Which of the following volcanoes is active? Mainland - where there are no volcanoes? In what area are there many of them? The highest and most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Why are there so many volcanoes in Japan?

Despite their deadly nature, various volcanoes have long attracted people. Previously, people were attracted by fertile soils, enriched with minerals and trace elements due to the activity of volcanoes, now tourists are attracted by the beauty and majesty of these natural objects.

Where are the largest volcanoes on the world map?

Most modern active volcanoes located in Pacific volcanic ring- the area in which the largest number of eruptions and 90% of earthquakes on our planet occur.

The second most powerful seismic zone is the Mediterranean fold belt, which stretches from the Indonesian islands to.

The strongest eruption in history

The most destructive eruption in terms of its consequences is considered to be the catastrophe that occurred in 1883 during the explosion Krakatoa volcano located in . During this cataclysm, more than 36 thousand people died, more than 165 cities and villages were completely destroyed, and ash was released to a height of 70 kilometers.

The force of the explosion during the eruption exceeded the force of a nuclear bomb over Hiroshima by 10 thousand times. Most deaths are a consequence of huge tsunami caused by the eruption. The island on which Krakatoa was located was almost completely destroyed during the disaster. The sound of the explosion spread over a distance of 5 thousand kilometers from the epicenter of the disaster.

Earth's Greatest Active Volcanic Mountains

The largest active volcanoes in the world by volume:

Mauna Loa, Hawaii, with a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers;
Kilimanjaro(Tanzania), which is considered dormant but could potentially become active, has a volume of 4,800 cubic kilometers;
Volcano Sierra Negra, located on Galapagos Islands(Ecuador) has a volume of 580 cubic kilometers.

Which country has the largest source of lava?

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

Llullaillaco, located on the border of Argentina and Chile with an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters;
Cotopaxi, located in Ecuador with an altitude of 5897 meters.

Description with names

There are between 1000 and 1500 active volcanoes on our planet. Many of them are located near densely populated areas and pose a threat to human life. The most dangerous volcanoes, which are under special surveillance, are included in UN Decade Volcanoes list.

Merapi

Merapi, which means in Indonesian "mountain of fire", recognized as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Asia. It is located in the south of the island of Java in Indonesia, and its peak rises to a height of 3 thousand meters.

Significant eruptions of Merapi occur at intervals of approximately 7 years; throughout its history, Merapi has repeatedly caused the death of many people. In 1930, the eruption killed 1,400 people, and in 2010 more than 350 thousand people had to be evacuated, killing 353 island residents.

Located near Merapi Yogyakarta city, in the agglomeration of which more than 2 million people live. Due to its activity and danger to human life, Merapi is included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Sakurajima

Sakurazdima Volcano (Japan) is located on Kyushu island, its peak rises to a height of 1110 meters. The first eruption recorded by chronicles occurred in 963, and the most powerful one dates back to 1914, but thanks to the tremors that preceded it, most of the local residents managed to evacuate, and “only” 35 people died.

Since the mid-20th century, the volcano has been constantly active. Happen every year thousands of small explosions and ash emissions.

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

Sakurajima is also on the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Aso

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

The last time people died as a result of a volcanic eruption was in 1979, when 3 people died and 11 were injured. But Aso is dangerous not only for its eruptions, poisonous volcanic gas fumes They regularly poison tourists who try to conquer Aso. The last such incident occurred in 1997, when two climbers died.

The last eruption of Aso was noted in 2011, ash emission occurred to a height of up to 2 kilometers.

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Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is located in the territory DR Congo in the Virunga mountain system (Africa). The volcano's crater houses the world's largest lava lake, the depth of which can reach 3 kilometers. In 1977, the crater wall ruptured, causing a large flow of lava into the surrounding area, ultimately killing 70 people.

