Despite their deadly nature, various volcanoes have long attracted people. Before people 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 sites.

Where are the largest volcanoes on the world map?

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

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 the explosion nuclear bomb over Hiroshima 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?

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

1. Llullaillaco, located on the border of Argentina and Chile with an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters;
2. 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.

Last time people died as a result of volcanic eruptions in 1979, when 3 people died and 11 were injured. But Aso is dangerous not only for its eruptions, poisonous 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). In the crater of the volcano there is 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 huge flows lava 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

The most famous volcano in 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, during this natural disaster cities were destroyed Weight And San Sebastiano, 27 people became victims. Since then, Vesuvius has not shown much activity, but the danger of a new eruption always remains. Vesuvius is one of the main attractions of the province of Campania and 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:

1. Was destroyed in 122 AD Catania city;
2. In 1169, during the large-scale eruption of Etna, they died 15 thousand people;
3. In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
4. 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 they affectionately call him local residents, 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. The highest point outside the 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, there are many extinct volcanoes on our planet that do not exhibit 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 of 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 does not exhibit active work. 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 waves tsunamis 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. Refers to the list of the highest peaks in six parts of the world. Scientists consider the activity of the volcano not so much completed as fading.
• The largest volcano of our time cannot be visited and is very difficult to see, 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 terms of its scale, the array is one of the largest not only on Earth, but throughout 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. The peak of Mount Ararat, reaching 5165 meters, is the highest point in Turkey.
• One of the highest peaks of the Caucasus, Mount Kazbek is also an extinct volcano. Kazbek is located on the border with Russia, the top point of the mountain is located at an altitude of more than 5 kilometers. During research, volcanic ash from an eruption that allegedly occurred 40 thousand years ago was found in one of the Kazbek caves.

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

Volcanologists sometimes compare volcanoes to living creatures that are born, develop and ultimately die. The age of volcanoes is hundreds of thousands and even millions of years. With such a “life expectancy”, one eruption per century corresponds to a rather vigorous rhythm. Some volcanoes are content with one eruption every millennium or so. It happens that the resting phases last for 4000-5000 years. As a rule, active volcanoes include those that erupted in historical times or showed other signs of activity (emission of gases and steam).

An active volcano is one that periodically erupts currently or at least once in the last 10,000 years.

Volcano ETNA (Sicily) Eruption 1999

This is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. From 1500 BC e. More than 150 eruptions have been recorded.

The highest volcano in Russia. One of the young volcanoes, its age is 5000-7000 years. One of the most active, it has erupted more than 30 times over the past 300 years.

volcano tectonics crack extinct

Volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Kamchatka.

Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Ocean.

The tallest volcano in the world, its height is more than 10,000 m, if you count from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

The youngest volcano in Hawaii, and the most active in the world. From one crater on its eastern slope, lava has flowed continuously since 1983.

Kilauea Volcano. Hawaiian Islands.

There are about 1,300 active volcanoes on Earth. An active volcano is one that periodically erupts at the present time or within the memory of mankind.

During volcanic eruptions earth's surface supplied a large number of solids in the form of frozen lava, pumice, volcanic ash.

Volcanoes bring deep matter from the depths of the Earth to the surface. During an eruption, large amounts of water vapor and gas are also released. Scientists have now concluded that volcanic water vapor formed a significant part of water shell Earth, and gases - the atmosphere, which was subsequently enriched with oxygen. Volcanic ash enriches the soil. Eruption products: pumice, obsidian, basalt are used in construction. Mineral deposits such as sulfur form near volcanoes.

A volcano that has never erupted in 10,000 years is called dormant. The volcano can remain in this state for up to 25,000 years.

Volcano Maly Semachik. Kamchatka.

Lakes often form in the craters of dormant volcanoes.

Dormant volcanoes often begin to act. In 1991, the strongest in the twentieth century. The eruption released 8 cubic meters into the atmosphere. km of ash and 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide. A haze formed that enveloped the entire planet. By reducing the illumination of its surface by the Sun, this led to a drop in the average global temperature by 0.50 C.

Volcano Pinatubo. Philippines.

Elbrus volcano. Caucasus. Russia.

The highest volcano in Russia, it erupted more than 1500 years ago.

