The largest volcanoes. The most dangerous volcano in the world: name, description, location and interesting facts

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

Sangay, 5230 meters

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 - Sangay is one of the most restless volcanoes on the continent. Sangai has three huge craters, which is unusual 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. Around the volcano there are rare representatives of the fauna: ocelots, pumas, 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 toponym translates as “smoking hill” and is located next to another volcano - Iztaccihuatl. The most famous ancient literary work was written about these peaks - the legend of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. The first ascent was made in 1519 by Diego de Ordaz.

Elbrus, 5642 meters

The peak 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 translates as " high mountain", "mountain of a thousand mountains" or "towering". More than 20 glaciers lie on the slopes of Elbrus with total area 134 km. 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 growth of Elbrus from the eruptions was 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). For the first time, a 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”. Orizaba is the highest Mexican peak and is located in mountain system Cordillera. Geographically, the volcano is located on the territory of two states - Puebla and Veracruz. The stratovolcano is relatively dormant today and last erupted in 1846. A total of 27 periods of activity were recorded, including in the mid-16th and 17th centuries. Orizaba has always been for the Incas sacred mountain, with which many legends and myths were associated. Since 1936, a reserve was created on the volcano to protect Orizaba from unauthorized ascents. Every year hundreds of climbers arrive here, for whom many routes of varying degrees of difficulty are laid out. The most favorable time for climbing to the top is from mid-autumn to early spring.

El Misti, 5822 meters

Is 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, whose population is more than 1 million people. In the country the settlement is known as " 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 to the south of the peak there is another volcano - Pichu Pichu. The last eruption was recorded in 1985; in just a century, activity occurred 5 times. In the 16th century, the residents of Arequipa were forced to leave the city due to an extremely violent eruption, with huge emissions of ash. 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 kept today in the Museum of the 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 Dark Continent, and from 1902 to 1918 the volcano was named Kaiser Wilhelm Summit. The mountain is almost completely covered with snow, which glistens under the bright African sun. That is why Kilimandajro means “sparkling peak” in the local language. In ancient times, the tribes living at the foot considered the mountain holy and, without climbing it, 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 at Kilimanjaro, but scientists believe the last activity occurred approximately 200,000 years ago. The first conquest of Kilimanjaro took place in 1889

Cotopaxi, 5897 meters

The toponym is translated from Quechua as “shiny 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 ridge, has a crater measuring 550 by 800 meters and almost half a kilometer deep. During the period from 1738 to the present day, a total of about 50 eruptions were recorded, the penultimate one occurring in 1877. However, 140 years later, on August 15, 2015, Cotopaxi began to show signs of activity again. 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 accomplished by the German geologist Wilhelm Reis, 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 one was 1534, then 1742, 1768, 1864, 1877, but until 1940, ash emissions were periodically observed.


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San Pedro, 6145 meters

Considered one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, it is located in the Atacama Desert, in the El Loa province, Antofagastan region of Chile. Not far from the top there is another attraction - the San Pablo volcano, connected to San Pedro by a high saddle. By type of formation, San Pedro is a stratovolcano and is represented by such formations 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 time a person climbed San Pedro was on July 16, 1903. The climbers were Chilean Philemon Morales and Frenchman George Corti.

Llullallaco, 6739 meters

Located in the Western Coldillera, on the border between Argentina and Chile, on the plateau of the world's highest volcanoes - Puna de Atacama. At the very top there is perpetual glaciation, and last eruption was observed here in 1877, although today Llullallaco is in a state of relative peace. The volcano is considered the highest of all active ones and is a cone that continues to grow. The first ascent was made on December 1, 1952 by Billon Gonzalez and Juan Harzeim. The summit is an archaeological site on the territory of which 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

Translated from Spanish, the name means “salty eyes.” Is the most high 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 there is the highest lake in the world of incredible beauty. Although Ojos del Salado has not shown any signs of life for a long time, minor activity was observed in 1937, 1956 and 1993. The peak was first conquered by a man in 1937. The discoverers were two Polish climbers - Jan Szczepanski and Justyn Wojznis. Scientists have more than once found the remains of sacrificial altars on the volcano, presumably dating back to the Inca civilization.

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

Merapi, Indonesia

Merapi is one of the most large volcanoes on the islands of Indonesia. It is also 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 appears from the top of the volcano almost every day, not allowing local residents to forget about the threat. Merapi is also famous for the fact that in 1006 the entire medieval Javanese-Indian state of Mataram was seriously damaged by his activities. The volcano is especially dangerous because it is located near the large Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, which is home to about 400 thousand people.

Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima is in constant volcanic activity since 1955, and the last eruption occurred in early 2009. Until 1914, the volcano was located on a separate island of the same name, but frozen lava flows connected the island to the Osumi Peninsula. Residents of the city of Kagoshima are already accustomed to the restless behavior of the volcano and are constantly ready to take refuge in shelters.

Aso Volcano, Japan

The last time volcanic activity was recorded at the volcano was quite recently, in 2011. Then the ash cloud spread over an area 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 to erupt. Despite the direct danger, about 50 thousand people live in the immediate vicinity, and the crater is popular tourist site for daredevils. In winter, the slopes are covered with snow and people go skiing and sledding 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 to evacuate. In addition to Mexico City, the following are located in the neighborhood: big cities, like Puebla and Tlaxcala de Xicotencatl. Popocatepetl also gives them a reason to be nervous: emissions of gas, sulfur, dust and stones occur literally every month. In recent decades, the volcano has erupted in 2000, 2005 and 2012. Many climbers strive to climb to its peak. Popocatepetl is famous for the fact that in 1955 it was conquered by Ernesto Che Guevara.

Etna, Italy

This Sicilian volcano is interesting because it has not only one main wide crater, but also many small craters on the slopes. Etna is constantly active, with small eruptions occurring every few 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 minor emissions of ash and dust occurred in April 2013. By the way, Etna is the largest volcano in the world: it is two and a half times larger than Vesuvius.

Vesuvius, Italy

Vesuvius is one of the 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 and all its inhabitants, who were buried under layers of lava, pumice and mud. One of the last major eruptions, in 1944, killed about 60 people and almost completely destroyed the nearby towns of San Sebastiano and Massa. According to scientists, Vesuvius destroyed nearby cities about 80 times! By the way, this volcano has set many records. Firstly, it is the only active volcano on the mainland, secondly, it is the most studied and predictable, and thirdly, the territory of the volcano is a nature reserve and a national park where excursions are held. You can only go up on foot, since 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 Colima volcano. Colima is particularly active: it has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. A strong eruption occurred in the summer of 2005, when 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 also for the entire country.

Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA

Scientists have been monitoring 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 an 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 local residents in constant suspense.

Nyiragongo, Republic of Congo

The Nyiragongo volcano is considered the most dangerous in all: it accounts for about half of all cases of volcanic activity recorded on the continent. Since 1882, there have been 34 eruptions. Nyiragongo lava has a special chemical composition, so it is unusually liquid and flowing. The speed of erupted lava can reach 100 km/h. In the main crater of the volcano there is lava lake, 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, then 147 people died, 14 thousand buildings were destroyed, and 350 thousand people were 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 have webcams that allow you to monitor 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 likelihood of casualties from volcanic eruptions becomes less and less.

Volcanoes are not only a fascinating and dangerous sight. Thanks to volcanic activity life began on planet Earth. The atmosphere and hydrosphere appeared due to emissions huge amount carbon dioxide and water vapor. Today, some fire-breathing mountains remain dormant, while others cause trouble and disturbance to humanity.

Volcano Vesuvius. Italy

Considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes Europe. It was he who destroyed several ancient Roman cities, including Pompeii, in August 1979. He wakes up approximately every 20 years. The last time was in 1944.

Volcano Yellowstone Caldera. USA

About a third of Yellowstone's territory national park occupies actively active volcano. Inside, a bubble of magma constantly heats up thermal springs, which manifests itself in the formation of geysers and mud pots.

Volcano Krakatoa. Indonesia

It last erupted in 1883, resulting in the destruction of the island on which the volcano is located. The process lasted from May until the end of August. 36 thousand people and 259 settlements became victims of ash and tsunami. Today, a 1.5 km area around the island is closed to the public.

Mauna Loa Volcano. Hawaii

It is the second largest of the megavolcanoes, the top of which is covered with snow from January to March. Sometimes it wakes up and pours out lava flows.

Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania, Africa

The volcano consists of 3 extinct peaks. However, scientists discovered that only 400 m below the crater of the mountain there is hot lava. In addition, the centuries-old ice cap that covered the peak has almost melted.




Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Iceland

Not long ago, a volcano paralyzed the work of several European airports. The eruption was rated 4 on the VEI scale. Some researchers believe that the awakening of Eyjafjallajokull could be the trigger for the Katla eruption.

