The largest active volcanoes in the world. The largest and most dangerous active volcanoes in the world

Volcanoes are some of the most magnificent wonders on earth. Their beauty is truly dangerous, since they can bring death to everything around them. Hot lava and volcanic bombs can easily wipe out everything that comes in their way, including the largest cities, from the face of the earth. For many millennia, mankind has already managed to become convinced of the incredible power of active volcanoes. For example, Vesuvius, which took thousands of human lives and destroyed the largest cities of that era (Pompey, Stabia, Herkulan).

The article describes the largest volcanoes in the world... This list includes volcanoes from different parts of the world, regardless of seismological activity. The main criterion for the selection was their height.

10. Mauna Loa

Opens the top 10 most large volcanoes the world of Mauna Loa. This is one of the active megavolcanoes, which is located in the central part of the island of Hawaii. In terms of its volume, it is second only to the Tamu Massif. Its height is over four thousand meters. Scientists suggest that Mauna Loa originated over seven hundred thousand years ago. Today it is considered an active volcano.

Mauna Loa has an irregular thyroid shape with gentle slopes. In the vicinity of the volcano, you can find many species of rare plants and wild animals. The mountain and lands from the southeastern part are included in the reserve.

On the eastern side of the Andes mountain range is one of the largest volcanoes on the planet - the active volcano Sangay. It has a steep conical shape, and at its summit you can see numerous layers of lava and tephra. The uniqueness of this volcano lies in the presence of three craters. On the territory of the mountain and its vicinity, a national nature Park, which belongs to the list of protected areas by UNESCO.

Scientists suggest that Sangay volcano was formed about 14 thousand years ago. Its height is over 5 thousand meters. From the 30s of the last century to the present day, Sangay is characterized by very frequent periods of activity. The eruption of the volcano was first documented in 1628.

8. Volcano Huila

The old volcano Huila is the most big volcano in Colombia, whose height is 5365 meters. It has a steep, elongated shape. Huila was thought to be asleep for many years, and after fifty years he began to show signs of activity. In the period from 2007 to the present day, more than 7 thousand small seismic events have occurred. In 2011, the last eruption was recorded. Huila poses a great danger to the inhabitants of the four regions that are in its vicinity.

This volcano and its surrounding areas are home to many species of wild animals. The rich flora and fauna is due to the presence of numerous water sources, which were formed due to the descent of snow from the top of the mountain.

7. Popocatepetl

The Mexican Highlands is home to one of the largest active stratovolcanoes in the world - Popocatepetl. Its height is 5426 meters. The name of the volcano comes from the Nahuatl language, which means "Smoking Hill". Near it is Mount Istaxuatl. These two hills got their names thanks to the legend. In it, the Aztecs talked about an unhappy love, where a girl was given in marriage to another. This happened because her parents did not wait until the daughter's beloved returned from the hike. The girl soon committed suicide. After a while, the warrior returned home with a victory, but did not find his beloved alive. The guy could not face the loss and also committed suicide. As a sign of their eternal love, the gods turned the lovers into two mountains.

6. Orizaba

Orizaba - highest peak Mexico and one of the largest volcanoes in the world. Its height above sea level is 5675 meters. Locals call the volcano Sitlaltepetl. This, translated from one of the Aztec languages, means "mountain of the star".

On this moment the volcano is at rest, but it has not completely died out. About 27 eruptions have been documented, the last of which was observed in 1846.

In 1936, a protected park was created, which included the mountain, the surrounding areas and the settlement. The area of ​​the protected area is almost 20 thousand hectares.

Over thirty years ago, there were about 14 glaciers at the top of the volcano. Due to the problem of global warming, their number has decreased. Today there are 9 of them. The largest of them is Gran Norte with an area of ​​9 sq. Km.

5. Misty

Misty is the largest active volcano in South America. It is located in the southern part of Peru. Its actual height is 5822 meters above sea level. Not far from the hill is the city of Arekina, which is home to more than 1 million people. Most of the city's buildings are built of pyroclastic deposits of the volcano.

The Misty cone is a stratovolcano. It is characterized by explosive eruptions, which alternate with the outflow of lava. One of the features of the volcano is the presence of three concentric craters. In the 15th century, very strong eruptions were observed. The most recent seismological activity was documented in 1985.

4. Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest African volcano. It is located in northeastern Tanzania. Taking into account the glaciers, its height is 5895 meters. Kilimanjaro, like most of the largest volcanoes in the world, is dormant. At the moment, local residents observe little seismological activity. Kilimanjaro is conical in shape and consists of three craters.

There are many theories that explain the origin of the name in different ways. From the Swahili language, the name of the volcano is translated as "a mountain that sparkles."

Despite the fact that Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano, it is visited by many scientists every year. The top of the volcano is covered with a huge snow cap, which was formed there since the Ice Age. Due to global warming, its volume has sharply decreased over the past century.

3. Cotopaxes

In the list of the largest volcanoes in the world, Cotopaxi ranks third. The height of the volcano is 5911 meters, it is located in Ecuador on the western side of the Eastern Cordillera ridge. The capital of Ecuador, Quito is located just 50 kilometers from Cotopaxi.

The peak of the volcano's activity fell in the 17th-18th centuries. The last eruption happened quite recently - in 2015.

Cotopaxi in Quechua means "shining or smoking mountain". Sometimes, small clouds of smoke can be seen above its vent, which are formed due to the release of water and sulfur. Since the volcano is dormant, its summit is covered with a thick layer of glaciers and snow.

2. San Pedro

San Pedro, 6145 meters high, is the largest stratovolcano in mountain system Andes. The volcano's cone is formed by basalt and andesite layers. The last seismic activity was observed in the 60s of the last century. In the summer of 1903, the first documented ascent to the top of the mountain was made.

Not far from San Pedro is the San Pablo volcano. Outwardly, they look like two brothers who are connected with each other using a high saddle.

1. Llullaillaco

Llullallaco is the largest volcano on Earth. Its height is 6739 meters. It is located on the high plateau of Puna de Atacama, between Argentina and Chile.

To date, Llullaco is in a dormant state. The last period of activity was documented in 1877. Now quite often you can see how smoke is released from its vents.

The very first documented ascent to the summit of Llullaco took place in 1952. During the expedition, archaeologists found ancient sanctuary belonging to the Incas. A closer examination of the slopes of the mountain revealed several mummies, which were most likely sacrificed to the gods.

Volcano. This word fascinates and frightens at the same time. People have always been drawn to something beautiful and dangerous, because beauty, accompanied by risk, becomes even more attractive, but at the same time, the history of the city of Pompeii is immediately remembered. Volcanoes have not brought such terrible destruction for a long time, which are still stored in the pages of our history, because thanks to scientists who can tell which mountain is a volcano and which is not, people stopped settling at the foot dangerous mountains... But, nevertheless, volcanoes continue to exist and either go into hibernation or wake up from sleep to start active life. Let's take a look at which volcanoes are the largest in the world.

10 largest volcanoes in the world

1. Volcano Yellowstone. This volcano is located in the Yellowstone national park in the USA. It is Yellowstone that can rightfully be called the largest volcano in the world, as well as the most dangerous volcano in the world. The height of the volcano is 3142 meters above sea level, and the area of ​​the volcano is 4000 square kilometers... The area of ​​this volcano is twenty times the size of Washington, the capital of the United States of America. This volcano is still dormant, although from the beginning of the twenty-first century it began to show signs of activity. According to scientists, this volcano erupts approximately every 600 thousand years, and about 640 thousand years have passed since the last eruption.


2. Volcano Vesuvius. It is the highest active volcano in Eurasia at this moment. It is also the highest volcano in Europe. It is located fifteen kilometers from Italian city... Its height is 1281 meters. Currently, Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe, and besides, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Science knows about more than eighty of its eruptions, one of which was destroyed by the famous.


3. Volcano Popocatepetl. This volcano is also active. It is located in the southern part of Mexico. Popocateptl's height is 5452 meters. Over the past half century, its activity has been quite insignificant, and in general history knows about thirty-six major eruptions of this volcano. Popocatepetl can be called the largest active volcano at the moment.


4. Sakurajima volcano. An active volcano located in Japan. Once it was on the island, but during one of the eruptions, a huge amount of lava connected it to the mainland. The height of the volcano is 1118 meters above sea level. At the moment, Sakurajima is visited by many tourists every year, despite the fact that the volcano is almost constantly in activity - smoke escapes from its vents, and sometimes small eruptions occur.


