The largest volcanoes on the map. List and location of the largest active volcanoes in the world

Volcanoes have always evoked a lot of emotions in a person - from panic horror and fear to admiration and admiration for the incredible power of nature. Volcanic peaks are located almost all over the planet and regularly make themselves felt, spewing tons of ash into the air. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the rating of the top 10 highest active volcanoes, each of which is distinguished by its grandeur and unpredictability.

Sangay, 5230 meters

It is located in Ecuador, on the territory of the park of the same name, it is part of the Andes mountain system. The toponym is translated from Indian as "to scare", and this is not surprising - Sangai is one of the most restless volcanoes on the continent. Sangai has three huge craters, which is not typical for andesitic stratovolcanoes. According to researchers, the volcano was formed about 14 thousand years ago. Since 1934, Sangai has erupted regularly, the last time the maximum peak of activity was recorded in 2016. Rare representatives of the fauna are found around the volcano: ocelots, cougars, tapirs, Andean bears and porcupines.

Popocatepetl, 5426 meters

It is an active volcano located in Mexico, part of the Cordillera mountain system. Translated from the local language, the place name translates as "smoking hill" and is located next to another volcano - Istaxihuatl. The most famous ancient literary work is written about these peaks - the legend of Popocatepetl and Istaxihuatl. The first ascent was made in 1519 by Diego de Ordaz.

Elbrus, 5642 meters

The summit is located in Russia and is part of the Caucasus mountain system. Elbrus is located on the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. The toponym is translated as "high mountain", "mountain of a thousand mountains" or "surging". More than 20 glaciers with a total area of ​​134 km have spread on the slopes of Elbrus. sq., 9 km long. They feed the largest Caucasian rivers - Kuban, Malka and Baksan. Elbrus is divided into two parts - a bulk cone and a pedestal. According to scientists, the increase in Elbrus from eruptions amounted to about 2 thousand meters. The last eruption of the stratovolcano occurred 5120 years ago, since then nothing has been heard about its activity. The first ascent of Elbrus took place on July 22, 1829 (eastern peak), 1874 (western). The first Russian expedition arrived at the foot of the volcano in 1913 for scientific purposes.

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Orizaba, 5675 meters

The second name is Sitlaltepetl, which means "star-mountain" in translation. Orizaba is the highest Mexican peak and is located in the Cordillera mountain system. Geographically, the volcano is located on the territory of two states - Puebla and Veracruz. The stratovolcano is now relatively dormant, and last erupted in 1846. In total, 27 periods of activity were recorded, including those in the middle of the 16th and 17th centuries. Orizaba for the Incas has always been a sacred mountain, with which many legends and myths were associated. Since 1936, a reserve has been created on the volcano in order to protect Orizaba from unauthorized ascents. Every year hundreds of climbers come here, for whom many routes of varying degrees of difficulty have been laid. The most favorable time for climbing to the top is the period from mid-autumn to early spring.

El Misti, 5822 meters

Located in South America, territorially belongs to Peru, in the winter months it is almost completely covered with snow. 17 km from the stratovolcano is the small town of Arequipa, with a population of more than 1 million people. In the country, the settlement is known as the "White City" due to the fact that most of the buildings were erected from snow-white deposits of volcanic origin. The Chile River flows past El Misti, and another volcano, Pichu Pichu, is located south of the summit. The last eruption was recorded in 1985, in just a century, activity was manifested 5 times. In the 16th century, the inhabitants of Arequipa had to leave the city due to an extremely strong eruption, with huge ash emissions. At the end of the 20th century, mummified remains of the ancient Incas and a number of valuable artifacts were discovered on the slopes of El Misti. All found bodies and household items are stored today in the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries.

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Kilimanjaro, 5895 meters

The African stratovolcano is located in Tanzania and is classified by scientists as active. Kilimanjaro is the highest point of the Black Continent, and in the period from 1902 to 1918, the volcano was named Kaiser Wilhelm Summit. The mountain is almost completely covered in snow, which glistens under the bright African sun. That is why Kilimandazhro in translation from the local language means "sparkling peak". In ancient times, the tribes living at the foot considered the mountain to be holy and, without climbing it, they were sure that Kilimanjaro was covered with silver. After some time, the leader sent a detachment of daredevils to the top, who discovered that the "silver" was melting in their hands, then the volcano was given another name: "the abode of the god of cold." There have been no documented eruptions near Kilimanjaro, but according to scientists, the last activity was observed about 200,000 years ago. The first ascent of Kilimanjaro took place in 1889.

