Volcanoes on all continents. Volcanoes: characteristics and types

Today there are about 600 on the surface of the Earth active volcanoes and up to 1000 extinct. In addition, there are approximately 10 thousand more of them hiding under water. Most of them are located at the junctions of tectonic plates. About 100 volcanoes are concentrated around Indonesia, there are about 10 of them in the western American states, a cluster of volcanoes is also noted in the region of Japan, Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. But they are all nothing compared to the one megavolcano that scientists fear most.

The most dangerous volcanoes

Any of the existing volcanoes, even dormant ones, poses one danger or another. No volcanologist or geomorphologist undertakes to determine which of them is the most dangerous, since it is impossible to accurately predict the time and strength of the eruption of any of them. The title of “the most dangerous volcano in the world” is simultaneously claimed by the Roman Vesuvius and Etna, the Mexican Popocatepetl, the Japanese Sakurajima, the Colombian Galeras, located in the Congo Nyiragongo, in Guatemala - Santa Maria, in Hawaii - Manua Loa and others.

If the danger of a volcano is assessed by the estimated damage it can cause, then it would be reasonable to turn to history that describes what consequences brought the most dangerous eruptions volcanoes in the world in the past. For example, the well-known Vesuvius carried away in 79 AD. e. up to 10 thousand lives and wiped out two major cities. The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which was 200 thousand times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, echoed across the Earth and took the lives of 36 thousand islanders.

The eruption of a volcano called Laki in 1783 led to the destruction of a huge part of the livestock and food supplies, due to which 20% of the population of Iceland died of starvation. The following year became a lean year for the whole of Europe because of Lucky. All this shows what large-scale consequences it can have for people

Destructive supervolcanoes

But did you know that all the biggest dangerous ones are nothing compared to the so-called supervolcanoes, the eruption of each of which thousands of years ago brought truly catastrophic consequences for the entire Earth and changed the climate on the planet? Eruptions of such volcanoes could have a force of 8 points, and ash with a volume of at least 1000 m 3 was thrown to a height of at least 25 km. This resulted in prolonged sulfur precipitation, the absence of sunlight for many months and the covering of a vast area of the earth's surface with huge layers of ash.

Supervolcanoes are distinguished by the fact that at the site of the eruption they have not a crater, but a caldera. This circus-shaped basin with a relatively flat bottom is formed as a result of the fact that after a series of powerful explosions with the release of smoke, ash and magma, the upper part of the mountain collapses.

The most dangerous supervolcano

Scientists know about the existence of approximately 20 supervolcanoes. Today, on the site of one of these terrifying giants, Lake Taupa in New Zealand is located; another supervolcano is hidden under the one located on the other. Examples of supervolcanoes include Long Valley in California, Valleys in New Mexico and Aira in Japan.

But the most dangerous volcano in the world is the Yellowstone supervolcano, which is most “ripe” for an eruption, located in the western American states. It is he who forces volcanologists and geomorphologists in the United States, and throughout the world, to live in a state of increasing fear, forcing them to forget about all the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world.

Location and size of Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera is located in the northwestern United States, in the state of Wyoming. It was first spotted by satellite in 1960. The caldera, whose dimensions are approximately 55 * 72 km, is part of the world famous Yellowstone national park. A third of almost 900,000 hectares park area located on the territory of the volcano's caldera.

Under the Yellowstone crater to this day rests a giant bubble of magma about 8,000 m deep. The temperature of the magma inside it is close to 1000 0 C. Thanks to this, many hot springs bubble in the territory of Yellowstone Park, and clouds of steam and gas mixtures rise from cracks in the earth’s crust.

There are also many geysers and mud pots there. The reason for this was a vertical flow of solid rock 660 km wide, heated to a temperature of 1600 0 C. Under the territory of the park at a depth of 8-16 km there are two branches of this stream.

Yellowstone's past eruptions

The first eruption of Yellowstone, which scientists say occurred more than 2 million years ago, was the largest disaster on Earth in the entire history of its existence. Then, according to volcanologists, about 2.5 thousand km 3 were released into the atmosphere rock, and the highest point that these emissions reached was 50 km above the earth’s surface.

The biggest and dangerous volcano the world began to re-erupt more than 1.2 million years ago. Then the volume of emissions was approximately 10 times less. The third eruption occurred 640 thousand years ago. It was then that the walls of the crater collapsed and the caldera that exists today was formed.