5. Volcano Galeras. This volcano is located in Colombia. The height of Galeras is 4267 meters above sea level. The activity of this volcano was noticed in 2006, at the same time people were evacuated from the nearest settlements. In 2010, even more people were evacuated, as the volcano continues to be active. Although over the past several thousand years, if Galeras erupted, it was extremely insignificant.


6. Volcano Merapi. An active Indonesian volcano located in Java. Height above sea level - 2914 meters. This volcano is active almost constantly. Small eruptions occur several times a year, and large ones approximately once every ten years. Merapi claimed many lives, and in one of its largest eruptions, even changed the surrounding landscape.


7. Volcano Nyiragongo. This volcano is located in Africa, in the Virunga Mountains. At the moment, it is more in sleep mode, although little activity is sometimes observed. The worst eruption of this volcano was recorded in 1977. In general, this volcano is interesting in that its lava is very liquid due to its composition, therefore, during an eruption, its speed can even reach one hundred kilometers per hour.


8. Volcano Ulavun. The volcano is located on an island New Guinea and at the moment it is an active volcano. Its height is 2334 meters above sea level. This volcano erupts quite often. Once this volcano was located under water, and it came to the surface only in 1878.


9. Taal volcano. This active volcano is located in the Philippines, on the island of Luzon. Taal is notable for the fact that it is the smallest of all the currently not dormant volcanoes in the world, and there is a lake in the Taal crater. Taal is visited by many tourists from all over the world every year.


10. Volcano Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is an active volcano in Hawaii, USA. The height of this volcano is 4169 above sea level. This volcano can be considered the tallest volcano on earth if we take into account its underwater part, the height of which reaches 4500 meters. The last time this volcano erupted seriously was in 1950.

The ancient Romans believed that destructive fire was commanded by the god Vulcan, hence the name of the geological uplands. Today, scientific discoveries have made it possible to describe the origin of volcanoes, the nature of eruptions, and the danger to the population living nearby.

Let's consider the largest active geological elevations and give them a characteristic. On the surface of the land, their number exceeds 900, hundreds more are located under the waters of the World Ocean.

The biggest eruption in history

All terrestrial volcanoes are divided into two types:

• acting;
• extinct.

Depending on the activity of the eruption, it can last either several days or indefinitely. It is noteworthy that the atmosphere on planet Earth arose thanks to the strongest eruptions, during which a huge amount of soot, steam and carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere.

The location of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet

Any eruption is considered an emergency. The force is calculated according to the VEI (Volcanic Eruption Index) scale and does not depend on the characteristics of the crater and the size of the geological formation itself. The assessment is given according to two parameters:

1. the volume of the ejected mass;
2. ash column height.

When studying the consequences of volcanic activity, it turned out that some supervolcanoes are capable of changing the climate on the planet by their activity. This happened about 75 thousand years ago.

Toba supervolcano eruption

The exact date of the beginning of the eruption of the Indonesian volcano is unknown, at that time the planet was going through the last ice age. Today, its crater is located in the center of Sumatra, where spilled big lake... Toba has gone out and will never be able to influence the climate again.

The eruption was so strong that the ash of Toba was subsequently found in the area of ​​Lake Malawi ( East africa, Great Rift Valley). The lava volume exceeded 2800 km 3, this had dire consequences:

• reduction in the population of humans, animals and birds;
• ash release into the atmosphere and reduction of sunlight;
• decline average temperature on the planet by 3 degrees;
• destruction of a number of plants and microorganisms.

Today the Toba crater is the lake of the same name.

Eruptions of supervolcanoes on Earth occur no more often than once every 100,000 years.

The largest volcano in North America - Yellowstone

Supervolcano is not quite a scientific term, it is used to assess the largest geological elevations that can cause significant harm to the planet and humanity. The eruption of such a giant can be estimated at 8 points on the VEI scale.

Consider the largest volcano in America and find out if it may erupt in the near future.

Yellowstone is an elevated volcanic basin called a caldera. It is located in the northwestern part of the United States (Wyoming) on ​​the territory of the Yellowstone Reserve. Geologists measured the size of the caldera: 55 by 72 kilometers, which is about a third of the protected area. The height of the volcano is 2805 meters.