During observations of Nyiragongo since 1882, it was recorded 34 major volcanic eruptions. A feature of the Nyiragongo eruptions is the extremely rapid flow of lava, reaching speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. During a major eruption in 2002, 400 thousand residents of the city of Goma, located near the volcano, were evacuated. Nevertheless, 147 of them died as a result of this cataclysm, and the city itself suffered significant damage.

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

Galeras

The Galeras volcano is located in Colombia near the city of Pasto, whose population is more than 400 thousand people. Its height exceeds 4200 meters. Due to its danger, Galeras was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade that pose the greatest threat in the foreseeable future.

It is believed that over the past 7,000 years, Galeras has experienced at least 6 major eruptions, the last of which was recorded in 1993.

Mauna Loa

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

Mauna Loa erupts according to what is called Hawaiian type with an outpouring of lava, but without explosions and large ash emissions. Observations of the volcano have been carried out only since 1832, but during this time 39 major eruptions of Mauna Loa have been recorded. This volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade due to the huge lava flows accompanying the eruption and the densely populated area in its immediate vicinity.

The summit of the volcano and its slopes were included in the list World Heritage UNESCO.

Colima

The most active volcano in Central America located in the state of Jalisco. Thanks to her activity, Colima received the nickname "little Vesuvius", its height exceeds 3800 meters.

Over the past 450 years, more than 40 large and medium-sized volcanic eruptions have been recorded, the last of which occurred on September 12, 2016. More than 400 thousand people live near Colima, making it America's most dangerous volcano. For this reason, the volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

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Vesuvius

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

Located just 15 kilometers from Naples, Vesuvius has repeatedly gone down in history with its catastrophic eruptions; about 80 major ones alone were recorded. In 79 AD, the most destructive eruption of Vesuvius, during which famous cities perished:

Pompeii;
Oplontis;
Herculaneum;
Stabiae.

It is believed that at least 16 thousand people died during this disaster.

The last one happened in 1944. this moment eruption of Vesuvius, cities were destroyed during this natural disaster Weight And San Sebastiano, 27 people became victims. Since then, Vesuvius has not shown strong activity, but the danger of a new eruption always remains. Vesuvius is one of the main attractions of the province of Campania and a visit to it is included in sightseeing tour when traveling to Naples.

Etna

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

Was destroyed in 122 AD Catania city;
In 1169, during the large-scale eruption of Etna, they died 15 thousand people;
In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
In 1928, the ancient Maskali city.

Despite the danger of the volcano, the inhabitants of the island continue to settle on its slopes. The reason for this is fertile soil, enriched with minerals and trace elements contained in cooled lava flows and ash.

Etna is one of the main natural attractions of Sicily; tourists from all over the world come to see the volcano and climb to its top.

Popocatepetl

Volcano Popocatepetl, or El Popo, as locals affectionately call it, is located in Mexico, 70 kilometers from the capital of this country, Mexico City. The height of the volcano is almost 5500 meters. Popocatépetl has erupted more than 15 times over the past 500 years, with the most recent one occurring as recently as 2015. An extinct volcano is located near Popocatepetl. Iztaccihuatl.

A trip to these volcanoes is an integral part 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 of Kamchatka. Highest point beyond Caucasus Mountains reaches an altitude of 4750 meters. It is the most active volcano in Eurasia, with an average of almost every year. The last significant eruption occurred in 2013, the height of the ash emission was 10-12 kilometers. The eruption was accompanied by mud flows and ashfall.

Cotopaxi

The active Cotopaxi volcano is located in South America on the territory of the state Ecuador part of the Andes mountain system. The height of the peak of Cotopaxi is 5897 meters. In the entire history of observations, 86 eruptions have been recorded, the largest of which led to the complete destruction of the city of Latacunga in 1786. The last activity of Cotopaxi was noticed in 1942, after which the volcano is still dormant.

Famous extinct giants

In addition to active volcanoes, on our planet there are many extinct volcanoes that do not show volcanic activity.