Why you should be afraid of the Yellowstone Caldera today

In light of recent changes in the territory of Yellowstone National Park, it is becoming increasingly clear to scientists which volcano is the most dangerous in the world. What's going on there? Scientists were alarmed by the following changes, which especially intensified in the 2000s:

In the six years leading up to 2013, the ground covering the caldera rose by as much as 2 meters, compared with only 10 cm in the previous 20 years.
New hot geysers erupted from the ground.
The frequency and strength of earthquakes in the Yellowstone caldera area is increasing. In 2014 alone, scientists recorded about 2,000 of them.
In some places, underground gases make their way through the layers of the earth to the surface.
The water temperature in the rivers increased by several degrees.

This frightening news alarmed the public, and especially the residents of the North American continent. Many scientists agree that the supervolcano will erupt this century.

Consequences of the eruption for America

It is not for nothing that many volcanologists believe that the Yellowstone caldera is the most dangerous volcano in the world. They assume that its next eruption will be as powerful as the previous ones. Scientists equate it to the explosion of a thousand atomic bombs. This means that within a radius of 160 km around the epicenter, everything will be completely destroyed. An ash-covered area stretching 1,600 km around will turn into a “dead zone.”

The eruption of Yellowstone may lead to the eruption of other volcanoes and the formation powerful tsunami. There will be a national emergency for the United States and martial law will be imposed. Information comes from various sources that America is preparing for disaster: building shelters, making more than a million plastic coffins, drawing up an evacuation plan, drawing up agreements with countries on other continents. Recently, the United States has preferred to remain silent about the true state of affairs at the Yellowstone Caldera.

Yellowstone Caldera and the end of the world

The eruption of the caldera located under Yellowstone Park will bring disaster not only to America. The picture that can unfold in this case looks sad for the whole world. Scientists have calculated that if the release to a height of 50 km lasts only two days, then the “cloud of death” during this time will cover an area twice as large as the entire American continent.

In a week, emissions will reach India and Australia. The sun's rays will drown in thick volcanic smoke and a long one and a half year (at least) winter will come to Earth. average temperature air on Earth will drop to -25 0 C, and in some places it will reach -50 o. People will die under debris falling from the sky from hot lava, from cold, hunger, thirst and the inability to breathe. According to assumptions, only one person in a thousand will survive.

The eruption of the Yellowstone caldera can, if not completely destroy life on earth, then radically change the conditions of existence of all living things. No one can say for sure whether this most dangerous volcano in the world will erupt in our lifetime, but the existing fears are indeed justified.

A volcano is a geological formation that is located on cracks in the earth's crust. Through it, volcanic rocks, lava, ash, steam and poisonous gases come to the surface. Scientists are sure that every year 3 new volcanoes appear on our planet. Their total number is huge. More than 600 of them are active active volcanoes. They are found in different parts of the world and pose a serious danger to all living things.

Active volcanoes in Russia

Not all fire-breathing mountains are on land. They are often located under water. This does not prevent their eruption at all. Fortunately, the most dangerous volcanoes are located far beyond the borders of our country, but we also have such dangerous hills. In this article, we will introduce you to lava-spewing mountains located in our country and abroad that can be dangerous to human life.

Klyuchevsky volcano

It is located near the Bering Sea. This is the most large volcano Russia. This is a whole complex consisting of 12 cones. The height of the volcano is 4750 meters. It has a crater with a diameter of more than half a kilometer. The mountain has a perfect cone shape. Active volcanoes constantly emit acrid smoke, which can be seen above the Klyuchevsky crater. Sometimes you can see splashes of lava. Volcanologists believe that it appeared more than 5,000 years ago. Over the past three centuries, he has been revived more than 50 times. The most powerful eruptions date back to the 19th century.

Volcano Tolbachik

The Klyuchevskaya group includes several volcanoes. One of them is Tolbachik. Its height is 3682 meters. Experts attribute it to the Hawaiian type of volcanoes. It has two cones - Sharp and Flat. Its diameter is about 2 kilometers. The last eruption was in 1976. It is considered the highest in Eurasia.