Cotopaxi, 5897 meters

The toponym is translated from the Quechua language as "brilliant mountain". Cotopaxi is located in South America, on the territory of Ecuador and is the second highest peak in the country. The volcano belongs to the Eastern Cordillera, has a crater measuring 550 by 800 meters, almost half a kilometer deep. For the period from 1738 to the present day, about 50 eruptions were recorded in total, the penultimate one occurred in 1877. However, after 140 years, on August 15, 2015, Cotopaxi again began to show signs of activity. The first explorer of the volcano was the German Alexander von Humboldt and the Frenchman Aimé Bonpland, but they never conquered the peak. A man climbed to the top of Cotopaxi in 1872. This was done by the German geologist Wilhelm Reiss, and a year later by the volcanologist and naturalist Moritz Alfons Stübel, also a native of Germany. The history of eruptions looks like this: the first recorded was 1534, then 1742, 1768, 1864, 1877, but until 1940, ash emissions were periodically observed.

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San Pedro, 6145 meters

It is considered one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, located in the Atacama Desert, in the province of El Loa, Antofagastan region of Chile. Not far from the top is another attraction - the San Pablo volcano, connected to San Pedro by a high saddle. According to the type of formation, San Pedro is a stratovolcano and is represented by formations such as dacites, andesites and basalts. The relative height of the peak is 2014 meters, the most recent recorded eruption was observed in 1960. The first man climbed San Pedro on July 16, 1903. The climbers were the Chilean Filemon Morales and the Frenchman George Corti.

Llullagliaco, 6739 meters

It is located in Western Coldillera, on the border between Argentina and Chile, on the plateau of the highest volcanoes in the world - Puna de Atacama. At the very top, there is eternal glaciation, and the last eruption was observed here in 1877, although today Llullaco is in a state of relative rest. The volcano is considered the highest of all active and is a cone that continues to grow. The first ascent was made on December 1, 1952 by Billon González and Juan Harzeim. The top is an archaeological monument, on the territory of which the burials of Inca children were discovered at the end of the 20th century. Three mummies believed to be 4, 5 and 13 years old were sacrificed about 5 centuries ago.

Ojos del Salado, 6893 meters

The name means "salty eyes" in Spanish. It is the highest volcano on Earth, located in South America, on the Chilean-Argentine border, belongs to the Andes mountain system. To the west of the summit is the famous Atacama Desert. At an altitude of 6400 meters, on the eastern slope of the crater is the highest lake in the world of incredible beauty. Despite the fact that Ojos del Salado has not shown signs of life for a long time, insignificant activity was observed in 1937, 1956 and 1993. The summit was first conquered by man in 1937. The discoverers were two Polish climbers - Jan Szczepanski and Justin Wojzhnis. Scientists have repeatedly found the remains of sacrificial altars on the volcano, presumably related to the Inca civilization.

To date, there are several hundred active volcanoes on our planet, among all this diversity there are both the most powerful and largest, and the highest. Each of the volcanoes has one important characteristic that unites them all - they have great potential and power. Volcanoes majestically rise above the ground from a few hundred to several thousand meters above the ground.

In addition, volcanoes have two unpleasant characteristics - they are very dangerous and unpredictable.

THE LARGEST VOLCANOES

Probably, we can safely say that the most massive among its relatives in the whole world is located in Hawaii and has the name Mauna Loa. Indeed, it can be called a real giant, and it occupies a huge area in the Hawaiian Islands. Firstly, this volcano can frighten anyone with its gigantic size, and secondly, today it is the most active volcano in the world. The first recorded eruption of Mauna Loa occurred in 1843, since then 43 such eruptions have been counted.

The last time a rather powerful eruption occurred in the twentieth century, namely: in 1984. It was then that a huge amount of lava poured out of the mouth of the volcano, it covered an area of ​​​​more than 12 thousand hectares of land. Also, the frozen lava significantly increased the area of ​​the island itself. Mauna Loa rises above the ocean level by 4170 meters, and do not forget that the volcano goes under water for a similar distance. Therefore, if we combine the height above the level and the depth below the sea level, it turns out that this particular volcano is the highest, and also that this is the largest mountain on the planet. According to such a total indicator, Mauna Loa even surpasses the famous Jomalungma.