Since the size of the Yellowstone caldera is enormous, it was found relatively recently.

Research shows that there have previously been a series of three eruptions, the first of which is dated 2.1 million years ago. Each of them was weaker than the previous one. The likelihood that Yellowstone will wake up is very small. Meanwhile, it is impossible to predict the onset of activity. The US government invests annually in a magma bladder cooling project.

The largest volcano in Europe - Etna

On the territory of Europe, there are 2 supervolcanoes, their activity is not very high. However, people still remember the aftermath of the eruption of Vesuvius, which engulfed Pompeii and nearby cities.

To see the largest volcano in Europe, you should travel to Italy to the island of Sicily. On the east coast, near the town of Messina, there is Mount Etna, 3295 meters high. Studies have shown that the giant has hundreds of side craters, from which lava is alternately knocked out.

A breathtaking sight of the eruption of Etna on the island. Sicily

Etna is a dangerous volcano, once every hundred years it floods the Sicilians with hot streams, destroying villages and towns. The ash left after this is rich in minerals and trace elements, therefore grapes, olives, tangerines are grown on the slopes. In 2015, Etna threw up a 1 kilometer high lava flow.

The largest volcano in Russia - Elbrus

There are several active volcanoes in Russia that can wake up at any moment. Most of it is geographically located in Asia, but there is one, which is at the same time the highest point in Europe.

The largest volcano in Russia is the Caucasian Elbrus, which has been sleeping for a long time and is not considered dangerous. The summit is located at an altitude of 5642 meters. Formed 2-3 million years ago, volcanic activity lasted 250 thousand years, after which he fell asleep. Today, in the foothills and on the slopes, hotels, tourist centers, a rescue center, cable cars.

Do not forget that Elbrus is a dormant volcano, and one day it will wake up

Studies in 2000-2010 showed that the activity of Elbrus is increasing; moss was found on the slopes near the summit in place of glaciers. The volcano may wake up within the next 50-70 years.

TOP 10 largest volcanoes in the world

Active volcanoes are located all over the planet Earth. The largest hazardous areas are Central and South America, Indonesia, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and Japan, Hawaii and the northwest of the United States. We present the TOP 10 largest active volcanoes in the world in terms of height.

1. Ojos del Salado (6893 m)

The highest volcano on Earth is considered to be the giant Ojos del Salado, located on the border between Argentina and Chile in South America. It is considered extinct and not dangerous, but little activity is observed. In the crater Ojos del Salado is the highest mountain lake on the planet.

Greatest volcano although it is active on the planet, it may soon be declared extinct

The Incas, who lived here historically, considered the supervolcano sacred; on the slopes of the mountain, climbers found sacrificial altars.

2. Llullaillaco (6723 m)

The high mountain plateau of Puna de Atacama is dotted with large volcanoes. Llullaillaco is one of them. A number of volcanologists attribute Ojos del Salado to the list of extinct ones, in their opinion it is Llullaillaco who should take first place in the top. Geographically, they are neighbors. The last eruption took place in 1877.

The volcano is located in the driest place on the planet, the Atacama Desert.

The Incas, who survived more than one major catastrophe, performed sacrificial rites. So, in 1999, the mummies of three children were found here, well-preserved, they are kept in the Museum of Argentina.

3. San Pedro (6159 m)

In the central part of the Andes, the largest is the San Pedro stratovolcano. Geographically lies in the province of El Loa in Chile. The last time he acted in 1960. Since in this area there are few settlements, it is not considered dangerous.

Near San Pedro is the giant San Pablo

At the present time he is in a state of long rest, does not show activity. Climbers have conquered San Pedro more than once, the journey is considered difficult due to the peculiarities of the dry climate.

4. Cotopaxi (5911 m)

Volcano Cotopaxi is the second highest peak in Ecuador. Crater dimensions: 800 by 550 meters. The stratovolcano is considered not only large, but also dangerous. It has been active over 50 times over the past 300 years.

Cotopaxi is a dangerous volcano

The last eruption took place in 2015. The summit of Cotopaxi is steep, covered with snow and ice; bases for climbers have been built on the slopes.