Volcano Cotopaxi. Ecuador

This is the most active volcano. After more than 150 years of silence, Cotopaxi came to life again in 2015. Fortunately, no one was hurt.




Volcano Merapi. Java Island

One of the most active volcanoes erupts at least twice a year, with major eruptions occurring every seven years. Local residents have to evacuate. The top of Merapi smokes non-stop.




Volcano Popocatepetl. Mexico

The most powerful eruption occurred in 2000. It was preceded by 15 years of increased activity of the fire mountain. In March 2016, Popocatepetl raised a column of steam, gas and ash to a height of 2 km. The cities of Mexico City and Puebla are at risk.

Today on globe there are more than 600 active volcanoes. They are concentrated mainly at the junctions of tectonic plates. The Andes can boast (or complain) about the largest number of “working” volcanoes. It is here that the highest active volcano in the world, called Cotopaxi, is located.

About 70 thousand years ago in South America, 80 km from the equator and 150 km from the coast Pacific Ocean The volcano exploded. What was left of the huge mountain was a crater several tens of kilometers in diameter with an almost flat bottom and steep walls. It seemed that everything was over. But a few years later, a new crater formed in the center of the caldera funnel. With each new eruption, lava and ash were layered on top of each other, forming an even cone. The mountain grew and over many centuries became one of the highest. The wind from the ocean brought moisture to it, which settled on the top as a white cap of ice and snow. It sparkled in the rays of the sun and was visible for many kilometers.

The people of one of the tribes who saw the mountain gave it a name in their language: Sparkling Mountain. Or maybe the volcano received this name not because of the snow, but because of the column of fire that illuminates the peak, or smoke, escaping from the crater during an eruption. One translation of the name is Smoking Mountain. In the language of another tribe, the name of the mountain was translated into Russian as “Neck of the Moon” or “Throne of the Moon”. Be that as it may, there are no such tribes, and the highest active volcano in the world bears the name they invented - Cotopaxi.

For many years, only the surrounding tribes knew about the volcano. They thought fire mountain sacred and treated it with respect. Years passed, the volcano seemed to be sleeping. Only old people remembered the eruptions. But one day, around 1530, the priests watching the mountain noticed that the snow cap began to melt and by 1534 had disappeared completely. What happened was interpreted as a terrible omen. At the same time, strange armed people appeared in the vicinity, speaking an incomprehensible language. They demanded something unknown, and killed those who could not give it to them, that is, everyone. The warriors of the tribe entered into battle with them and in the heat of battle did not notice the eruption that had begun. When the danger was discovered, all that was left was to run. The tribal leaders and priests interpreted what happened as the wrath of the gods. So the territory near Cotopaxi was conquered by the Spaniards, and the volcano became known in Europe.

Note! The first attempt to explore Cotopaxi was made in 1802, but the expedition led by the German geographer Alexander von Humboldt and the Frenchman Aimé Bonpland failed to climb the mountain. The summit was conquered by Humboldt's compatriot, geologist Wilhelm Reis on November 28, 1872.

Journey to the Volcano

Cotopaxi, with an altitude of about 5900 m, is clearly visible from Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

From the city, the Pan-American Highway leads to it through a fertile valley of volcanoes formed by two parallel chains of mountains. An inconspicuous turn to the left, another ten kilometers, and the entrance to National Park Cotopaxi.

The entrance fee is 2 dollars for “friends” and 10 for “strangers”. You can climb to a height of 4500 m by car, then on foot. A shelter where climbers gather, located at an altitude of 4800 m.

Greets guests tame fox. He feeds on leftover food and therefore welcomes guests.

From above you can view the area. The foot of the mountain is covered coniferous forest, in which there are many kinds of animals and birds.

Higher up, the forest gives way to tundra with mosses, lichens and heather valleys. The relief becomes visible. The undulating surface is cut through by cracks left by mudflows and rivers flowing from the mountain. Some of the depressions filled with water. The resulting lakes are home to numerous birds and amphibians. Stones and boulders dragged by mudflows are scattered everywhere. Volcanic ash, covering the ground, of two colors: almost black and red-pink.

In the mountain shelter, groups are formed to climb to the top, everyone is accepted, even beginners.

During the day you can climb to the snow line on your own, but higher - only accompanied by a local guide. Equipment is issued on the spot. The ascent begins at night and lasts 7-8 hours. Dawn catches travelers on the edge of the crater, it is double.

The outer funnel is more ancient, rectangular, approximately 500x800 m, and the inner, new one, is almost perfectly round. From the top there is an unparalleled view of the surrounding landscape.