Supreme

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

Sleeping giants

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

Famous Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa) is a dormant volcano that is not active. Scientists believe that one day Kilimanjaro may wake up, then this potential volcano will become one of the highest in the world, because the height of Kilimanjaro is 5895 meters above sea level.

Colossal supervolcano Yellowstone was considered extinct, but scientists have found that there is little activity in it, so now Yellowstone is classified as a dormant volcano. The giant last erupted almost a million years ago.

It is believed that if Yellowstone wakes up, a potential eruption will become one of the largest disasters in the history of the Earth, every third inhabitant of the planet will die, and several US states will be completely destroyed.

Yellowstone eruption will provoke many earthquakes, giant tsunami waves and other volcanic eruptions, which will affect almost every inhabitant of the planet. The ash ejected by the volcano will cover the surface of the earth from the sun for a year and a half, and a volcanic winter will occur throughout the planet.

However, not all scientists believe that the consequences of this cataclysm will be so serious. In any case, the eruption of this volcano remains one of the main potential threats to humans.

The largest extinct volcano in Russia is 5642 meters. It is located on the border of the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Belongs to the list highest peaks six parts of the world. Scientists consider the activity of the volcano not so much completed as fading.
Most large volcano Today it cannot be visited and is very difficult to see, since it is under water. Array Tamu located at the bottom Pacific Ocean and is located approximately 1600 kilometers east of Japanese Islands. Its dimensions are 650 by 450 kilometers; in 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 exhibit volcanic activity. Peak Greater 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 in one of the caves of Kazbek it was found volcanic ash from an eruption that supposedly occurred 40 thousand years ago.

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Watch a video about these and other volcanoes in the world:

Volcanoes- geological formations on the surface of the earth's crust through which magma emerges. The name comes from the Roman god of fire - Vulcan. Today there are more than 1,000 active volcanoes on the planet. Next we will introduce you to the classification of volcanoes, tell you where most of them are located and which are considered the highest and most famous.

Volcanoes: interesting facts

There is a large classification of volcanoes. So that's it volcanoes of the world are divided into 3 types:
By type (shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes, cinder cones, domes);
By location (sub-deer, terrestrial, underwater);
By activity (extinct, dormant, active).

Each volcano consists of the following parts:
Main crater;
Side crater;
Vent.

Some volcanoes do not emit lava. There are also mud volcanoes, geysers also belong to post-volcanic formations.

Where are the volcanoes of the world?

Most volcanoes are located in the Andes, Indonesia, Iceland, Hawaii and Kamchatka. However, they are not located randomly, but in strictly defined zones:
Most of the volcanoes are located in an area called the Pacific Volcanic Ring of Fire: in the Andes, Cordillera, Kamchatka, as well as the Philippines and New Zealand. Almost everything is located here active volcanoes of the terrestrial world - 328 out of 540.
Another location zone is the Mediterranean Fold Belt, which includes the Mediterranean Sea (Santorini, Etna, Vesuvius) and extends to Indonesia, where almost all the powerful eruptions of the world took place: Tambora in 1815 and Krakatoa in 1883.
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, forming entire volcanic islands. Vivid examples: Canary Islands, Iceland.

Active volcanoes of the world

Most of the active volcanoes are located in the above zones. Volcanoes often erupt in Iceland, and the tallest volcano in Europe, Etna, periodically reminds itself. Others that are particularly well known:
Popocatepetl, located near Mexico City;
Vesuvius;
Mauna Loa;
Nyiragongo (DR Congo), famous for its huge lake boiling lava located in the crater.

Extinct volcanoes of the world

Volcanoes often end active eruptions. Some of them are considered extinct, others are considered dormant. Extinct volcanoes of the world located throughout the planet, including in the Andes, where the highest volcano in the world is located - (6893 meters), as well as the mountain of volcanic origin Aconcagua ( main peak South America).