Extinct volcanoes are volcanoes that have been dormant for many thousands of years. Volcanologists consider a volcano to be extinct if it has not erupted for at least 50,000 years.

Mount Kilimanjaro. Africa.

When volcanic activity finally stops, the volcano is gradually destroyed by weathering - precipitation, temperature fluctuations, wind - and over time is leveled with the ground.

In areas of ancient volcanic activity, severely destroyed and eroded volcanoes are found. Some extinct volcanoes have retained the shape of a regular cone. In our country, the remains of ancient volcanoes can be seen in Crimea, Transbaikalia and other places.

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Volcanoes are geological formations on the surface of the crust of the Earth or another planet, where magma comes to the surface, forming lava, volcanic gases, stones (volcanic bombs and pyroclastic flows).

The word "volcano" comes from the name of the ancient Roman god of fire, Vulcan.

The science that studies volcanoes is volcanology and geomorphology.

Volcanoes are classified by shape (shield, stratovolcanoes, cinder cones, domes), activity (active, dormant, extinct), location (terrestrial, underwater), etc.

Volcanoes are divided depending on the degree of volcanic activity into active, dormant and extinct. An active volcano is considered to be a volcano that erupted in historical period time or in the Holocene. The concept of “active” is quite inaccurate, since a volcano with active fumaroles is classified by some scientists as active, and by others as extinct. Dormant volcanoes are considered to be inactive volcanoes where eruptions are possible, and extinct volcanoes are considered to be those where they are unlikely.

However, there is no consensus among volcanologists on how to define an active volcano. The period of volcanic activity can last from several months to several million years. Many volcanoes exhibited volcanic activity tens of thousands of years ago, but are not considered active today.

Astrophysicists, from a historical perspective, believe that volcanic activity, caused, in turn, by the tidal influence of other celestial bodies, may contribute to the emergence of life. In particular, it was volcanoes that contributed to the formation earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere, throwing out significant amount carbon dioxide and water vapor. Scientists also note that too active volcanism, such as on Jupiter's moon Io, can make the planet's surface uninhabitable. At the same time, weak tectonic activity leads to the disappearance of carbon dioxide and sterilization of the planet. “These two cases represent potential boundaries for planetary habitability and exist alongside the traditional parameters of habitable zones for systems of low-mass stars main sequence"- write the scientists.

Volcanoes, for all their danger, are one of the most beautiful and majestic wonders of nature. Active volcanoes look especially beautiful at night. But this beauty brings death to everything around. Lava, volcanic bombs, pyroclastic flows consisting of hot volcanic gases, ash and stones can wipe out even big cities. Humanity has seen the incredible power of volcanoes during the infamous eruption of Vesuvius, which destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae. And there are many such examples in history. The largest volcanoes in the world - today we’ll talk about these dangerous but beautiful giants. Our list includes volcanoes varying degrees activity – from conditionally sleeping to active ones. The main selection criterion was their size.

10 Sangay Height 5,230 meters

The active stratovolcano Sangay, located in Ecuador, opens the ranking of the largest volcanoes on Earth. Its height is 5230 meters. The summit of the volcano consists of three craters with a diameter of 50 to 100 meters. Sangay is one of the youngest and most restless volcanoes in South America. Its first eruption occurred in 1628. The last one took place in 2007. Now the volcanic activity of the giant from the Equator is assessed as moderate. Tourists who visited National Park Sangay, on whose territory the volcano is located, can climb to its peak.

9 Popocatepetl Height 5,455 meters

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In 9th place among the largest volcanoes in the world is Popocatepetl. It is located in the Mexican Highlands. The height of the volcano is 5455 meters. Even in calm state The volcano is constantly shrouded in a cloud of gases and ash. Its danger lies in the fact that around the volcano there are densely populated areas, and Mexico City is located 60 kilometers away. The last eruption of the giant occurred quite recently - on March 27, 2016, it threw out a kilometer-long column of ash. The next day Popocatepetl calmed down. If the Mexican giant erupts strongly, it will threaten the safety of several million people.