Among a large number of scientists, there is an opinion that Llullaillaco should be considered the most massive volcano on Earth, and we are talking about volcanoes that are currently active. This volcano is located in the Andes, and more specifically, among the Argentine and Chilean Andes. Lullaillaco has a height of 6723 meters, the last time he woke up in 1877, but this eruption was remembered by all the locals.

Llullaillaco volcano

But in the scientific community there is disagreement about which of the volcanoes should be called the largest. For example, some believe that the highest and largest volcano is located in South America, near the equator. This refers to the actually huge volcano and it is called Cotopaxi, whose height is 5879 meters. Although lower in altitude than Llullaillaco, Cotopaxi has a richer history of eruptions, the last time it happened in 1942.

Cotopaxi volcano

And if Cotopaxi cannot be called the largest volcano on Earth, then it definitely deserves the epithet “the most beautiful”. Judge for yourself - at the foot there is just an abundance of green vegetation of the tropical jungle, and the top of the volcano is covered with a white snow cap. Of course, like the whole family of volcanoes, Cotopaxi is also quite dangerous, since during the entire observation period it woke up more than a dozen times and spewed out a huge amount of lava from its mouth. In one of these eruptions, the city of Latacunga was completely destroyed.

THE HIGHEST VOLCANO

If we talk about such a characteristic as height, then the highest of all volcanoes on Earth is Ojos del Salado. This volcano is located between two states - Chile and Argentina. Translated from Spanish, it translates as "salty tears." The height of this volcano is 6890 meters above sea level, while the highest peak is located on Chilean territory. This cannot but please the citizens of Chile, moreover, they are proud of having such a high volcano in their country.

Various scientists conducted a large number of expeditions to this volcano, conducted a lot of research there, and in the end they came to the unanimous opinion that Ojos del Salado did not erupt even once. More specifically, we are talking about the last two million years. Despite the fact that the volcano is in a dormant state, most recently, in 1993, it released a large amount of sulfur and water vapor into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is not only the highest volcano on the planet, but also the calmest to date.

THE BIGGEST VOLCANO ERUPTION

The most powerful volcanic eruption, documented information about which has survived to this day, is an eruption near the capital of Indonesia - the proud Jakarta. All the fear and power of the volcano, its inhabitants felt on themselves. Tragic events took place back in 1883, just then, on May 20, a local volcano called Krakatau woke up. At first, the eruption was manifested by strong tremors, the earth literally shook. It should be noted that Krakatoa itself is located at a distance of 50 kilometers from Jakarta. Actually, for three months, tremors of various strengths occurred from time to time, but the worst began on August 27, on that day Krakatau woke up for real.

It began with the terrible force of the explosion, it was even heard by those who were 5 thousand kilometers from the volcano. Further, a huge cloud of ash rose into the sky, and the volcano threw it to a height of 30 kilometers. If we talk about the gas-ash column, then it flew all the way to the mesosphere. Then a deafening explosion sounded, today it corresponds to a force of 6 points. Ashes settling for a long time covered almost the entire territory of Indonesia. A terrible explosion provoked a devastating tsunami, from the impact of which 37,000 people died in one day. Some eyewitnesses claimed that in some areas the wave reached a height of 30 meters.

As a result, the volcanic eruption completely destroyed 165 towns and cities. Huge clouds of volcanic ash settled over the entire territory of the Earth for several more years and influenced the climate throughout the planet for two years.

There are hundreds of volcanoes on the surface of the Earth. Among them there are the highest volcanoes, the most powerful volcanoes, the largest volcanoes. And they are united by one thing - each rises to tens and hundreds of meters and frightens with its power: it is possible that the volcano will begin to release steam and ash.

Where are the most active volcanoes?

Volcanoes are geological formations that appear in the earth's crust above cracks. And it is through them that ash, lava, loose rocks, water vapor and gases break through to the surface.

A volcano is called active if it showed signs of activity (for example, emitted gas and steam) in a historical time for a person.

The largest number of active volcanoes is located on the territory of the Malay Archipelago. It is the largest on the planet, located between the continents of Australia and Asia. And in Russia, a large cluster of volcanoes is located in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. About 60 volcanoes erupt every year in this part. But there is evidence of 627 volcanoes that have shown signs of life in the last 10,000 years.

