1993, six geologists died in the crater. At this time, another eruption began. In 2006, residents of the surrounding villages were evacuated due to the threat of a strong lava outburst.

Volcano Elbrus

On the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria is the highest point of Europe and, of course, Russia - Elbrus. It is connected with the northern part of the Greater Caucasus by the Lateral Range. Volcano Elbrus consists of two peaks, which have approximately the same height. Its eastern part reaches 5621 m, and its western part - 5642 m.

It is a cone-shaped stratovolcano. Its layers are formed by flows of tuff, lava, ash. The last eruptions of Elbrus were recorded 2500 years ago. Over time, it took on its current form. Few volcanoes on Earth can boast of such a beautiful, "classic" cone-shaped shape. As a rule, craters are rapidly eroded by erosion. The beauty of Elbrus is protected by its mantle of ice and snow. It does not go down even in summer, for which the volcano was nicknamed Minor Antarctica.

Despite the fact that he reminded of himself for a long time, experts observing his current state and degree of activity do not consider him extinct. They call the mountain "sleeping". The volcano is active (fortunately, not yet destructive). Hot masses are still stored in its depths. They "warm up" well-known sources. Their temperature reaches +52 ° С and +60 ºС. They seep through the cracks to the surface

Today Elbrus is a unique natural area, a valuable scientific base. In Soviet times, scientific research was carried out here, and now there is a geophysical laboratory, the highest in Europe.

Popocatepetl (Mexico)

This is the very country, located 50 kilometers from the capital - Mexico City. The city of twenty million is always prepared for an emergency evacuation. In addition, there are also two other large cities - Tlaxcala de Jikotencatl and Puebla. This restless volcano also makes their inhabitants nervous. Sulfur, gas, stones and dust are emitted almost every month. In the last decade alone, the volcano has erupted three times.

Mauna Loa volcano (USA, Hawaii)

It is the largest "fiery mountain" on the Earth in terms of volume. Together with the underwater part, it is 80,000 cubic meters. km! The southeastern slope and summit are part of the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park.

There is a volcanological station on Mauna Loa. Research and ongoing observations have been carried out since 1912. The solar and atmospheric observatories are also located here.

The last eruption was recorded in 1984. The height of the mountain above sea level is 4,169 meters.

Nyiragongo (Congo)

As already noted, the name of volcanoes may not always be known to ordinary citizens living on another continent. This does not make the mountain less dangerous. Its activities are monitored by specialists and promptly report an increase in activity.

Next on our list is the active volcano Nyiragongo, which is 3469 meters high. It is located in the central part of the African continent, in the Virunga Mountains. The volcano is considered the most dangerous in Africa. In part, it connects with the more ancient mountains Shaheru and Baratu. It is surrounded by hundreds of smoldering small volcanic cones. 40% of all observed eruptions on the continent occur here.

Mount Rainier (USA)

Rounding out our list is a stratovolcano located in Pierce County, Washington, 87 km south of Seattle.

Rainier is part of the Volcanic Arc. Its height is 4 392 meters. Its summit is made up of two volcanic craters.

We have introduced you the most famous volcanoes. Their list is, of course, incomplete, because, according to scientists, there are more than 600 active mountains alone. Moreover, every year 1-2 new volcanoes appear on Earth.