Often extinct volcanoes used as observatories, for example, Mauna Kea on the Hawaiian Islands, in the crater of which 13 telescopes are installed. By the way, it is Mauna Kea that is recognized as the highest volcano in general; if you count the underwater part, its height is 10,205 meters.

The most famous volcanoes in the world

Everyone has heard stories about terrible eruptions that destroyed entire cities and destroyed islands. Here we will talk about:
Vesuvius, this one is not big volcano in Italy (1281 m) destroyed the city of Pompeii. This moment is even captured in Bryullov’s painting “The Last Day of Pompeii.”
Etna – highest volcano in Europe, which periodically erupts. The last eruption took place in May 2015.
Krakatoa is a volcano in Indonesia, the eruption of which in 1883 was equivalent to an explosion of 10,000 atomic bombs. Now in its place stands new volcano- Anak-Krakatoa.
Tambora. In 1815, the most powerful eruption of our time took place, which resulted in a volcanic winter (air pollution with ash), and 1816 became a year without summer.
Santorini, which destroyed the Minoan civilization and destroyed the whole island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Mont Pelée in Martinique, which destroyed the port of Saint-Pierre in a matter of minutes. 36,000 people died
The Yellowstone Caldera is a potential supervolcano whose eruption could change the map of the world.
Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa.

10 largest and most dangerous volcanoes on Earth.

A volcano is a geological formation that arose due to the movement of tectonic plates, their collision and the formation of faults. As a result of collisions between tectonic plates, faults form and magma comes to the surface of the Earth. As a rule, volcanoes are a mountain at the end of which there is a crater, which is where lava comes out.

Volcanoes are divided into:

- active;
- sleeping;
- extinct;

Active volcanoes are those that erupted in the near future (approximately 12,000 years)
Dormant volcanoes are volcanoes that have not erupted in the near future, but their eruption is practically possible.
TO extinct volcanoes include those that have not erupted in the near future, but the peak has the shape of a crater, but such volcanoes are unlikely to erupt.

List of the 10 most dangerous volcanoes on the planet:

1. (Hawaiian Islands, USA)

Located in the islands of Hawaii, it is one of the five volcanoes that make up the islands of Hawaii. It is the largest volcano in the world in terms of volume. It contains more than 32 cubic kilometers of magma.
The volcano was formed about 700,000 years ago.
The volcano's last eruption occurred in March 1984, and it lasted for more than 24 days, causing enormous damage to people and the surrounding area.

2. Taal Volcano (Philippines)

The volcano is located on the island of Luzon, belonging to Philippine Islands. The crater of the volcano rises 350 meters above the surface of Lake Taal and is located almost in the center of the lake.

The peculiarity of this volcano is that it is located in the crater of a very old extinct mega volcano, now this crater is filled with lake water.
In 1911, the most powerful eruption of this volcano occurred - then 1335 people died, within 10 minutes all life around the volcano died at a distance of 10 km.
The last eruption of this volcano was observed in 1965, which resulted in 200 casualties.

3. Volcano Merapi (Java Island)

The name of the volcano is literally Mountain of Fire. The volcano has been erupting systematically for the last 10,000 years. The volcano is located near the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the city's population is several thousand people.
It was the most active volcano among 130 volcanoes in Indonesia. The eruption of this volcano was believed to have led to the decline of the Hindu Kingdom of Matarama. The peculiarity and horror of this volcano is the speed of spread of magma, which is more than 150 km/hour. The volcano's last eruption occurred in 2006 and claimed 130 lives and made more than 300,000 people homeless.

4. Volcano Santa Maria (Guatemala)

This is one of the most active volcanoes of the 20th century.
It is located at a distance of 130 kilometers from the city of Guatemala, and is located in the so-called Pacific. Ring of Fire. The Santa Maria crater was formed after its eruption in 1902. About 6,000 people died then. The last eruption occurred in March 2011.

