The largest extinct volcano on earth. The largest volcano in the world: name, where it is located, photo

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

The most dangerous volcanoes

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

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

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

Destructive supervolcanoes

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

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

The most dangerous supervolcano

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

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

Location and size of Yellowstone

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

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

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

Yellowstone's past eruptions

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

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

Why you should be afraid of the Yellowstone Caldera today

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

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

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

Consequences of the eruption for America

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

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

Yellowstone Caldera and the end of the world

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

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

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

10 biggest and dangerous volcanoes on the ground.

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

Volcanoes are divided into:

- active;
- sleeping;
- extinct;

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

List of the 10 most dangerous volcanoes on the planet:

1. (Hawaiian Islands, USA)

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

2. Taal Volcano (Philippines)

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

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

3. Volcano Merapi (Java Island)

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

4. Volcano Santa Maria (Guatemala)

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

5. Ulawun Volcano (Papua - New Guinea)

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

6. Galeras Volcano (Colombia)

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

7. Sakurajima Volcano (Japan)

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

8. Nyiragongo (DR Congo)

It is one of the most active, active volcanoes in the African region. The volcano is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The volcano has been monitored since 1882. Since the start of observations, 34 eruptions have been recorded.
A crater in the mountain serves as a holder for magma fluid. In 1977, a major eruption occurred, neighboring villages were burned by streams of hot lava. The average speed of the lava flow was 60 kilometers per hour. Hundreds of people died. The most recent eruption occurred in 2002, leaving 120,000 people homeless.
This volcano is a caldera, a formation of a pronounced round shape with a flat bottom.
The volcano is located in Yellow National Park in the United States.
This volcano has not erupted for 640,000 years.
The question arises: How can it be an active volcano?
There are claims that 640,000 years ago, this super volcano erupted.
This eruption changed the terrain and covered half of the United States in ash.
According to various estimates, the volcanic eruption cycle is 700,000 - 600,000 years. Scientists expect this volcano to erupt at any time.
This volcano could destroy life on Earth.

Incredible facts

This list of volcanoes is based primarily on the volume of each volcano, and not at altitude.

For this reason the most big volcano in the world is exactly Tamu Massif, located at the bottom Pacific Ocean.

But this volcano is only about 4,460 meters high, which is much lower than the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa, whose altitude is about 9,170 meters above sea level.

Large volcanoes of the world

Tamu Massif - the largest underwater volcano

Volume: 2.5 million cubic kilometers

This volcano was recently discovered in September 2013. Why didn't anyone find him before?

The huge volcano is located at a depth of about 1,600 km east of Japan. It is part of an underwater rise known as the Shatsky Rise. Only 20 years later scientists realized that Tammu is a separate volcano.

It is an extinct volcano and its last eruption was approximately 144 million years ago.

It is also worth noting that it is not only the largest volcano on Earth, but also one of the largest in our solar system.

Mauna Loa

Volume: 75,000 cubic kilometers

This active shield volcano can be seen on the island of Hawaii. It belongs to the group of megavolcanoes. It is worth noting that it is the second largest volcano on Earth.

This ocean volcano is one of five volcanoes in Hawaii, and the most recent eruption was in 1984.

Over the past 177 years, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times. According to geologists, Hawaii appeared on the Earth's map thanks to lava that began to emerge from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean about 1 million years ago. .

Kilimanjaro

Volume: 4,800 cubic kilometers

The majestic Mount Kilimanjaro is the most famous volcano in Africa. The sleeping giant consists of three volcanoes that tower over Tanzania and Kenya.

Unlike many of the large volcanoes on this list, Kilimanjaro is an active stratovolcano.

The last time it erupted was 360,000 years ago, but relatively recently, scientists came to the conclusion that there is molten lava under a small crater located 400 meters from the main peak of the volcano, Kibo.

Sierra Negra

Volume: 580 cubic kilometers

This shield volcano is located on the island of Isabela ( Galapagos Islands). It is active and boasts the second largest crater on Earth, with a diameter of 11 kilometers.

Sierra Negra rises to a height of 1,124 meters above sea level, and its last eruption was recorded in October 2005, when a column of ash was thrown out 7.5 km high.

Some of the most magnificent wonders on earth are volcanoes. Their beauty is truly dangerous, as they can bring destruction to everything around them. Hot lava and volcanic bombs can easily wipe out from the face of the earth everything that gets in their way, including the largest cities. Over many millennia, humanity has already become convinced of the incredible power of active volcanoes. For example, Vesuvius, which took thousands of human lives and destroyed Largest cities that era (Pompeii, Stabia, Herculaneum).