The largest volcano

One of the largest volcanoes in the world is called Mauna Loa. It literally translates to "Long Mountain" in Hawaiian. The volcano occupies most of the island of Hawaii and is considered perhaps the most active in the world. Mauna Low has erupted exactly 33 times since it was first recorded in 1843. The last time the volcano came to life was in 1984. Then about 30 thousand acres of land were covered with lava, and the area of ​​the island itself increased by 180 hectares. Mauna Low rises to 4169 meters above sea level. But if you measure the height of the volcano from the bottom, then the figure will be twice as large - 9 thousand meters. It is even higher than the famous Mount Everest.

Hawaiian is not only the largest and most powerful volcano, it is also the most massive. Its volume from the base to the top is 75 thousand cubic kilometers. By the way, there are many legends around Mauna Low. According to one of them, the mistress of the volcanoes Pele was expelled from the house by her older sister, who was the goddess of water and the sea. When Pele tried to build her own house, her sister sent waves to destroy it. As a result, Pele settled on the island and made herself a house called Mauna Low, it was so massive that the waves could not overwhelm it.

Tallest active volcano

The highest active volcano is considered by some to be Llullaillaco. It is located in the Chilean-Argentine Andes. Its height is 6 thousand 723 meters. The eruption of the largest volcano was last recorded in 1877.

However, on the question of which is the highest active volcano in the world, the opinions of scientists differ. Some believe that the highest is Cotopaxi. It is located in the South American Andes, in Ecuador. Its height is less than that of the previous one, only 5,897 meters. But the last major eruption was recorded in 1942. Cotopaxi can rightly be called the most beautiful in Ecuador. This is due to the riot of greenery at the foot and the graceful crater. However, the picture is deceiving. Cotopaxi, like a number of others, are the most dangerous volcanoes. In Ecuador, since 1742, 10 fairly large eruptions have been recorded that destroyed the city of Latacunga (it lies very close to Cotopaxi).

The most famous volcanoes

However, all of the above volcanoes are hardly known to the general public. The most famous volcanoes in the world are Vesuvius, Mount Fuji or, for example, Etna.

Vesuvius is located in southern Italy near Naples and is active. True, the volcano is not very large, its height is only 1281 meters. Vesuvius is one of three active volcanoes in the country. And one of the most dangerous in the world. To date, more than 80 eruptions are known to mankind, and the most famous occurred 2 millennia ago - in 79. It was then that the cities of Pompeii, Stabiae, Herculaneum were destroyed. The last eruption was recorded in 1944, the lava destroyed the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano.

The highest volcano in Africa and in general the highest point of the continent is Kilimanjaro. The volcano is located in Tanzania, 300 kilometers south of the equator. One of the peaks of Kilimanjaro - Kibo - reaches 5895 meters. Uhuru Peak is the highest point of the volcano. Scientists suggest that the age of Kilimanjaro is more than a million years. And what is most surprising, although the volcano is located almost on the equator, many glaciers have accumulated on its slopes.

The largest volcanoes can be seen in Asia. Famous Fujiyama is located on the Japanese island of Honshu, which is 150 kilometers from Tokyo. The volcano has an almost perfect conical shape and has been the subject of a cult for local residents since ancient times. The height of the mountain is 3776 meters. Now the volcano is weakly active, the last time experts recorded an eruption in 1707.

The strongest volcanic eruption

But the most powerful volcanic eruption in history occurred in 1883. May 20 began to show the activity of Krakatau. It was on this day that the inhabitants of the capital of Indonesia began to hear the first peals: people began to feel the shaking from the volcano, which is located 50 kilometers from the capital. Such phenomena lasted three months, the volcano calmed down, then became more active. Layers of floating pumice accumulated on the surface.

On August 27 of the same year, there was a strong volcanic eruption that a person has ever seen. The rumble was heard even 5 thousand kilometers from the epicenter. Ashes rose to a height of up to 30 kilometers. The volcanic structure scattered over a vast territory, within a radius of up to 500 kilometers. The gas-ash column towered 70 kilometers, that is, it rose right into the mesosphere. The ash covered over 4 million square kilometers and occupied a total of 18 cubic kilometers. The strength of the explosion was rated at 6 points. According to experts, this is 200,000 times the force of the explosion that destroyed Hiroshima. The largest volcano in the world Ojos del Salado is considered extinct

The volcano is said to be inactive. This is because not a single case of an eruption has been recorded in the history of mankind. However, sometimes Ojos del Salado reminds of itself. For example, in 1993, the release of water vapor and sulfur was noticed.

