The largest volcanoes in the world on the map. The largest volcanoes in the world

Earth is a hot planet. Under the thin crust is a core of hot magma. In some places, through cracks in the earth's crust, the heat of the earth's core breaks out, carrying lava, gases and ash to the surface. Over time, at the places of such emissions, huge masses of ejected matter accumulate and special geological forms - volcanoes - are formed.

Most large volcanoes- these are those that formed especially large cones in volume, although not necessarily the highest, which means they had a particularly large crater or operated for a very long time. Those who continue to act are dangerous to humans. Fortunately, the largest terrestrial volcano, Tamu Massif, discovered in 2013, has long gone extinct, otherwise its eruption would have been disastrous for all life on our planet.

Volcanoes are considered active if they are known to have erupted over the past 10 thousand years, or have shown signs of volcanic activity such as emissions of gases and water vapor. The presence of volcanic activity means that this volcano may again begin to erupt, and therefore requires careful observation of volcanologists. There are 627 such volcanoes today.4 of the 5 largest volcanoes on the planet are located in the region The Pacific(these are parts of the Ring of Fire of Pacific volcanoes and seismic zones), and 1 in Africa.

Located in the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, it has a volume of 480 cubic kilometers and is the largest of active volcanoes Kamchatka, as well as the second highest ( 3613 m above sea level), after the Klyuchevskaya Sopka. The top of the Ichinskaya volcano is covered with eternal glaciers.

It is the youngest among the largest active volcanoes, its age is estimated at 10-15 thousand years. Its cone has a complex structure: the base is of a shield type, on it is the cone of a younger stratovolcano. The last eruption was recorded in 1740, since then volcanic activity has been weak: there are emissions of small amounts of high-temperature water vapor and volcanic gases.

The Galapagos Islands, like the Hawaiian Islands, emerged as a result of volcanic activity. The largest volcano is the Sierra Negra ("black mountain") at 580 cubic meters. kilometers is located on the island of Isabela. It is a shield volcano, high 1,124 m above sea level, and its crater has a diameter 11 km.

The last eruption of the Sierra Negra occurred in 2005. Then the volcano threw out such a quantity of gases and ash that the volcanic cloud reached a height of 7 kilometers or more.

Volume - more 3 200 cc kilometers... The second largest volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its highest point is 4 205 m above sea level. But if you count from the foot, which is under water, then its height reaches 10 203 m, which makes Mauna Kea the most high mountain on the ground. (For comparison, Everest has a height from its own foot to the top of 4,150 m). Unlike its neighboring Mauna Loa, it is a stratovolcano, and its viscous lava has formed steep slopes. The last eruption took place 4,500 years ago, and since then the state of the volcano is considered "normal" on the hazard scale.

Among the natives, "White Mountain" (as the name is translated) was considered sacred. Only the highest leaders had the right to climb to its top. The natives gathered fruits and hunted in the dense forests on the slopes of the mountains, and made tools and weapons from volcanic basalt.

Altitude, dry climate and constant wind force make the summit of Mauna Kea one of the best regions for astronomical observation on Earth. Since 1964, 13 telescopes have been installed here. Observations are made at all frequencies, from visible light to radio waves, and the Mauna Kea Astronomical Park is one of the largest in the world. Nevertheless, protests against its location in a unique ecological zone and in a place sacred to indigenous people do not subside.

Cone volume - 4 800 cubic kilometers... This volcano erupted in thick and viscous lava, resulting in an almost regular steep cone. This type is called a stratovolcano. The highest mountain of the African continent ( 5895 m above sea level), located in East Africa, between Kenya and northern Tanzania. In Swahili, its name means “ white mountain»: The top of this giant double-headed cone, the only one in the equatorial zone of the Earth, is covered eternal ice... Many rivers originate from its glaciers, including the Nile - the greatest river in Africa. In recent decades, they have been melting faster and smaller.

Europeans discovered this volcano in 1848, since then no activity has been recorded, but aboriginal legends speak of its eruption about 200 years ago. In 2003, it was discovered that under one of its two peaks is molten lava, and its upper level has risen to a distance of only 400 meters from the surface. Gas emissions, rock falls and rock shifts also occur.

