One of the most dangerous types of natural disasters that a person is not able to prevent, stop, or control is a volcanic eruption. It occurs due to constant changes in the composition of the earth's crust, as well as due to the movement of its plates. The most dangerous volcanoes in the world on the map can be found in various parts of it. These include such as Merapi, Santorin, Popocatepetl, Mauna Loa, Rainier, Nyiragongo, Colima, Sakurajima, Koryaksky, Papandayan, Taal, Ulawun, Santa Maria and many others. About them in more detail and will be discussed later.
Merapi
On the island of Java (Indonesia), there is the active volcano Merapi, whose name is translated from the local language means "fiery mountain." Its height is 2914 meters. Nearby is the ancient city of Yogyarta. The active activity of this volcano, belonging to the Pacific Ring of Fire, began about four hundred thousand years ago. According to statistics, about once every seven years there are large eruptions, and once every six months - small. Along with this, he smokes almost all the time. It should also be noted that for almost seventeen centuries it was Merapi who led the list of “The most dangerous volcanoes in the world.”
The crater here resembles a huge quarry that was dug as a result of many explosions of the strongest power. It consists of massive hard rocks, which in most cases are andesites. On the slopes there is a huge number of small cracks-holes, which can be clearly seen in the dark due to the flames of the purple-red color.
The last major eruption of this volcano began in May 2006. For almost a year, several million cubic meters of lava were emitted from the crater, which descended into local villages. As a result of this process, more than one thousand people died. One of the worst natural disasters in the history of the volcano dates back to 1906. Then, due to the crevice in the mountain, a part of the cone slipped into the valley. After this, an explosion of enormous power occurred, which led to the death of an entire civilization - the state of Mataram, which reached a high level of development at that time.
Santorin
According to geological studies, Santorin volcano is relatively young and appeared about 200 thousand years ago. Over a long period of time, it was clogged with lava, which gradually accumulated in the vent. About 25 thousand years ago, the internal gas pressure exceeded the strength of fairly soft rocks, which, in turn, led to a strong explosion. After it, the caldera was filled with lava, from which an island was formed, now bearing the same name. Currently, Santorin volcano is not very active. His last major eruption dates back to February 20, 1886. On this day there was a strong explosion, which, according to eyewitnesses, published later, was accompanied by the ejection of hot lava from the sea, as well as steam and ash, rising several hundred meters in height.
Popocatepetl
The Popocatepetl Volcano is well known to every resident of the capital of Mexico, located at a distance of about fifty kilometers from it. The fact is that in Mexico City there are approximately twelve million inhabitants, each of whom has the opportunity to see this volcano both from high skyscrapers and from the yards of small houses located in poor areas of the city. The literal translation of its name from the Aztec language means "steaming mountain." However, over the past twelve centuries, large eruptions from it did not occur. Only occasionally a small amount of lava, ash and gas is thrown from the crater. In the twentieth century, the Popocatepetl volcano was characterized by small bursts of activity in 1923 and 1993. The main danger to people that was associated with them was not so much in the red-hot lava, but in the mud streams that swept away everything in its path. They were formed as a result of melting on the slopes of glaciers. To the great happiness of the inhabitants of Mexico City and its suburbs, the northern slopes were not affected by the last eruption, so none of the people were injured.
Mauna Loa
The volcano Mauna Loa is active and is located on the territory of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Its height reaches 4170 meters. The main feature of this volcano is that it is the largest on the planet in terms of the number of constituent materials, taking into account the underwater part (its volume is about eighty thousand cubic kilometers). The most powerful eruptions are accompanied by emissions in the form of fountains of a huge amount of lava. It breaks out not only from the crater itself, but also from the sides through relatively small cracks. The height of such fountains at times reaches one kilometer. Under the influence of high temperatures, numerous tornadoes form here, which accompany the red-hot mantle on its way down. According to official documents, Mauna Loa volcano last erupted in 1984. Since 1912, he has been under constant observation. Their main purpose is to warn residents of an impending natural disaster in the form of a volcanic eruption. For this purpose, a whole volcanological station has been specially created here. In addition to it, a solar and atmospheric observatory functions here.
Rainier
Rainier Volcano is located 87 kilometers from the US city of Seattle. It is part of the Cascade Mountains, where with a height of 4392 meters is the highest peak. At the top are two volcanic craters, whose diameter is more than three hundred meters. The mountain slopes are covered with snow and ice, free of which are the rim and the area of the crater. The reason for this is the high temperature that acts here. Not all volcanoes in the world can boast such a respectable age as Rainier has. According to geological research, the process of its formation started about 840 thousand years ago.