5. Ulawun Volcano (Papua - New Guinea)

The Ulawun volcano, located in the New Guinea region, began erupting at the beginning of the 18th century. Since then, eruptions have been recorded 22 times.
In 1980, the largest volcanic eruption occurred. The ejected ash covered an area of more than 20 square kilometers.
Now this volcano is the highest peak in the region.
The last volcanic eruption occurred in 2010.

6. Galeras Volcano (Colombia)

The Galeras Volcano is located near the border of Ecuador in Colombia. One of the most active volcanoes in Colombia, it has erupted systematically over the past 1000 years.
The first documented volcanic eruption occurred in 1580. This volcano is considered the most dangerous because of its sudden eruptions. Along the eastern slope of the volcano is the city of Paphos (Pasto). Paphos is home to 450,000 people.
In 1993, six seismologists and three tourists died during a volcanic eruption.
Since then, the volcano has erupted every year, claiming thousands of lives and making many people homeless. The last volcanic eruption occurred in January 2010.

7. Sakurajima Volcano (Japan)

Until 1914, this volcanic mountain was located on separate island in close proximity to Kyushu. After the volcano erupted in 1914, a lava flow connected the mountain to the Ozumi Peninsula (Japan). The volcano was named Vesuvius of the East.
He serves as a threat to the 700,000 people of Kagoshima City.
Since 1955, eruptions have occurred every year.
The government even built a refugee camp for the people of Kagoshima so they could find shelter during the volcanic eruption.
The last eruption of the volcano occurred on August 18, 2013.

8. Nyiragongo (DR Congo)

It is one of the most active, active volcanoes in the African region. The volcano is located in Democratic Republic Congo. The volcano has been monitored since 1882. Since the start of observations, 34 eruptions have been recorded.
A crater in the mountain serves as a holder for magma fluid. In 1977, a major eruption occurred, neighboring villages were burned by streams of hot lava. The average speed of the lava flow was 60 kilometers per hour. Hundreds of people died. The most recent eruption occurred in 2002, leaving 120,000 people homeless.

This volcano is a caldera, a formation of a pronounced round shape with a flat bottom.
The volcano is located in Yellow National Park in the United States.
This volcano has not erupted for 640,000 years.
The question arises: How can it be an active volcano?
There are claims that 640,000 years ago, this super volcano erupted.
This eruption changed the terrain and covered half of the United States in ash.
According to various estimates, the volcanic eruption cycle is 700,000 - 600,000 years. Scientists expect this volcano to erupt at any time.
This volcano could destroy life on Earth.

Cities and even entire states were destroyed. Today, the Earth's volcanoes 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 know and understand what happens to the fire-breathing mountain during an eruption, how this process occurs, what precedes it, forces scientists to climb dangerous slopes, approaching the craters where the elements are raging.

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

Etna (Italy)

It was not by chance that we decided to start our review with this mountain. Volcano Etna, 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 mountains. Other active mountains of the country are located at this break - Vesuvius, Stromboli, Vulcano. Scientists claim that in ancient times (15-35 thousand years ago), the Etna volcano, photos of which are often published in special publications, was distinguished by explosive eruptions that left vast layers of lava. In the 21st century, Etna erupted more than 10 times, fortunately, without loss of life.

It is difficult to accurately determine the height of this mountain, since its highest point changes due to frequent eruptions. They usually happen after a few months. Etna occupies a huge area (1250 sq. km). After lateral eruptions, Etna had 400 craters. On average, the volcano ejects lava every three to four months. 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 Earth's volcanoes active if they have been active in the last 3,000 years. This Japanese volcano has been continuously active since 1955. It belongs to the first category. In other words, an eruption could start at any time. A not very strong lava eruption was observed in February 2009. Residents of the city of Kagoshima are almost constantly accompanied by anxiety. Teachings and equipped shelters have become firmly established in their everyday life.