Ichinskaya Sopka

There are active volcanoes in Russia in Kamchatka. In the center of the peninsula is the Ichinskaya Sopka. This volcano has three cones, they are covered with glaciers, except one, which is active. Its height reaches 3621 meters.

Kronotskaya Sopka

The next mountain spewing lava is located in the east of Kamchatka. Its height is 3528 meters. It is believed that this is one of the largest volcanoes in Russia. It erupts quite rarely. At its very top you can see ice, and forests grow at its base. Near the volcano there is the famous Valley of Geysers and Kronotskoe Lake.

Koryaksky volcano

Its highest cone reaches a height of 3456 meters. By its type it belongs to stratovolcanoes. To this day, remains of lava and loose rocks are found in the valley of the Koryak Hill.

Volcano Shiveluch

In the north of Kamchatka there is another volcano known to specialists. It's called Shiveluch. The mountain has two cones - Old Shiveluch and Young Shiveluch. The last one is still active. Its height is 3283 meters. This large volcano erupts quite often. The last time this happened was in 1964. Volcanologists are sure that the age of this mountain is more than 60 thousand years.

Volcano Avacha

It is located near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its height is 2741 meters, the diameter of the crater is four hundred meters. The top of Avacha is covered with glaciers, and dense forests grow at its base. Its last eruption was recorded in 2001.

Volcano Sishel

It is also located in the north of Kamchatka. Shield volcano with a height of 2525 meters. To this day it is considered active, but the date of the last eruption is not known for certain.

Active volcanoes of the world

These mountains, which spew fire and ash, are dangerous due to their direct impact - the release of thousands of tons of burning lava, which can destroy entire cities. In addition, suffocating volcanic gases, the threat of tsunamis, distortion of the terrain and dramatic climate changes pose a great danger.

Merali (Indonesia)

Active volcanoes on the islands of Indonesia are very dangerous. One of them is Merapi. It is the most active: powerful eruptions occur here every six to seven years, and small ones occur almost every year. Smoke appears over the crater almost every day, reminding local residents about an imminent threat.

Merali is famous for the largest eruption that occurred in 1006. The medieval state of Mataram suffered from it. The danger of a volcano is that it is located near densely populated city Yogyakarta.

Sakurajima (Japan)

Readers are often interested in the most active volcanoes. It would be more correct to call them the most active. These include Sakurajima, which has been active since 1955. The last eruption occurred in early 2009. Until last year (2014) the volcano was located on a separate island of the same name, but lava flows solidified and connected it to the Osumi Peninsula. People living in Kagoshima City are accustomed to Sakurajima's behavior and are always ready to take refuge in a shelter.

Cotopaxi (Ecuador)

The highest active volcanoes are in America. The record holder for this is Cotopaxi, located 50 km from the city of Quito. Its height is 5897 m, depth 450 m, crater size 550x800 m. At an altitude of 4700 m, the mountain is covered with eternal snow.

Etna (Italy)

This volcano is well known. It has not one main crater, but many small ones. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and is constantly active. Its height is 3380 meters, area is 1250 square kilometers.

Small eruptions occur every few months. Despite this, Sicilians densely populate the slopes of the volcano, since these places have very fertile soil (due to the presence of minerals and trace elements). The last eruption occurred in May 2011, with minor emissions of dust and ash in April 2013.

Vesuvius (Italy)

Active volcanoes in Italy are two more large mountains except Etna. These are Vesuvius and Stromboli.

In '79 violent eruption Vesuvius destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. Their inhabitants were buried under layers of pumice, lava and mud. The strongest eruption occurred in 1944. Then 60 people died, and the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano were completely destroyed. Scientists estimate that Vesuvius destroyed nearby cities 80 times. Many of the world's active volcanoes are not as well studied as this one. Due to this, researchers consider it the most predictable.

The territory of the volcano is protected. This national park, which tourists from all over the world love to visit.

Colima (Mexico)

The active volcanoes of this country are represented in our article by Nevado de Colima. Most of the time the mountain is covered with snow. Colima is very active - it has erupted 40 times since 1576. The strongest eruption occurred in the summer of 2005.

Residents of nearby villages had to be evacuated. The ash column shot up to a height of 5 km, causing a cloud of dust and smoke.

Volcanoes and their features, continents without volcanoes and with a large number of them. The highest and nai large volcanoes world, Europe, Russia and the USA. The danger of an explosion at the Yellowstone volcano.