There is every reason to believe that due to snow and ice, along with debris avalanches, large mudflows appeared earlier here, causing great harm to the entire surrounding area. Because of their appearance, not only people died, but also animals with plants. They are the main danger now. The fact is that not far from the deposits of these flows are many settlements. Another serious problem is the presence of large amounts of ice in the upper part. In connection with the constant hydrothermal activity, although slowly, it is still weakening. According to geologists, if a large mudflow occurs, it can move far enough and destroy even individual parts of Seattle. Moreover, it is possible that such a phenomenon will lead to the occurrence of a tsunami on Lake Washington.
Nyiragongo
In the northern part of the African state of the Republic of Congo, on the territory of the Virunga Mountains, there is Nyiragongo Peak. It belongs to the list of “most active volcanoes in the world”, a striking confirmation of which is the fact that over the past 130 years 34 eruptions of various degrees of power have been officially registered. It should be noted that some of them lasted for years. The last activity of the volcano was noted in 2008. Nyiragongo has a lava whose composition is different from others. The fact is that it contains a lot of quartz, so it is very fluid and liquid. This is the main danger, because the speed of its flow along the mountain slopes can reach 100 km / h. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of nearby villages have practically no chance to quickly respond to the emission of lava.
Nyiragongo Volcano lies at an altitude of 3470 meters above sea level. As for the lake with a red-hot mantle, it goes deep into the vent to a distance of about 400 meters. According to scientists, it contains about ten million meters of cubic lava. According to this indicator, the lake is considered the largest on the planet. The lava level is never in a constant place and fluctuates all the time. The vent was filled to the very top for the last time in 2002. The result of this incident was the complete destruction of the town of Goma, which was nearby.
Colima
Colima Volcano is located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in the western part of the country, at a distance of about eighty kilometers from the Pacific coast. In the state, he is considered the most active. An interesting feature of it is that it is part of a volcanic complex consisting of two peaks of a conical shape. The first of them is almost always located under snow and ice and is an extinct volcano Nevado de Colima. Its height is 4625 meters. The second peak rises to 3846 meters and is also known as the "Fiery Volcano".
The Colima Crater is small, so there is little lava accumulated in it. At the same time, a high degree of its activity leads to considerable pressure being created inside, so the red-hot mantle, together with gases and ash, is thrown far enough, and the whole process resembles a real pyrotechnic show. The last major eruption of this volcano happened ten years ago. The ash ejected from the crater then rose to a height of about five kilometers, and the government decided to temporarily evacuate nearby villages.
Sakurajima
The Sakurajima volcano, located near the Japanese city of Kagoshima, is assigned to the first category of danger. In other words, its eruption can begin at any second. In 1955, the period of constant activity of this volcano started. In this regard, the Japanese living nearby are constantly living with readiness for immediate evacuation. In order to be able to do this promptly and have at least a small margin of time, webcams are installed over Sakurajima, through which the state of the crater is continuously monitored. None of the modern Japanese is surprised at the ongoing exercises on the procedures for dealing with natural disasters, as well as the presence of a large number of shelters. It is not surprising that Sakuradzimu and now ranked among the leaders of the list of "The most dangerous volcanoes in the world."
One of the largest eruptions of this volcano in the entire history of its existence occurred in 1924. A strong earthquake then warned the locals about the impending danger, so most of them managed to evacuate to a safe distance. It was after this natural disaster, as a result of the huge volume of lava poured out, the so-called Sakura island turned into a peninsula. The fact is that she formed the isthmus, connecting it with Kyushu, on which the city of Kagoshima is located. For another whole year, a red-hot mantle slowly poured out of the crater, which led to a significant increase in the level of the bottom. Scientists suggest that its huge caldera was formed under the influence of similar processes that took place more than twenty thousand years ago.
Koryaksky volcano
One of the main attractions not only of the Kamchatka Peninsula, but of the whole of Russia, Koryaksky volcano is rightfully considered. He is the highest in his group (3456 meters), as well as one of the most beautiful. The mountain has the shape of a classic regular cone, so it can be safely called a typical representative of stratovolcanoes. A modern, very rarely functioning, crater lies in the western part. It has a depth of only 24 meters. The ancient vent, currently filled with a glacier, is located in the northern part.
The main feature of the Koryaksky volcano is now considered to be its low activity. In the historical documentation there are memories of only two of its eruptions. They can hardly be called strong, but they happened in 1895 and 1956. In the first case, the lava quietly flowed out of the vent, and this process was not even accompanied by explosions, so many local residents did not even notice what happened. The languages of those streams on the slopes that froze, not even reaching the foot, have survived to the present day.