The largest active volcano on Earth is located on the island of Hawaii. This volcano is of a shield type: wide, with gentle slopes. Such volcanoes are formed as a result of prolonged eruption of liquid, flowing lava. The volume of its cone is approximately 75,000 cubic kilometers, of which 84% are under water. Actually, the island itself appeared as a result of the eruptions of this and neighboring volcanoes.

In the Aboriginal language, its name means “ long mountain". Its mass is so huge that the earth's crust at its location bends inward for several kilometers.

Mauna Loa is one of the most active volcanoes. His last eruption happened in 1984, and since then it has gradually shown more and more signs of activity, and its new eruption in the foreseeable future is considered very likely.

Vesuvius is an amazing volcano. Firstly, the leader in popularity, breaking all recognition records, secondly, a long-liver (he declared himself even before ancient times and the famous Pompeii), thirdly, perhaps, one of the prolific volcanic eruptions and, in- fourth, the most unpredictable. None of the scientists even undertakes to guess when Vesuvius will once again begin to "play naughty". Only strong eruptions for the entire time of his "professional activity" were recorded in the amount of 80 pieces, and only average and weak ones - they were tired of counting. At the same time, Vesuvius is clearly not going to retire. At its top, tourists can safely bake eggs - the temperature of the soil is so high.

This is probably why the "anniversaries of pranks" of this world-famous volcano, which lives in sunny Italy near Naples, can be celebrated almost every month. What we, in fact, are doing, dedicating one of the dates of the eruption of Vesuvius to our TOP-10 most famous volcanoes the world.

Place 10. Most difficult to pronounce. I do not know how big and powerful Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull is compared to Vesuvius, but it is reliably known that in 2010 it caused a lot of trouble for air carriers. Wild amounts of volcanic ash and steam have canceled some flights and shut down airports in Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Liverpool, Belfast Dublin, Stockholm and Oslo. But this Icelandic volcano seemed a little. He created an incredible amount of problems for many announcers who, for sure, trained long and hard to pronounce his name on one breath.

Place 9. Coldest. Surprisingly, but true: volcanoes are the most tenacious creatures, found almost everywhere. It would seem that such a "hot little thing" cannot live at minus fifty, but no! Volcanoes live quietly at the South Pole, in Antarctica. The highest of the Antarctic volcanoes is Mount Sidley, 4285 meters high. By the way, it is also the most inaccessible volcano. People conquered her only in 1990.

Place 8. The most legendary. Two volcanoes are fighting for the title of the most legendary. One of them is Mexican Popocatepetl, last time who went "to work" in 2007, and the other is a European Elbrus. According to legend, Popocatepetl originated from ... strong love. The daughter of the Aztec ruler Istaxihuatl fell in love with the simple warrior Popocatepetl. However, the pope was against this unequal alliance and sent the young man to war, after which he spread the rumor about his imminent death. The daughter, unable to withstand the blow, committed suicide, and when the living and unharmed Popocatepetl found out about this, he decided that life without a sweetheart was not life. And he followed his beloved into another world. The gods, struck by the power of love of young people, decided to turn them into rocks so that they would forever remain next to each other. Well, at the top of Elbrus, myths and legends alternately settled either the djins, or the famous bird Simurg, or even left the chained Prometheus there.

Location 7. Most religious... Etna is a volcano, like Vesuvius, prolific. Eruptions alone have exceeded almost two hundred. Almost every 150 years, Etna wakes up from hunger and begins to eat nearby cities. However, people adore her not for her bloodthirstiness, but for her reverence for believers and a healing gift. There are several known facts of the miraculous healing of the sick who visited Etna, and after the flow of red-hot lava froze in reverence in front of the Catholic procession in 1928, the Sicilians made Etna one of the symbols of the island. Also, this volcano is famous for its blues festivals that are held during his sleep.

Place 6. Fastest-firing. Usually volcanoes are unpredictable, but sometimes scientists manage to find out in advance about the impending eruption. However, as in the parable of the boy and the wolves, some residents of nearby cities do not believe such predictions. And in vain. So on November 13, 1985, the Colombian volcano Nevado del Ruiz completely destroyed the city of Armero, located 50 kilometers from the "hot thing" 5400 meters high. At the same time, everything about everything at the volcano took ... only 10 minutes! The death toll exceeded 20 thousand people. But scientists warned ...