5. Kilimanjaro (5895 m)

One of the most attractive sights of Tanzania, the highest volcano in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro. The last activity is dated 200 thousand years to the present day, but a detailed study has shown that hot lava is located close, tremors can provoke its release at any moment. It is also interesting that the ice cap at the top has significantly melted over the past 100 years, its volume has decreased by 82%.

Kilimanjaro Kibo crater from above

Despite the fears of volcanologists, Kilimanjaro is a mecca for climbers. The mountain is considered difficult to climb. Consists of three peaks covered with glaciers:

• Mawenzi (eastern);
• Shira (western);
• Kibo (central).

Kilimanjaro's area is 6208 kilometers.

6. Misty (5821 m)

Let's go back to South America... The sixth place on the list is occupied by the Peruvian volcano Misti, the top of which is covered with snow only in winter. The city of Arequipa lies 20 kilometers from the hill, built from white pyroclastic material mined from the mountain.

Center of Arequipa, on the right in the background the volcano Misti

In 1985, the population saw little activity, at the moment Misty is stable. Inca mummies were also found on its slopes.

7. Orizaba (5700 m)

Orizaba Peak is the highest point in Mexico. For more than 300 years, it has been in a phase of calm, watched by volcanologists. Next to it is the Sierra Negra stratovolcano, at the top of which there is a high-precision telescope. An observatory has been built between the two peaks to observe the galaxy.

Orizaba Peak Trail

The summit of Orizaba is a small crater closed with a plug.

8. Elbrus (5642 m)

The largest volcano in Eastern Europe and Russia is Elbrus. It last erupted over 5,000 years ago. History knows hundreds of failures in ascents and not a single death from hot lava.

Climbing Elbrus

A much more dangerous supervolcano in Russia is Klyuchevskaya Sopka lying in Kamchatka. In the list of the largest volcanoes on Earth, it ranks 12th; it shows activity approximately every 5 years.

Activity of Klyuchevskaya Sopka

9. Popocatepetl (5422 m)

Translated from the Nahuatl language, the name of the active powerful stratovolcano literally means "smoking hill". It is the second highest peak in Mexico. Not far from it is The largest city countries - Mexico City.

He threw out ash and gases in 2019 without causing any harm to the population.

10. Sangay (5230 m)

The Sangay volcanic formation in Ecuador has three craters. The area around it is considered a protected area. Sangay is active, last ejecting lava flows in 2016. The world watched the action with horror, but there were no casualties.

Sangay volcano in 2016

conclusions

1. The largest eruption studied by volcanologists occurred on the island of Sumatra thousands of years ago. Such a phenomenon can change the climate on the planet and harm humanity.
2. The largest volcano by area in North America- Yellowstone. If he enters the active phase, it will end in disaster.
3. Largest in Western Europe- Etna stratovolcano in Italy.
4. In Russia, the highest is Elbrus, the largest in area is Klyuchevskaya Sopka.
5. The largest volcano in the world is Ojos del Salado in Argentina and Chile. He is inactive. If volcanologists recognize him as sleeping, Llullaillaco, next to him, will rise to the first line.

There are more than one hundred volcanoes on the Earth's surface. Among them there are the highest volcanoes, the most powerful volcanoes, the most large volcanoes... And they are united by one thing - each rises by tens and hundreds of meters and frightens with its power: it is possible that the volcano will start releasing steam and ash.

Where are the most active volcanoes

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

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

Largest volcano

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

Tallest active volcano

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

The most famous volcanoes

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

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

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

The most powerful volcanic eruption

On August 27 of the same year, there was a strong volcanic eruption that has ever been seen by man. The rumble was heard even 5 thousand kilometers from the epicenter. The ash rose to a height of up to 30 kilometers. The volcanic structure scattered over a huge area, within a radius of 500 kilometers. The ash-and-gas column rose 70 kilometers, that is, it rose as far as the mesosphere. Ashes covered over 4 million square kilometers and took up a total of 18 cubic kilometers. The force of the explosion was estimated at 6 points. According to experts, this is 200 thousand times the force of the explosion that destroyed Hiroshima.

As a result of the eruption, about 300 villages and towns in Indonesia were razed to the ground. Result: 37 thousand dead, most of the people were swept by a tsunami with a height of about 30 meters.

The highest volcano in the world

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

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

It is also interesting that the highest mountain in Russia, Elbrus, is also a volcano.
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