8 Elbrus Height 5,642 meters

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There are large volcanoes in Europe. In the North Caucasus there is the Elbrus stratovolcano, whose height is 5642 meters. This is the highest peak in Russia. Elbrus is one of the seven highest mountain peaks on the planet. Scientists have different opinions about the activity of the giant. Some consider it an extinct volcano, while others consider it a dying one. Sometimes Elbrus becomes the center of small earthquakes. In some places on its surface, sulfur dioxide gases emerge from cracks. Scientists who believe that Elbrus may wake up in the future express the opinion that the nature of its eruption will be explosive.

7 Orizaba Height 5,675 meters

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Orizaba ranks seventh on the list of the largest volcanoes on Earth. highest peak Mexico. The height of the volcano is 5675 meters. It last erupted in 1687. Now Orizaba is considered a dormant volcano. From its top, stunning panoramic views open up. In order to protect the volcano, a reserve was created.

6 Misti Height 5,822 meters

5

In 6th place on the list of the largest volcanoes is Misti, located in the south of Peru. Its height is 5822 meters. Misti is an active volcano. It last erupted in 1985. In January 2016, an increase in fumarole activity was observed on the volcano - steam and gas vents appeared. This is one of the signs of an impending eruption. In 1998, six Inca mummies were found near the inner crater of the volcano. Interesting fact– Many buildings in the city of Arequipa, located 17 kilometers from the volcano, are built from white deposits of the Misti pyroclastic flows. That's why Arequipa is called the "White City".

5 Kilimanjaro Height 5,895 meters

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The fifth place among the largest volcanoes on the planet is the highest point African continent– Kilimanjaro. Scientists have concluded that this giant stratovolcano, 5895 meters high, is potentially active. Now it periodically releases gases and there is a possibility of the crater of the volcano collapsing, which could trigger an eruption. There is no documentary evidence of Kilimanjaro's activity, but there are local legends that speak of an eruption that occurred about 200 years ago.

4 Cotopaxi Height 5,897 meters

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In fourth place on the list of the largest volcanoes on Earth is Cotopaxi, the second largest peak in Ecuador. This is an active volcano with a height of 5897 meters. The first time its activity was recorded was in 1534. Since then, the volcano has erupted more than 50 times. Kotpahi's last major eruption occurred in August 2015.

3 San Pedro Height 6,145 meters

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The active stratovolcano San Pedro, located in Chile, ranks 3rd among the largest volcanoes in the world. Its height is 6145 meters. The last volcanic eruption occurred in 1960.

2 Mauna Loa Height 4,205 meters

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The second largest volcano in the world is Mauna Loa, located in the Hawaiian Islands. In terms of volume, it is the largest volcano on Earth, containing more than 32 cubic kilometers of magma. The giant was formed more than 700 thousand years ago. Mauna Loa is an active volcano. In 1984, its eruption lasted almost a month and brought huge damage local residents and the area surrounding the volcano.

1 Llullaillaco Height 6,739 meters

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In first place among the largest volcanoes in the world is the active starting volcano of Llullaillaco. It is located on the border of Argentina and Chile. Its height is 6739 meters. The giant's last eruption took place in 1877. Now it is in the solfata stage - from time to time the volcano emits sulfur dioxide gases and water vapor. In 1952, during the first ascent of Llullaillaco, an ancient Inca sanctuary was found. Later, archaeologists discovered three child mummies on the slopes of the volcano. Most likely they were sacrificed. This is interesting. The Yellowstone caldera, which measures approximately 55 km by 72 km, is called a supervolcano. It is located in Yellowstone national park USA. The volcano has not been active for 640 thousand years. Under its crater there is a bubble of magma more than 8 thousand meters deep. During its existence, the supervolcano erupted three times. Each time this caused major cataclysms that changed the appearance of the Earth at the site of the eruption. When the supervolcano wakes up in Once again, it is impossible to predict. Only one thing can be said with certainty: a cataclysm of this magnitude can bring the existence of our civilization to the brink.

Volcanoes– geological formations on the surface 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, and geysers are also 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 chaotically, but in a strictly certain areas:
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. Notable examples: the 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 boiling lava lake 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 volcanic mountain Aconcagua (the main peak of 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 rises a new volcano - Anak Krakatau.
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 Minoan civilization and destroyed an entire 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.