Place 5. The most fabulous. Remember the tale of The Frog Princess? To defeat Koshchei the Immortal, Ivan Tsarevich had to get a needle that was in an egg, an egg in a duck, a duck in a hare, a hare in a chest, and a chest in a tree. It is according to the principle of "thing in thing" that the Russian volcano Krenitsyn is built. It is "registered" on Kuril Islands and is considered the largest in area, as it is located in the Ring Lake (diameter of about 7 kilometers), which is located in another, more ancient crater. So you can only admire its beauty from a helicopter. By the way, the volcano got its name in honor of the Russian navigator Pyotr Kuzmich Krenitsyn.

Place 4. Most influential. Indonesia is often called the land of volcanoes. It was here that the most influential of them was born - Krakatoa, who blew up the world on August 15, 1883. Its eruption caused a shock wave that circled the globe 7 times, and a gigantic tsunami that wiped out 295 cities and settlements in Java and Sumatra. As a result of his activities, more than 36 thousand people died, and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. The volcanic dust of Krakatoa surrounded the planet in a cloud, painting sunrises and sunsets in royal purple. Many scientists believe that it was this eruption that influenced the ecology of the Earth.

Location 3. The most famous of the new arrivals. By the way, today Vesuvius is far from the only popular volcano. It was pushed by the Russian Plosky Tolbachik, who began to erupt back in November 2012. Since then, scientists from all over the world and just curious tourists have flocked to it in droves. Same way Kamchatka volcano presented the world with new copper minerals - melanotallite, ponomarevite, piipit, fedotovit, Kamchatkite, klyuchevskite, alumoklyuchevskite and, of course, tolbachite.

Place 2. Highest. Well, what about in the TOP-10 without the highest ?! It is rightfully a South American active volcano with a funny name for Russians, Llullaillaco. Its absolute height is 6739 meters, relative height is almost 2.5 kilometers. It would seem that this is all. No, no! Llullaillaco is known for its eternal ice "cap", border state (located on the border of Chile and Argentina), dry neighbor (Atacama Desert) and archaeological finds... In 1999, the mummified bodies of three children were discovered at the top of the volcano, allegedly sacrificed 500 years ago.

Location 1. Most romantic. Don't go to the fortuneteller here! Without words, it is clear that Mount Fuji will be recognized as the most romantic, exquisite, attractive, gentle and charming. It is to her that countless numbers of hokku, drawings, paintings and photographs are dedicated. Scientists consider Fuji to be an active volcano, although it is weakly active (the last eruption was recorded in 1707-1708). By the way, among the countless drawings of this beauty, there is not a single one where the eruption itself would be captured. Fuji's neighbors include not only a Shinto shrine, a weather station and a post office, but also the gloomy forest of Aokigahara suicides, located right at the foot of the volcano. But such a neighborhood does not bother Fujiyama at all. The Japanese believe that the forest only gives a veil of mystery and mysticism to their favorite, attracting tourists from all over the world. However, this does not prevent the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun from placing warning signs with the phone numbers of psychologists all over Aokigahara. So, just in case.

A volcano is a geological formation located on cracks in the earth's crust. Through it, volcanic rocks, lava, ash, steam and poisonous gases come to the surface. Scientists are confident that 3 new volcanoes appear on our planet every year. Their total number is enormous. More than 600 of them are active active volcanoes. They are located in different parts of the world and pose a serious danger to all living things.

Active volcanoes in Russia

Not all fire-breathing mountains are located on land. They are often located under water. This does not prevent their eruption at all. Fortunately, the most dangerous volcanoes are far beyond the borders of our country, however, we also have such dangerous hills. In this article, we will introduce you to the lava-erupting mountains located in our country and abroad, which can be dangerous to human life.

Klyuchevsky volcano

It is located by the Bering Sea. This is the largest volcano in Russia. This is a whole complex of 12 cones. The height of the volcano is 4750 meters. It has a crater more than half a kilometer in diameter. The mountain is perfectly cone-shaped. Active volcanoes constantly emit acrid smoke, which can be seen above the Klyuchevsky crater. Sometimes lava bursts can be observed. Volcanologists believe that it appeared more than 5,000 years ago. Over the past three centuries, it has come to life more than 50 times. The most powerful eruptions date back to the 19th century.