Note! The summit of Cotopaxi is one of the few places on Earth from which both the North Star and the Southern Cross constellation can be seen at the same time.

The cold wind does not allow you to linger at the top. On the descent in daylight, cracks are clearly visible between the streams of solidified lava, over which bridges of compacted snow are “thrown.”

Dangerous neighborhood

The Cotopaxi Volcano is the most visited mountain in Ecuador. It seems that people have firmly settled down at its foot and on the slopes, but the columns of steam and sulfur oxide escaping from the vent remind us of what, or who, they are dealing with.

Note! Over the past 250 years, the volcano has erupted 50 times. The most powerful eruption occurred on April 4, 1768. Then the lava reached the ocean coast, and in Quito the ash turned day into night. At the foot of the mountain itself it was light from the fire escaping from the crater. The explosion of the volcano in 1746 was heard 800 kilometers away, in Bolivia. In the twentieth century, he woke up most strongly in 1904, 1942 and 1976.

Cotopaxi is now sleeping, but the danger of a new eruption remains. The main threat is from mudflows and lahars. These are streams of water flowing from the mountain along cracks and river beds and sweeping away everything in its path. In 1887, such a mudflow washed away a village located 240 km from the volcano. Lahars, a mixture of water and ash with the properties of liquid concrete, have repeatedly flooded the city of Latacunga, located 40 km from Cotopaxi. The proximity to the capital of two million people, which is 60 km away in a straight line, makes the volcano one of the most dangerous in the world.

Still, who is taller?

Cotopaxi is considered the highest active volcano on the planet. But not everyone agrees with this. In the Andes there are two higher “colleagues”: Llullaillaco with an altitude of 6739 meters and Ojos del Salado with an altitude of 6887 meters. This is generally the highest of all existing volcanoes, active and extinct. They argue about whether they are asleep or extinguished. Llullaillaco last erupted in 1877. They say that a column of steam was recently seen above it. Ojos del Salado was active about 1,300 years ago, but steam and sulfur emissions have also been recorded at more recent times.

Whether they are active or have already gone out, no one can answer this question with certainty. So only a new eruption of one of the volcanoes will put an end to the debate: which of the active volcanoes on earth is the highest.

Video

Time-lapse footage of the night sky over the Cotopaxi volcano:

Aerial footage of Cotopaxi and Antizan:

Beauty and grandeur big volcano has always attracted people. The power of the active giant is not exaggerated - the ash that envelops many kilometers and the fiery lava that burns everything in its path are described in many books and shown on TV. The larger and higher the volcano, the more destruction it can cause if it erupts.

IN modern world scientists can predict the activity of an active volcano, thereby avoiding many casualties, but the strength and duration of nature’s “fiery breath” is sometimes impossible to calculate. People are most interested in the highest, large volcanoes created at the junction of tectonic plates. This list contains exactly those that have greatest height above sea level.

Tungurahua

Height giant volcano, located in Ecuador, 5023m. above sea level. The name stands for “fire throat.” Since 1999, the volcano has become especially active, and therefore it was decided to evacuate all nearby villages. Major eruptions were recorded in 2012 and 2014, which is why local authorities introduced an orange alert level. Throwing ash to a height of almost 10 km. covered several large settlements, located at a distance of more than 150 km. Little Tungurahua activity still occurs today.

Another giant from Ecuador. In the local dialect it means “fear-inspiring.” This majestic and beautiful volcano has a height of 5230m. According to scientific data, the volcano with three craters, the diameter of which is more than 100 meters, was formed more than 14,000 years ago. The very first major eruption was recorded in 1628. Since the 30s of the last century, Sangai has been constantly erupting. Last activity was in 2007. Today, only a few offer to climb to the top of the volcano. travel companies, since the volcano is considered active and erupts from time to time. Still, there are always people who like to add adrenaline to their lives. Part of the route is covered by car, the rest by special mules. Elevation takes 2-3 days.

The volcano with a height of 5426m is active. Location: Mexico. Not easy funny name translated as "smoking hill". Villages and cities with a total population of 20 million are densely located around the volcano. Human. The last mention of any volcanic activity was in 1994. But in 1947, a volcanic eruption threw out so much ash that it covered everything within a 30 km radius. It is very popular among tourists and lovers of real, virgin nature.