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

10. Mauna Loa

Mauna Loa opens the top 10 largest volcanoes in the world. This is one of the active megavolcanoes, which is located in the central part of the island of Hawaii. In terms of 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 shield 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 system is one of the largest volcanoes on the planet - the active Sangay Volcano. It has a steep conical shape, and numerous layers of lava and tephra can be seen on its top. The uniqueness of this volcano lies in the presence of three craters. On the territory of the mountain and its nearby territory a national natural Park, which belongs to the list of UNESCO protected areas.

Scientists suggest that the Sangay volcano was formed about 14 thousand years ago. Its height is over 5 thousand meters. From the 1930s to the present day, Sangay has been characterized by very frequent periods of activity. The first documented volcanic eruption was in 1628.

8. Huila Volcano

Starovolcano Huila is the largest volcano in Colombia, with a height of 5365 meters. It has a steep elongated shape. Huila was considered dormant for many years, but after fifty years he began to show signs of activity. From 2007 to the present day, more than 7 thousand small seismic events have occurred. The last eruption was recorded in 2011. Huila poses a great danger to the inhabitants of the four regions that are in its vicinity.

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

7. Popocatepetl

The Mexican highlands are 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”. Next to it is Mount Iztaxuatl. These two hills received their names thanks to a legend. In it, the Aztecs talked about unhappy love, where a girl was given in marriage to another. This happened because her parents did not wait for their daughter’s lover to return from the hike. Soon the girl committed suicide. After some time, the warrior returned home victorious, but did not find his beloved alive. The guy could not come to terms with the loss and also committed suicide. At their sign 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 Citlaltepetl. This is translated from one of the Aztec languages ​​as “mountain of stars.”

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

In 1936, a protected park was created that included the mountain, surrounding areas and the settlement. Square 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 km2.

5. Misty

Misti 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 Arequina, home to more than 1 million people. Most of The city's buildings are built from pyroclastic deposits of the volcano.

The cone shape of Misti is a stratovolcano. It is characterized by explosive eruptions that 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 the northeastern part of Tanzania. Taking into account glaciers, its height is 5895 meters. Kilimanjaro, like most of the world's largest volcanoes, remains dormant. For now local residents little seismological activity is observed. Kilimanjaro has a conical shape and consists of three craters.

There are many theories that explain the origin of the name in different ways. The name of the volcano is translated from Swahili as “mountain that sparkles.”

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

3. Cotopaxi

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 volcanic activity fell in the 17th-18th centuries. The last eruption occurred quite recently - in 2015.

Cotopaxi means "shining or smoking mountain" in the Quechua language. Sometimes you can see small puffs of smoke above its mouth, 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

At 6,145 meters high, San Pedro is the largest stratovolcano in the Andes mountain range. The volcanic 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 to 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.

Today Llullallaco is in a dormant state. The last period of activity was documented in 1877. Nowadays, you can quite often see smoke emanating from its mouth.

The very first documented ascent to the top of Llullallaco occurred in 1952. During the expedition, archaeologists found an ancient sanctuary belonging to the Incas. Upon closer examination of the slopes of the mountain, several mummies were discovered, 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 caused such terrible destruction for a long time, which are still preserved on 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 hibernate or awaken from sleep to begin active life. Let's look at which volcanoes are the largest in the world.

10 largest volcanoes in the world

1. Yellowstone Volcano. This volcano is located in 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 since the beginning of the twenty-first century it has begun 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. This is the highest active volcano in Eurasia at this time. It is also the highest volcano in Europe. It is located fifteen kilometers from the Italian city. Its height is 1281 meters. Currently, Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe, and in addition it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Science knows about more than eighty of its eruptions, one of which destroyed the famous ones.


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


4. Sakurajima Volcano. An active volcano located in Japan. It was once located on an 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, many tourists visit Sakurajima every year, despite the fact that the volcano is almost constantly active - smoke comes out of its mouth, 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 which 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 few thousand years Galeras has erupted, if at all, but only slightly.


6. Volcano Merapi. An active Indonesian volcano located in Java. The height above sea level is 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 minor activity is sometimes observed. The most terrible eruption of this volcano was recorded in 1977. In general, this volcano is interesting because its lava is very liquid due to its composition, so during an eruption its speed can reach even one hundred kilometers per hour.


8. Ulavun Volcano. The volcano is located on the island of New Guinea and is currently an active volcano. Its height is 2334 meters above sea level. This volcano erupts quite often. This volcano was once located underwater, 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 active volcanoes in the world, and there is also a lake in the Taal crater. Every year, Taal is visited by many tourists from all over the world.


10. Mauna Loa Volcano. 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 highest 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.