Volcano Tolbachik

The Klyuchevskaya group includes several volcanoes. One of them is Tolbachik. Its height is 3682 meters. Experts attribute it to the Hawaiian type of volcano. It has two cones - Sharp and Flat. Its diameter is about 2 kilometers. The last eruption was in 1976. It is considered the highest in Eurasia.

Ichinskaya Sopka

There are also active volcanoes in Russia in Kamchatka. Ichinskaya Sopka is located in the center of the peninsula. This volcano has three cones, they are covered with glaciers, except for one, which is active. Its height reaches 3621 meters.

Kronotskaya Sopka

The next mountain spewing lava is located in the east of Kamchatka. Its height is 3528 meters. It is believed to be one of the largest volcanoes in Russia. It erupts quite rarely. At the very top you can see ice, and forests grow at the base. The famous Valley of Geysers and Kronotskoye Lake are located near the volcano.

Koryaksky volcano

Its tallest cone reaches 3456 meters. By its type, it belongs to stratovolcanoes. Until now, remains of lava and loose rocks are found in the valley of the Koryak volcano.

Volcano Shiveluch

In the north of Kamchatka there is another volcano known to specialists. It is called Shiveluch. The mountain has two cones - Old Shiveluch and Young Shiveluch. The last one is still active. Its height is 3283 meters. This large volcano erupts quite often. The last time it was in 1964. Volcanologists are sure that this mountain is more than 60 thousand years old.

Avacha volcano

It is located near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its height is 2741 meters, the diameter of the crater is four hundred meters. The Avacha peak is covered with glaciers; dense forests grow at its base. Its last eruption was recorded in 2001.

Shishel volcano

It is also located in the north of Kamchatka. Shield volcano 2525 meters high. To this day, it is considered active, but the date of the last eruption is not known for certain.

Active volcanoes in the world

These mountains, which spew fire and ash, are dangerous for their direct impact - the release of thousands of tons of burning lava that can destroy entire cities. In addition, asphyxiating volcanic gases, the threat of a tsunami, distortion of the terrain and dramatic climatic changes pose a great danger.

Merali (Indonesia)

Active volcanoes on the islands of Indonesia are very dangerous. One of them is Merapi. It is the most active: powerful eruptions happen here every six to seven years, and small ones happen almost every year. The smoke above the crater appears almost every day, reminding local residents about an imminent threat.

Merali is famous for the largest eruption that happened in 1006. The medieval state of Mataram suffered from it. The danger of the volcano lies in the fact that it is located near populous city Yogyakarta.

Sakurajima (Japan)

Often, readers are interested in the most active volcanoes. It would be more correct to call them the most active. These include Sakurajima, which has been active since 1955. The last eruption took place in early 2009. Until last (2014), the volcano was on a separate island of the same name, but the lava flows froze and connected it with the Osumi Peninsula. People living in Kagoshima City are accustomed to Sakurajima's behavior and are always ready to take refuge in a shelter.

Cotopaxi (Ecuador)

The highest active volcanoes are found in America. The record holder in this is Cotopaxi, located 50 km from the city of Quito. Its height is 5897 m, depth is 450 m, a crater is 550x800 m in size. At an altitude of 4700 m, the mountain is covered with eternal snow.

Etna (Italy)

This volcano is well known. It has not one main crater, but many small ones. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and is in constant activity. Its height is 3380 meters, the area is 1250 square kilometers.

Small eruptions occur several months later. Despite this, the Sicilians densely populate the slopes of the volcano, since these places have very fertile soil (due to the presence of minerals and trace elements). The last eruption took place in May 2011, minor emissions of dust and ash - in April 2013.

Vesuvius (Italy)

Active volcanoes in Italy are two more large mountains, besides Etna. These are Vesuvius and Stromboli.

In 79, the strongest eruption of Vesuvius destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia. Their inhabitants were buried under layers of pumice, lava and mud. The strongest eruption took place in 1944. Then 60 people died, and the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano were completely destroyed. Scientists estimate that Vesuvius destroyed nearby cities 80 times. Many active volcanoes in the world are not as well studied as this one. Thanks to this, researchers consider it to be the most predictable.

The territory of the volcano is a nature reserve. it national park, which tourists from all over the world love to visit.