Active volcano with a height of 5822m. located in Peru. The volcano has three huge craters, the largest diameter is 130m. Particularly strong activity in the 15th century brought a lot of trouble to the nearby city of Arequipa, later called the “white city”. The local population calls the mountain sacred, the mountain of the gods. In 1998, archaeologists discovered several Inca mummies and valuable artifacts at the foot of the volcano. There are many things associated with the volcano mystical stories. Periodic explosive eruptions over the past hundred years have not scared away, but rather attracted a lot of tourists. Peak tourist season falls in May-September, when the top of the volcano is not covered with snow. For the most fearless, there is a descent into one of the craters.

The highest point in Africa (5895m above sea level) belongs to an active volcano. Kilimanjaro is mentioned in many feature films and literature and is considered one of the most beautiful and popular.

There are no officially recorded eruptions of the giant giant, but local residents they claim that 200 years ago the volcano behaved quite aggressively. Kilimanjaro enjoys in great demand among tourists, since climbing the mountain is quite simple and does not require special skills. Unfortunately, the famous “snow cap” has been melting a lot lately; over the last 100 years, glaciers have shrunk by 80%, which is certainly alarming.

Volcano with a height of 5911m. is included in the list of the largest active volcanoes on the planet. Since 1738, the volcano has erupted just under 50 times, and the last strong eruption was recorded last year on August 15. From the archives of descriptions of the Cotopaxi volcano, a destructive eruption of 1768 is mentioned - “in the middle of spring, a huge column of steam and ash rose from the breathing crater of the volcano, and a few days later fiery lava poured out. At the same time, a terrible earthquake began. The nearby town of Latacunga was completely destroyed." Today Cotopaxi is called " business card Ecuador." Hundreds of avid climbers come here to conquer the top of the volcano. But local authorities do not welcome this; due to the constant melting of glaciers, many accidents have been recorded.

San Pedro

A giant active volcano sits on the edge of the Atacama Desert in Chile. The height of the volcano above sea level is 6145m. The last activity was observed in 1960. Tourist routes does not have. Every moment can create a real danger for residents of nearby villages.

Height – 6310m. The highest point in Ecuador. Today it is considered extinct, but around the 5th-7th century AD it erupted tons of fiery lava. The entire top of the volcano is covered with glaciers. As a result of the effects of global warming, the glacier has greatly decreased in size. In clear weather, the volcano can be seen 150 km away. Chimborazo is very popular among tourists and climbers. Some of them claim that in some places they can hear seething inside the volcano. You can conquer the top of Chimborazo at any time of the year, since the air temperature on the slopes remains the same in winter and summer.

The leader among active volcanoes. Height above sea level 6739m. The eruption recorded in 1877 was the last. The top of the volcano is covered with glaciers, and it itself is located among the driest desert on earth - the Atacama. Unique excavations carried out at the top of the volcano helped determine that the found corpses of Incan children buried more than 500 years ago speak about the sacredness of this mountain. Local Indians nicknamed the volcano “deceiver”, not trusting its calmness. The snow line of the volcano is located at the very high point in the world, having overcome a height of 6.5 tons. meters. The lucky ones who managed to climb to the top of the volcano are given the opportunity to enjoy the enchanting and majestic views of mountain ranges and unique landscapes.

The highest volcano on earth geographically covers both Chile and Argentina. The height of the champion of our rating is 6887m. above sea level. The volcano is also unique in that it is located in the crater itself, at an altitude of 6390m. The highest lake in the world is located. Throughout the history of observation, the volcano has not shown much activity, although several emissions of sulfur and water vapor were recorded in the last century. On the Chilean side, near the volcano is the city of Copiano. The city is completely alive with tourist life, welcoming a large number of climbers and ordinary travelers every year. At the foot of the very top, which can only be reached by the most experienced tourists, traces of Inca habitation were found. This find again recalls the special attitude of the ancient Indians to the greatness and sacredness of nature.

The record for the most terrible, destructive volcanic eruption belongs to Tambora, located in Indonesia. In 1815, after a powerful explosion, the eruption lasted almost two weeks. Within a radius of 500 kilometers there was pitch darkness for four days due to the ejected ash. More than 70,000 people died in that disaster, according to the Indonesian government.

On the territory of our country, the champion in height is the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano. Its height is 4835m. above sea level. The last small eruption was recorded in August 2013.

The volcano is a wonder of the world created by nature itself. You can constantly admire the majestic mountain, with its snow-capped peaks and bottomless craters. The possible danger posed by an active volcano has long been a subject of curiosity and popularity among tourists. But beauty and power natural phenomena should be respected; it was not for nothing that the ancient Indians called volcanoes “sacred mountains.”

2016.06.02 by

 

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