By the way, as the editors of the site managed to find out, some geographers have already reclassified the volcano into an active one. Thus, displacing Llullaillaco from the first place in the list of the highest active volcanoes. However, the controversy has not subsided yet.

Also interesting is the fact that the highest mountain in Russia, Elbrus, is also a volcano.
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Despite their lethality, various volcanoes have long attracted man. 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 today's 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, stretching from the Indonesian islands to.

The strongest eruption in history

The most destructive eruption in terms of its consequences is considered to be a catastrophe that occurred in 1883 during an 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 thrown to a height of 70 kilometers.

The force of the explosion during the eruption exceeded the force of the nuclear bomb explosion over Hiroshima by 10,000 times. Most of the deaths are the result of huge tsunami caused by the eruption. The island on which Krakatoa was located was almost completely destroyed during the disaster. The sound from the explosion spread to 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 in terms of volume:

• mauna loa, Hawaii, with a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers;
• kilimanjaro(Tanzania), which is considered dormant but potentially 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 contested by 2 volcanoes from South America:

1. Llullaillaco, located on the border of Argentina and Chile with a height of more than 6 thousand meters;
2. Cotopaxi, located in Ecuador with a height of 5897 meters.

Description with titles

There are between 1000 and 1500 active volcanoes on our planet. Many of them are located close to densely populated areas and pose a threat to human life. The most dangerous volcanoes, which are under special supervision, are included in List of Volcanoes of the United Nations Decade.

Merapi

Merapi, which in Indonesian means "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 with a frequency of about 7 years; during its history, Merapi has repeatedly caused the death of many people. In 1930, 1400 people became victims of the eruption, and in 2010 more than 350 thousand people had to be evacuated, 353 inhabitants of the island died.

Located near Merapi Yogyakarta city, in the agglomeration of which more than 2 million people live. For its activity and danger to people's lives, 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 the chronicles occurred in 963, and the most powerful one dates back to 1914, but thanks to the tremors preceding it, most of the local residents managed to evacuate, “only” 35 people died.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the volcano has been constantly active. Every year there are thousands of small explosions and ash emissions.

In 2013, there was a large ash ejection, reaching a height of 4000 meters.

Sakurajima is also on the Volcanoes of the Decade list.

Aso

Aso Volcano is also located on Kyushu island in Japan. The highest point of Aso is at an altitude of 1592 meters. During the observation of the volcano, about 165 large and medium-sized eruptions occurred, many of which led to human casualties.

The last time people died as a result of volcanic eruptions in 1979, when 3 people died and 11 were injured. But Aso is dangerous not only for its eruptions, poisonous vapors of volcanic gas 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, when ash was ejected to a height of up to 2 kilometers.

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Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is located in DR Congo in the Virunga mountain range (Africa). In the crater of the volcano is the world's largest lava lake, the depth of which can reach 3 kilometers. In 1977, the crater wall ruptured, resulting in a major lava flow to the surrounding area, resulting in the death of 70 people.

During observations of Nyiragongo since 1882, it was recorded 34 major volcanic eruptions. A feature of the Nyiragongo eruptions is an extremely fast flow of lava, reaching a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. During a major eruption in 2002, 400,000 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 received significant damage.

All these factors make Nyiragongo one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, for which he was rightly included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Galeras

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 has been 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 7000 years, Galeras has experienced at least 6 major eruptions, in 1993 the last of them was recorded.

mauna loa

Mauna Loa Volcano is located on Hawaiian Islands owned by the United States of America. This giant volcano occupies more than half the area of ​​Hawaii, the height of the peak is 4169 meters above sea level, but most of the volcano is located under water. Together with the underwater part, its height from the base to the top reaches 9170 meters, which exceeds the height of Everest.

Mauna Loa eruptions occur along the so-called Hawaiian type with an outpouring of lava, but without explosions and large ash emissions. Observations of the volcano have been conducted only since 1832, but during this time 39 major eruptions of Mauna Loa were recorded. This volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade due to the huge lava flows that accompany the eruption and the densely populated area in its immediate vicinity.

The top of the volcano and its slopes are included in the list UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Colima

The most active volcano in Central America is located in the state of Jalisco. Due to its 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, which makes it America's most dangerous volcano. For this reason, the volcano was included in the Volcanoes of the Decade list.