Colima (Mexico)

The active volcanoes of this country are represented in our article by Nevado de Colima. Most of the time the mountain is covered with snow. Colima is very active - since 1576 it has erupted 40 times. The strongest eruption occurred in the summer of 2005.

Residents of nearby villages had to be evacuated. The ash column shot up to a height of 5 km, causing a cloud of dust and smoke.

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

Sangay, 5230 meters

Located in Ecuador, on the territory of the park of the same name, it is part of the Andes mountain system. The toponym is translated from the Indian as "to scare", and this is not surprising - Sangay is one of the most restless volcanoes on the continent. Sangay has three huge craters, which is not typical for andesitic stratovolcanoes. According to researchers, the volcano was formed about 14 thousand years ago. Since 1934, Sangay has erupted regularly, with the last peak in activity in 2016. The rarest representatives of the fauna are found around the volcano: ocelots, cougars, tapirs, Andean bears and porcupines.

Popokatepetl, 5426 meters

It is an active volcano located in Mexico, included in the Cordillera mountain system. Translated from the local language, the toponym is translated as "smoking hill" and is located next to another volcano - Istaxihuatl. The most famous ancient literary work is written about these peaks - the legend of Popocatepetl and Istaxihuatl. The first ascent was made in 1519 by Diego de Ordaz.

Elbrus, 5642 meters

The summit is located in Russia and is part of the Caucasus mountain system. Elbrus is located on the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. The toponym translates as “ high mountain"," A mountain of a thousand mountains "or" heaving ". More than 20 glaciers with a total area of ​​134 km are spread on the slopes of Elbrus. sq., 9 km long. They feed the largest Caucasian rivers - Kuban, Malka and Baksan. Elbrus is divided into two parts - a bulk cone and a pedestal. According to scientists, the growth of Elbrus from the eruptions was about 2 thousand meters. The last eruption of the stratovolcano occurred 5120 years ago, since then nothing has been heard about its activity. The first ascent to Elbrus took place on July 22, 1829 (eastern peak), 1874 (western). For the first time, a Russian expedition arrived at the foot of the volcano in 1913 with a scientific purpose.

It is difficult to scare a Russian person with anything, especially bad roads. Even safe routes claim thousands of lives a year, let alone those ...

Orizaba, 5675 meters

The second name is Sitlaltepetl, which means "star-mountain". Orizaba is the highest Mexican peak and is located in the Cordillera mountain range. Geographically, the volcano is located in two states - Puebla and Veracruz. The stratovolcano is in a state of relative dormancy today, and the last time it erupted was in 1846. In total, 27 periods of activity were recorded, including in the middle of the 16th and 17th centuries. Orizaba for the Incas has always been sacred mountain, with which many legends and myths were associated. Since 1936, a nature reserve has been established on the volcano with the aim of protecting Orizaba from unauthorized ascents. Hundreds of climbers come here every year, for whom there are many routes of varying degrees of difficulty. The most favorable time to climb to the top is from mid-autumn to early spring.

El-Misti, 5822 meters

Located in South America, territorially belongs to Peru, in the winter months it is almost completely covered with snow. In 17 km from the stratovolcano there is a small town of Arequipa, whose population is more than 1 million people. In the country locality known as the "White City" due to the fact that most of buildings was erected from snow-white volcanic deposits. The Chile River flows past El Misti, in the south of the summit there is another volcano - Pichu Pichu. The last eruption was recorded in 1985, in just a century, activity manifested itself 5 times. In the 16th century, the inhabitants of Arequipa had to leave the city due to the extremely violent eruption, with huge ash emissions. At the end of the 20th century, mummified remains of the ancient Incas and a number of valuable artifacts were discovered on the slopes of El Misti. All found bodies and household items are kept today in the museum of the Andean sanctuaries.

There are areas on our planet where a person experiences special sensations: a surge of energy, euphoria, a desire to improve or spiritually ...