The second eruption of the volcano became more expressive. At that time, his awakening was accompanied by a series of tremors. On the slope of the mountain appeared a crack measuring 500 x 15 meters in length and width, respectively. From it there was an emission of gases, ash and other products of volcanic origin. Some time later, the gap was filled with slag and small debris. At the same time, characteristic sounds came from there, which at the same time resembled squelching, hissing, hooting and whistling. An interesting feature of this eruption was the complete absence of lava. Today, on the volcano, you can see with the naked eye the emission of vapors and gases, which occurs almost constantly.
Papandayan
There are currently about 120 volcanoes on the Indonesian island of Java. Approximately one in four of them is active, and therefore carries a danger to people. Earlier it was already about one of their representatives - Merapi. In addition to it, one can not fail to note the Papandayyan volcano, which is especially popular with tourists. This is explained by the presence in its vicinity of a large number of mud springs and geysers, as well as a mountain river flowing along the slope. The fact is that it has a healing effect on the human body. Its temperature is almost 42 degrees.
The volcano is one of the most dangerous and largest on our planet. Its crater is located above sea level at an altitude of 1800 meters. Near an acute vent, sulfuric gases mix with cold mountain fog. It should be noted that a road was drawn directly to the crater itself. As for the eruptions of Papandayan, the last of them was recorded here more than ten years ago.
Taal
Of all the active volcanoes on our planet, the smallest is Taal, which is located fifty kilometers from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. On the lake of the same name, it forms a kind of island, whose area is about 23 square kilometers. Not surprisingly, its appearance was preceded by active volcanic activity. At an altitude of 350 meters above sea level, there is a crater, inside which a lake with a diameter of two kilometers was formed. Over the past five hundred years, 33 Taal eruptions of varying degrees of power have been recorded. The most catastrophic of them in the twentieth century happened in 1911. It led to the deaths of more than one thousand people. At the same time, a cloud of ejected ash of enormous size was visible at a distance of 400 kilometers from the volcano. The last eruption dates from 1965. It killed more than two hundred people.
Despite the high danger of this place, there are five cities and many small settlements on the shores of the lake. It should also be noted that there are two power plants that are located and operate nearby. The staff of the local seismological institute is constantly conducting a study of changes in the state of the volcano in order to prevent the following eruptions. Despite everything, Taal volcano is considered one of the most popular tourist sites in the Philippines. According to the reviews of tourists who visited it, a unique view of the surroundings, sea open spaces, and also islands opens from above. You can get here by boat from any town located on the lake.
Catch
Speaking of the most dangerous volcanoes on our planet, one cannot help but recall Ulawun, which consists mainly of basalt and andesite. It is located in the state of Papua New Guinea and is one of those that erupt most often. Its height is 2334 meters. The slopes of the mountain at an altitude of up to one thousand meters are covered with a wide variety of vegetation. Many years ago, he was completely under water. As a result of the eruptions that occurred under its surface, strong tsunamis almost always arose. Under the influence of faults in the earth's crust in 1878, Ulavun volcano rose and became visible above the water.
In 1700, his eruption was officially recorded for the first time.Then, nearby Papua New Guinea, a ship sailed on board carrying William Dampier - a famous traveler from the UK. He later described in his memoirs this unforgettable process. Another famous eruption of Ulawun occurred in 1915. It was so strong that a village about fifty kilometers from the epicenter covered a twelve-centimeter layer of ash. It should be noted the natural disaster that occurred on May 28, 1937, when a thick layer of ash settled 120 kilometers from the crater. In general, over the past two hundred years, 22 eruptions of this volcano have occurred.
Santa maria
Guatemala has the oldest active stratovolcano on Earth. It has a height of 3772 meters and a rather complex structure. The diameter of its main cone is ten kilometers. On the southwestern slope you can see many hollows that were formed as a result of eruptions in ancient times. As for the northern slope, the craters and huge potholes are not far from its foot. If you believe the research of scientists, then about thirty thousand years ago, the first eruptions began to occur here.
Locals called the volcano Santa Maria as "Gagksanul." It should be noted that until October 24, 1992 he was distinguished by activity and was in a state of sleep for five hundred years. However, the first eruption after this had disastrous consequences. The explosion was so powerful that even residents of Costa Rica, which is eight hundred kilometers from here, heard it. Moreover, the ashes rose 28 kilometers in height. The eruption killed more than five thousand people. In addition, a huge number of buildings were destroyed. Their total area, according to statements by the world press, amounted to over 180 thousand square kilometers. It should be noted that the famous lava dome called Santiago arose at the same time.
During the twentieth century, a total of three large eruptions were recorded. And today it is considered one of the most potentially dangerous on the planet, because the strongest rumble from the crater, accompanied by the release of tons of ash and volcanic rocks, can begin at any time.