Is there a continent without volcanoes?

The question of which continent has no volcanoes may cause confusion. Indeed, these huge mountains, throwing out fire and lava, are everywhere. globe. Even in Antarctica, the ice-covered continent, there are several extinct volcanoes! However, scientific facts prove that there is one continent on our planet where there are no volcanoes at all.

Australia is a place where there are no volcanoes. To understand the reason for this, we should remember the nature of such mountains. Volcanoes occur at fault sites, at the boundaries of tectonic plates. In these zones, magma comes closest to the surface and can splash out onto it. And volcanoes in this case serve as a crack in the crust through which magma pours out.

And in Australia there are no active volcanoes precisely because the mainland is located far from faults. Australia is located at the very center of the Australian Plate, and therefore tectonic processes, including volcanism, hardly occur here.

Why are there many volcanoes in Japan?

Japan can be called the antipode of Australia in terms of volcanism. Unlike the calm mainland, the islands of Japan are located in the most dangerous tectonic zone in the world. If Australia lies on one tectonic plate, then Japan is located at the junction of as many as four! The Eurasian, Pacific, North American and Philippine plates converge at this point, creating faults and tectonic belts (see the picture below, Japan is marked with a yellow circle)

It is clear what explains the presence of volcanoes on Japanese territory, but their number is amazing. The total price here is over 450 fiery mountains, 110 of which are active, meaning they erupt frequently. The volcano is also the most high point countries - Fuji. True, Mount Fuji is considered a dormant volcano because last eruption happened here in 1707!

The large number of volcanoes in Japan is closely associated with earthquakes. This region It is part of the Ring of Fire tectonic belt. This zone extends around the circumference Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes and volcanic explosions are common here.

What volcanoes are located in Europe?

There are many dangerous, extinct and active volcanoes on the European continent. But only the eruption of some volcanoes became a legend and these events entered world history.

Italian volcano Vesuvius

This famous volcano is located on the territory of modern Italy, near the city of Naples. This is the only active volcano located on continental Europe. The eruption of Vesuvius is quite well known to us from history. It was because of him that in 79 AD the densely populated ancient city Pompeii was buried under a huge amount lava and volcanic ash. At the same time, two other ancient cities disappeared from the face of the earth: Herculaneum and Oplontis. This tragedy formed the basis of many paintings and films.

Santorini

This gentle volcano is located on greek island Thira in the Aegean Sea. According to history in 1645-1600 BC. e. There was a powerful volcanic eruption. The volcano rose high above the ground and the eruption was so powerful that its walls collapsed, causing a high tsunami wave of 100 meters to form, which covered the islands. Some scientists believe that it was this eruption that destroyed the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.

Sicilian Etna

Most high volcano in Europe - Etna, located on the Italian island of Sicily. Etna is almost 2 times higher than Visuvius. Since this is an active volcano, its height is constantly changing. This volcano erupts on average 3 times a month, and once every 150 years it destroys a neighboring village. The inhabitants of the island adore their volcano, as it is considered not dangerous. After all, by periodically erupting, a volcano cannot accumulate strength and energy for a more destructive eruption. Tourists love to visit this volcano, even during an eruption. If you follow all safety precautions and are not near the crater during an eruption, you can even run away from the erupting lava.

What are the tallest and largest volcanoes in the world?

Most big volcano in the world - a title for which Mauna Loa and the Tamu Massif compete. The first volcano is located on Hawaiian Islands and is valid. The last time Mauna Loa erupted was in 1984. The volume of the volcano is 75,000 cubic km, and the height is 10,168 m! Tamu Massif - underwater dormant volcano in the Pacific Northwest. Its volume reaches 2.5 million cubic km, but scientists argue whether this giant can be considered a separate volcano.

Other record holders and simply impressive volcanoes:

- Mauna Kea is the highest extinct volcano and the mountain with the maximum absolute height. Taking into account the underwater part, this mountain exceeds Everest by almost 2 km, having a height of 10203 m.
- Llullaillaco is the highest active volcano. This mountain rises in the Andes at 6739 m. The last time an eruption was observed was in 1877.
- Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a volcano in Kamchatka, the highest active volcano in Eurasia. Its height is 4835 m, and it erupted on April 25, 2016!