Kilimanjaro, 5895 meters

The African stratovolcano is located in Tanzania and is ranked by scientists as active. Kilimanjaro is the most high point The Black continent, and in the period from 1902 to 1918 the volcano was named the Summit of Kaiser Wilhelm. The mountain is almost completely covered with snow, which glistens under the bright African sun. That is why Kilimandajro translated from the local language means "sparkling peak". In ancient times, the tribes living at the foot, considered the mountain holy and, without climbing it, were sure that Kilimanjaro was covered with silver. After some time, the leader sent a detachment of daredevils to the top, who found that the "silver" was melting in his hands, then the volcano was given another name: "the abode of the god of cold." There have been no documented eruptions at Kilimanjaro, but according to scientists, the last activity was observed about 200,000 years ago. The first conquest of Kilimanjaro took place in 1889

Cotopaxi, 5897 meters

The toponym is translated from the Quechua language as "shining mountain". Cotopaxi is located in South America, in the territory of Ecuador and is the second highest peak in the country. The volcano belongs to the ridge of the Eastern Cordillera, has a crater measuring 550 by 800 meters, with a depth of almost half a kilometer. For the period from 1738 to the present day, a total of about 50 eruptions were recorded, the penultimate one occurred in 1877. However, 140 years later, on August 15, 2015, Cotopaxi began to show signs of activity again. The first explorer of the volcano was the German Alexander von Humboldt and the Frenchman Aimé Bonpland, but the peak was never submitted to them. A man climbed to the top of Cotopaxi in 1872. The German geologist Wilhelm Rice managed to do this, and a year later - the volcanologist and naturalist Moritz Alfons Stubel, also a native of Germany. The history of eruptions looks like this: the first recorded - 1534, then 1742, 1768, 1864, 1877, but until 1940 ash emissions were periodically observed.

On our planet there are the most diverse dangerous places, which recently began to attract a special category of extreme tourists looking for ...

San Pedro, 6145 meters

Considered one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, it is located in the Atacama Desert, in the El Loa province, Antofagastan region of Chile. Not far from the summit there is another attraction - the volcano San Pablo, connected to San Pedro by a high saddle. By the type of formation, San Pedro is a stratovolcano and is represented by such formations as dacites, andesites and basalts. The relative height of the peak is 2014 meters, the most recent recorded eruption was in 1960. For the first time, a man climbed San Pedro on July 16, 1903. The Chilean Philemon Morales and the Frenchman George Corti became mountain climbers.

Llullallaco, 6739 meters

Located in Western Callillera, on the border between Argentina and Chile, on the plateau of the world's highest volcanoes - Puna de Atacama. At the very top, there is perpetual glaciation, and the last eruption was observed here in 1877, although today Llullaco is in a state of relative calm. The volcano is considered the tallest of all active and is a cone that continues to grow. The first ascent was made on December 1, 1952 by Billon Gonzalez and Juan Harzeim. The summit is an archaeological site, on the territory of which the burials of Inca children were discovered at the end of the 20th century. Three mummies, supposedly 4, 5 and 13 years old, were sacrificed about 5 centuries ago.

Ojos del Salado, 6893 meters

Translated from Spanish, the name means "salty eyes". Is the most high volcano on Earth, located in South America, on the Chilean-Argentine border, belongs to the Andes mountain system. To the west of the summit is the famous Atacama Desert. At an altitude of 6400 meters, the world's highest lake is located on the eastern slope of the crater. incredible beauty... Despite the fact that Ojos del Salado showed no signs of life for a long time, little activity was observed in 1937, 1956 and 1993. For the first time the summit was conquered by a man in 1937. The pioneers were two Polish climbers - Jan Szczepanski and Justin Voizhnis. Scientists have repeatedly found the remains of sacrificial altars on the volcano, presumably related to the Inca civilization.

Hot streams of molten lava pouring out from the bowels of the Earth, and at the same time clouds of ash, hot steam. The spectacle is, of course, exciting, but where does it come from? What large volcanoes exist on our planet? Where are they located?

The origin and varieties of volcanoes

Under a thick layer of the earth's crust is magma - molten matter of tremendous temperature and under great pressure. Magma contains minerals, vaporous water and gases. When the pressure gets too high, gases push magma upward through the weak points of the earth's crust. The surface layer of the Earth rises in the form of a mountain, and eventually magma breaks out.

The erupting magma is called lava, and the upland with the hole is called a volcano. The eruption is accompanied by emissions of ash and steam. Lava moves at a speed of over 40 km / h, with a temperature of about 1000 degrees Celsius. Depending on the nature of the eruption and related phenomena, volcanoes are divided into numerous types. For example, Hawaiian, Plinian, Peleian and others.