Researchers have installed web cameras above the crater, so Sakurajima is under constant surveillance. It must be said that volcanoes on the islands can change the terrain. This happened in Japan when Sakurajima erupted in 1924. Powerful tremors warned the city of danger; most residents managed to leave their homes and evacuate.

After this, the volcano named Sakurajima (which means “sakura island”) can no longer be called an island. Great amount lava formed an isthmus that connected the mountain with the island of Kyushu. And for 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 one is popular tourist site for extreme sports enthusiasts, it is actually a dangerous volcano, which in 2011 ejected a large amount of lava and ash, covering an area of 100 kilometers. Since that moment, more than 2,500 powerful tremors have been registered. This suggests that at any moment he can destroy a nearby village.

Vesuvius (Italy)

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

One of the last powerful eruptions occurred 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 names of volcanoes (at least some of them) from our school curriculum, we learn about others from newspapers, and only specialists know about others. Colima is perhaps the most dangerous and powerful in the world. It last erupted in June 2005. Then a 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. Its height is 4,625 m. It is considered extinct, and the other peak is an active volcano. It is called Volcán de Fuego de Colima - “Fire Volcano”. Its height is 3,846 m. Locals They called him the Mexican Vesuvius.

It has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. And today it is extremely dangerous not only for residents of nearby cities, but for all of Mexico.

Galeras (Colombia)

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

It's 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 giant mountain There is a small town called Pasto. In August 2010, its residents had to be urgently evacuated due to violent eruption. A state of emergency has been declared in the region. Authorities sent more than 400 police officers to the area to provide assistance to citizens.

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

Elbrus Volcano

On the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria is located highest point Europe and, of course, Russia - Elbrus. WITH northern part Greater Caucasus it is connected by the Side Ridge. Elbrus volcano consists of two peaks that are approximately the same height. Its eastern part reaches 5621 m, and the western part - 5642 m.

This is a cone-shaped stratovolcano. Its layers are formed by flows of tuff, lava, and ash. Recent eruptions Elbrus was recorded 2500 years ago. Over time, it took on its current form. Few volcanoes on Earth can boast such a beautiful, “classic” cone-shaped shape. As a rule, craters are quickly destroyed by erosion. The beauty of Elbrus is protected by its mantle of ice and snow. It doesn’t go down even in summer, which is why the volcano is nicknamed Little Antarctica.

Despite the fact that it has been reminiscent of itself for quite a long time, experts observing its current state and level of activity do not consider it to be extinct. They call the mountain "sleeping". The volcano is active (fortunately, not destructive yet). Hot masses are still stored in its depths. They “warm up” known sources. Their temperature reaches +52 °С and +60 ºС. Leaks through cracks onto the surface

Today Elbrus is a unique natural area, the most valuable scientific base. IN Soviet time 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 emergency evacuation. In addition, there are two more major cities- Tlaxcala de Xicotencatl and Puebla. This restless volcano also makes their residents nervous. Emissions of sulfur, gas, stones and dust occur almost every month. In the last decade alone, the volcano has erupted three times.

Mauna Loa Volcano (USA, Hawaii)

This is the largest in volume " fire mountain» Earth. Together with the underwater part, it is 80,000 cubic meters. km! The southeastern slope and summit are part of national park"Hawaiian Volcanoes"

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

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

Nyiragongo (Congo)

As already noted, the names of volcanoes may not always be known to ordinary citizens living on another continent. This does not make the mountain any less dangerous. Specialists monitor its activities and promptly report on increased activity.

Next on our list is the active volcano Nyiragongo, whose height is 3469 meters. It is located in the central part of the African continent, in the Virunga Mountains. The volcano is considered the most dangerous in Africa. It is partially connected to the more ancient mountains of 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)

Our review list ends with 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 top is made up of two volcanic craters.

We have presented to you the most famous volcanoes. The list of them, of course, is incomplete, because, according to scientists, only active mountains there are more than 600. In addition, every year 1-2 new volcanoes appear on Earth.

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