- Erebus - this volcano is located in Antarctica. It is the southernmost such formation, and at the same time constantly operating!

Yellowstone is the most dangerous volcano in the United States

In the USA there is a huge volcano called Yellowstone. This is a caldera - a large round basin left after the collapse of the walls of a volcano. The dimensions of the giant are 55x72 km! Researchers are convinced that Yellowstone will one day explode. The danger of such an explosion lies in the size of the volcano. After the eruption volcanic ash will close the atmosphere. This will cause climate change, cooling, acid rain. If the Yellowstone volcano explodes, many species of plants and animals will die. Human existence will also be under threat.

An interactive map of active (active) volcanoes allows you to see the extent volcanic activity, the danger of eruptions, and the probability of eruptions online. The map is designed to help travelers and researchers who are going to visit a particular region of the world. Plan your expeditions taking into account existing threats and disasters.

The map is fully clickable, you can zoom in, zoom out, and select regions of interest on the planet. Clicking on the triangle displays information in English (in addition to the already existing mug service – ). Information is provided to English language, heights are in meters and feet

All dormant, awakening and active volcanoes are divided on the map into 4 threat categories:

1. Green triangle- there are no threats.
2. Yellow triangle– threat of increased activity.
3. Orange triangle– high activity. There is a possibility of an eruption.
4. Red triangle– an eruption with the release of ash, gases, magma.

Active volcano - news on the map

(To zoom in or out on the map, scroll the mouse wheel while holding down the CTRL key)
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How to survive a volcanic eruption

(Detailed article in our section “Survival” > “Survival in various disasters” > “How to survive natural disasters” > in the article.

Extinct supervolcanoes of the planet

Map of mantle hotspots

Tectonic plate map

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August 18, 2016

Volcanic eruptions have always given rise to catastrophic associations in people's minds...

Boiling hot lava, vast clouds of volcanic ash eclipsing the Sun, dying people and entire cities are the subject of many paintings, books and films. Nowadays, volcanoes with a “bad reputation” that continue to erupt are popular among tourists, thrills. We will tell you about the five most famous active volcanoes on Earth.

Vesuvius

On the conscience of this relatively low (1300 meters above sea level) volcano on the shores of the picturesque Gulf of Naples- two destroyed ancient Roman cities, Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Vesuvius has erupted several times in Italian memory, most recently in 1944. Eruptions were always accompanied by destruction and casualties; in 1805, the city of Naples was even destroyed. However, the area around the volcano is densely populated - volcanic ash fertilizes the land.

Krakatoa

The only one famous volcanoes, who managed to be reborn after he destroyed himself. In 1883, the most destructive eruption in the history of mankind occurred at the Krakatoa volcano, located on the island of the same name between Java and Sumatra.

The tsunami wave washed away 295 Indonesian cities and villages into the sea, killing 35 thousand people. Both the island of Krakatoa and the volcano itself were destroyed. However, in 1927, the volcano broke through the ocean and declared itself with a new eruption. New volcano named Anak-Krakatoa, it is believed that it has a serious influence on the climate of the entire Earth. The last activity of the Krakatoa volcano was observed in 2014.

Fujiyama

The Japanese have a peculiar attitude towards Fuji; they do not experience mortal horror, rather the opposite. Followers of the Shinto religion consider Fuji a shrine, a symbol of the immortality of the soul, and even built a temple on its top, next to the post office and meteorological station. Fuji, along with tourists from all over the world, is visited annually by thousands of Shinto pilgrims.

Hekla

Since then, about three dozen significant eruptions have occurred. All are completely different from one another and unpredictable. Some are short, a few days, others can last for months. And the eruption, which began in March 1947, ended only in April 1948. Icelanders believe that the longer the volcano’s “hibernation” lasts, the more catastrophic the consequences of the earthquake will be.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka

Outside the Caucasus, Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the most high mountain in Russia (4800 meters). And the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the most active of Kamchatka's 29 active volcanoes; the last eruption occurred in 2013.

Despite the restless and unpredictable nature of the volcano, climbers and mountain tourists often climb Klyuchevskaya Sopka. The volcano also attracts tourists with an amazing natural phenomenon - lenticular clouds. Large white clouds hover over the crater of Klyuchevskaya Sopka and remain motionless even in very strong winds.

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