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Vesuvius

The most famous volcano in the world is located on the Apennine Peninsula in. The lone peak of Vesuvius, 1281 meters high, rises above the spacious fields of the province of Campania and is part of the Apennine mountain system.

Located just 15 kilometers from Naples, Vesuvius has repeatedly entered history with its catastrophic eruptions, about 80 large ones alone were recorded. In 79 AD, the most destructive eruption of Vesuvius, during which famous cities were killed:

• Pompeii;
• Oplontis;
• Herculaneum;
• Stabiae.

It is believed that at least 16,000 people died during this cataclysm.

In 1944, the last eruption of Vesuvius occurred at the moment, cities were destroyed during this natural disaster. 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 its visit is included in the excursion tour when traveling to Naples.

Etna

Another famous volcano in Italy is located in the east of the island of Sicily and is highest volcano, rising to a height of 2329 meters. Etna eruptions are observed several times a year. History has recorded several major eruptions of this volcano, which led to devastating consequences:

1. Destroyed in 122 AD city ​​of Catania;
2. In 1169, Etna died during a massive eruption. 15 thousand people;
3. In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
4. In 1928, the ancient Mascali 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 the 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 the locals affectionately call it, is located in Mexico, 70 kilometers from the capital of this country, the city of Mexico City. The height of the volcano is almost 5500 meters. Over the past 500 years, Popocatepetl has erupted more than 15 times, with the latest occurring as recently as 2015. An extinct volcano is located near Popocatepetl Istaxihuatl.

A trip to these volcanoes is an integral part of the 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 in Kamchatka. The highest point outside the Caucasus Mountains reaches a height of 4750 meters. It is the most active volcano in Eurasia, on average its eruptions occur 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 volcano Cotopaxi is located in South America on the territory of the state Ecuador in the Andean mountain system. The height of the top of Cotopaxi is 5897 meters. Over 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 seen 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 show volcanic activity.

Supreme

The tallest extinct volcano in the world aconcagua, is located in Argentina and is part of the Andes mountain system. Aconcagua is not only the highest extinct volcano in the world, but also the highest peak in America, the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The height of Aconcagua exceeds 6950 meters.

sleeping giants

Many extinct volcanoes are now considered just mountains, although some of them could potentially “wake up” and begin to show activity. Such volcanoes, which may become active in the future, are called "asleep".

• famous Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa) is a dormant volcano that does not show active activity. 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 considered extinct, but scientists have found that there is little activity in it, so now Yellowstone is categorized as dormant volcanoes. The last time the giant erupted almost a million years ago.

It is believed that if Yellowstone wakes up, the 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 eruptions of other volcanoes, which will affect almost every inhabitant of the planet. The ash thrown out by the volcano will cover the surface of the earth from the sun for a year and a half, and a volcanic winter will come 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 - - 5642 meters. It is located on the border of the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Refers to the list of the highest peaks of the 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, as it is under water. array Tamu located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and is located about 1600 kilometers east of the 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 in the entire 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 show volcanic activity. The top of Mount Ararat, reaching 5165 meters, is the highest point in 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 highest 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 caves of Kazbek.

Do you like extreme tourism to shivers in the knees? If yes, then you - the most terrible places on Earth reveal their secrets.

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Volcanic eruptions are dangerous primarily due to their direct impact - the release of tons of burning lava, under which entire cities can die. But, in addition to this, such side factors as the suffocating effect of volcanic gases, the threat of a tsunami, isolation from sunlight, distortion of the terrain and local climatic changes are also dangerous.

Merapi, Indonesia

Merapi is one of the largest volcanoes on the islands of Indonesia. He is one of the most active: large eruptions occur once every seven to eight years, and small ones - once every two years. At the same time, smoke from the top of the volcano appears almost daily, preventing the locals from forgetting about the threat. Merapi is also famous for the fact that in 1006 the whole medieval Javanese-Indian state of Mataram was seriously affected by his activities. The special danger of the volcano is that it is located near the large Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, which is home to about 400 thousand people.

Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima has been in constant volcanic activity since 1955, with the last eruption occurring in early 2009. Until 1914, the volcano was located on a separate island of the same name, but frozen lava flows connected the island with the Osumi Peninsula. Residents of Kagoshima City have become accustomed to the erratic behavior of the volcano and are constantly ready to take refuge in shelters.