The volcano is one of the most beautiful, unexpected and terrible mysteries of nature. There are more than two hundred of them on Earth, and each one amazes with its height and power. Even volcanoes that are considered extinct cannot be trusted, because one day they may “wake up” and start erupting lava. Which of all active volcanoes is considered the highest? Where are they most? We will talk about this and much more in this article.

The area with the most active volcanoes

A volcano is a crack in the earth’s crust through which ash, steam, fiery lava, and gases are ejected. Appearance The volcano resembles a mountain. Why are volcanoes divided into active and extinct?

If the slightest activity of a giant mountain has been recorded in the history of mankind, then the volcano is considered active. It doesn't have to erupt. By activity we mean even if it simply emits steam and ash once every hundred years.

Many active volcanoes are located in the Malay Archipelago, which is geographically adjacent to Asia and Australia. There are also on the territory of Russia dangerous area from active volcanoes. It is located in Kamchatka with capture Kuril Islands. According to scientists, at least 60 volcanoes show signs of activity there every year.

The largest volcano in the world

Mauna Loa is the name of the giant, which in size surpassed all other volcanoes in the world. It is located in Hawaii. Translated from the local language, the volcano is called “Long Mountain”.

The giant's activity was first recorded in 1843. Since then, it has erupted 33 times, making it perhaps the most active volcano on the planet. The last eruption occurred in 1984. Then lava covered 30 thousand acres of land. After the eruption, the territory of Hawaii increased by almost 200 hectares.

Above sea level, Mauna Lao has a height of 4,169 m, and if you count the height from the very center, you get almost 9 thousand m. This is even higher than the highest high mountain world - Everest.

Mauna Lao is not only the largest, but also the most powerful volcano. 75 thousand cubic km - this is its total volume.

Tallest active volcano in the world

In this part even scientists' opinions divided. As for the height above sea level, there is no doubt, the highest is the Llullaillaco volcano - 6,723 m. It is located in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. Its last eruption was recorded in 1877.

Another part of the scientists gives the laurels of championship to another volcano located in the Andes, but on the territory of Ecuador - Cotopaxi. Its height above sea level is slightly lower than its competitor - 5,897 m. However, its last eruption was in 1942. And it was much more powerful than the eruption of Llullaillaco.

All scientists agree on one thing - Cotopaxi is the most beautiful volcano. It has an elegant crater and incredibly beautiful greenery at the foot. However, such beauty is very deceptive. Over the past 300 years, 10 powerful eruptions have been recorded. All 10 times, the city of Latacunga, which is located near the foot of the giant, was completely destroyed.

The most famous volcanoes in the world

Despite the fact that the previous volcanoes are the largest and most beautiful, few have heard of them. But there are two leaders that are known to everyone since school lessons - Fuji, Vesuvius and Kilimanjaro.

Fuji is located in Asia, on the island of Honshu, not far from the Japanese capital. Since ancient times, local residents have elevated the volcano to a cult. It rises 3,776 m above sea level and has beautiful contours. The last powerful eruption was recorded in 1707.

Vesuvius is an active volcano in southern Italy. By the way, this is one of the three active volcanoes in the country. Although Vesuvius is not as high as other volcanoes (only 1,281 m above sea level), it is considered one of the most dangerous. It was he who completely destroyed Pompeii, as well as Herculaneum and Stabiae. Its last eruption occurred in 1944. Then the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa were completely destroyed by lava.

Kilimanjaro is not only the highest African volcano, but also the most high point on the continent. Scientists believe that the history of Kilimanjaro goes back two million years. The volcano is located 300 m south of the Equator. Despite this, a large number of glaciers have accumulated at its foot.

The tallest extinct volcano in the world

The tallest extinct volcano is also located on the territory of two countries - Chile and Argentina. The peak of the Ojos del Salado volcano (translated from Spanish as “Salty Eyes”) is located on the Chilean side. The height of the peak is 6,891 m above sea level.

In the entire history of human existence, Ojos del Salado has never erupted. There were several cases where it emitted water vapor and sulfur. The last time such a case was seen was in 1993.

This fact made many scientists think about whether Ojos del Salado should be included in the ranks of active volcanoes? If this happens, it will become the tallest active volcano in the world.