As it flows out, the lava solidifies and overlaps in layers, creating the shape of a volcano. So, there are volcanoes of conical shape, gentle, domed, strato- or layered, as well as complex shapes. In addition, they are divided into active, dormant and extinct, depending on the degree of activity of the eruptions.

World's largest volcanoes

There are approximately 540 active volcanoes around the world, with even more extinct volcanoes. All of them are located mainly in the Pacific, East African, Mediterranean fold zones. The greatest activity is manifested in the regions of the South and Central America, Kamchatka, Japanese, Iceland.

There are 330 active volcanoes in the Pacific belt alone. Large volcanoes are found in the Andes, on the Asian islands. In Africa, Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is considered the highest. It is potentially active volcano that can wake up at any minute. Its height is 5895 meters.

Two world volcanic giants are located in Chile and Argentina. They are considered the tallest on Earth. Ojos del Salado is extinct, erupting in AD 700, although it occasionally emits water vapor and sulfur. Argentine Llullaillaco is considered active, the last time it erupted only in 1877.

The world's largest volcanoes are presented in the table.

Ring of Fire of the Pacific Ocean

The waters of the Pacific Ocean hide three lithospheric plates. Their outer edges go under the lithospheric plates of the continents. The Pacific Ring of Fire is located along the entire perimeter of these junctions - small and large volcanoes, most of which are active.

Ring of Fire starts from Antarctica, passes through New Zealand, Philippine Islands, Japan, Kuriles, Kamchatka, stretches along the entire Pacific coast of the North and South America... In some places, the ring breaks, for example, near and the state of California.

Large volcanoes of the Pacific belt are located in the Andes (Orizabo, San Pedro, Misty, Cotopaxi), Sumatra (Kerinchi), Ross Island (Erebus), Java (Semeru). One of the most famous - Fujiyama - is located on the island of Honshu. In there is the volcano Krakatoa.

Volcanic origin has an archipelago Hawaiian Islands. Largest volcano- Mauna Loa with absolute height 4169 meters. By relative altitude the mountain bypasses Everest and is considered the most high peak world, this value is 10 168 meters.

Mediterranean belt

The mountainous regions of North-West Africa, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Indochina, Tibet, Indonesia and the Himalayas make up the Mediterranean. Active geological processes take place here, one of the manifestations of which is volcanism.

The largest volcanoes in the Mediterranean belt are Vesuvius, Santorini (Aegean Sea) and Etna in Italy, Elbrus and Kazbek in the Caucasus, Ararat in Turkey. The Italian Vesuvius consists of three peaks. From its powerful eruption in the first century AD, the cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabia, Oplontia suffered. In memory of this event, Karl Bryullov painted the famous painting "The Last Day of Pompeii".

Ararat stratovolcano is the highest point in Turkey and Armenian highlands... Its last eruption took place in 1840. It was accompanied by an earthquake that completely destroyed the neighboring village and monastery. Ararat, like the Caucasian Kazbek, consists of two peaks, which are separated by a saddle.

Large volcanoes of Russia (list)

Within the territory of Russian Federation volcanoes are located in the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, the Caucasus and Transbaikalia. They make up approximately 8.5% of all volcanoes in the world. Many of them are considered extinct, although the sudden eruptions of Nameless in 1956 and the Academy of Sciences in 1997 proved the relativity of this term.

The largest volcanoes are located in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. The highest in all of Eurasia (among the operating ones) is considered (4835 meters). Its last eruption was recorded in 2013. In the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, there are not at all large volcanoes... For example, the height of Baranovsky is 160 meters. Over the past decade, Berg (2005), Ebeko (2010), Chikurachki (2008), Kizimen (2013) and others have shown their activity.

The largest volcanoes in Russia are presented in the table.

Conclusion

Volcanoes are the consequences of active processes that take place inside our planet. They are formed in the earth's crust, where the crust cannot withstand the onslaught of pressure and high temperatures. Effects volcanic eruption can be quite serious, since they are accompanied by emissions of ash, gases, sulfur into the atmosphere.

The accompanying phenomena of the eruption are often earthquakes and faults. The flowing lava has such a high temperature that it instantly affects biological organisms.

However, in addition to the destructive effect, volcanoes also have the opposite effect. Lava that has not come to the surface can lift sedimentary rocks to form mountains. And the result of the eruption of an underwater volcano in Iceland was the island of Surtsey.