Aso Volcano, Japan

The last time the volcanic activity of the volcano was recorded quite recently, in 2011. Then the ash cloud spread over a territory of more than 100 km. From that time to the present, about 2,500 tremors have been recorded, which indicates the activity of the volcano and its readiness for an eruption. Despite the direct danger, about 50 thousand people live in the immediate vicinity of it, and the crater is a popular tourist attraction for daredevils. In winter, the slopes are covered with snow and people go skiing and tobogganing in the valley.

Popocatepetl, Mexico

One of the largest volcanoes in Mexico is located literally fifty kilometers from. This is a city with a population of 20 million people who are in constant readiness for evacuation. In addition to Mexico City, major cities such as Puebla and Tlaxcala de Jicotencatl are located in the neighborhood. Popocatepetl also gives them a reason to be nervous: emissions of gas, sulfur, dust and stones occur literally every month. Over the past decades, the volcano has erupted in 2000, 2005 and 2012. Many climbers strive to climb to its summit. Popocatepetl is famous for being conquered by Ernesto Che Guevara in 1955.

Etna, Italy

This Sicilian volcano is interesting in that it has not only one main wide crater, but also many small craters on the slopes. Etna is in constant activity, and small eruptions occur at intervals of several months. This does not prevent the Sicilians from densely populating the slopes of the volcano, since the presence of minerals and trace elements makes the soil very fertile. The last major eruption was in May 2011, and small ash and dust emissions were in April 2013. By the way, Etna is the largest volcano in: it is two and a half times larger than Vesuvius.

Vesuvius, Italy

Vesuvius is one of three active volcanoes in Italy along with Etna and Stromboli. They are even jokingly called the "hot Italian family." In 79, the eruption of Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii with all the inhabitants who were buried under layers of lava, pumice and mud. During one of the last strong eruptions, which occurred in 1944, about 60 people died and the nearby cities of San Sebastiano and Massa were almost completely destroyed. According to scientists, Vesuvius destroyed nearby cities about 80 times! By the way, this volcano has set many records. Firstly, this is the only active volcano in the mainland, secondly, it is the most studied and predictable, and thirdly, the territory of the volcano is a reserve and a national park where excursions are held. You can only go up on foot, as the lift and funicular have not yet been restored.

Colima, Mexico

The volcanic mountain consists of two peaks: the already extinct Nevado de Colima, which is covered with snow most of the time, and the active volcano Colima. Colima is particularly active: since 1576, it has erupted more than 40 times. A strong eruption happened in the summer of 2005, when the authorities had to evacuate people from nearby villages. Then a column of ash was thrown to a height of about 5 km, spreading a cloud of smoke and dust behind it. Now the volcano is fraught with danger not only for local residents, but for the whole country.

Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA

Scientists have been observing the volcano since 1912 - there is a volcanological station on its slopes, as well as solar and atmospheric observatories. The height of the volcano reaches 4169 m. The last strong eruption of Mauna Loa destroyed several villages in 1950. Until 2002, the seismic activity of the volcano was low, until its increase was recorded, which indicates the possibility of eruptions in the near future.

Galeras, Colombia

The Galeras volcano is very powerful: its diameter at the base exceeds 20 km, and the width of the crater is about 320 m. The volcano is very dangerous - every few years, due to its activity, the population of the nearby town of Pasto has to be evacuated. The last such evacuation took place in 2010, when about 9 thousand people found themselves in shelters due to the threat of a strong eruption. Thus, the restless Galeras keeps the locals in constant tension.

Nyiragongo, Republic of the Congo

Volcano Nyiragongo is considered the most dangerous in all: it accounts for about half of all cases of volcanic activity recorded on the continent. There have been 34 eruptions since 1882. Lava Nyiragongo has a special chemical composition, so it is unusually liquid and fluid. The speed of erupting lava can reach 100 km/h. There is a lava lake in the main crater of the volcano, the temperature of which heats up to 982 Cº, and bursts reach a height of 7 to 30 m. The last largest eruption occurred in 2002, when 147 people died, 14 thousand buildings were destroyed, and 350 thousand people left homeless.

It is worth noting that scientists have been studying the activity of volcanoes for many years and modern technology recognizes the beginning of their seismic activity. Many volcanoes are equipped with webcams, with the help of which you can follow what is happening in real time. People living nearby are already accustomed to this behavior of volcanoes and know what to do when an eruption begins, and emergency services have the means to evacuate local residents. So every year the probability of victims from volcanic eruptions becomes less and less.