Volcanoes are beautiful, but at the same time they are terrifying. They frighten with their power and the fact that they can become the culprits of the death of people and destruction. And although volcanic eruptions are not frequent and are under the control of scientists, many active volcanoes still pose a danger to people living near them. Here are 10 of the most active volcanoes on Earth.
10 PHOTOS
Mauna Loa is one of the largest volcanoes on Earth in terms of volume and foot area. It is also one of the five volcanoes that form Hawaiian Islands... It is an active volcano that has been erupting for about 700,000 years. The last eruption volcano occurred on March 24, 1984.
Taal Volcano is located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about 50 km from the capital Manila. This is one of active volcanoes Philippines and has erupted many times already. The last eruption was in 1977.
Ulavun is one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea... And one of the most dangerous. The first eruption was recorded in 1700. Since then, 22 eruptions have been recorded. So in 1980, an eruption devastated an area of 20 square meters. km.
It is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa and one of eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains. Since 1882, it has erupted at least 34 times. The last devastating eruption of Nyiragongo occurred on January 17, 2002, when lava destroyed approximately 40% of the city of Goma.
Merapi is the most active volcano in Indonesia, erupting regularly since 1548. The volcano is located near the city of Yogyakarta and thousands of people actually live on the side of the volcano.
Galeras has been active for at least a million years. It is located in southern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. Today it is the most active volcano in Colombia. After 10 years of sleep, the volcano woke up in 1988, and in 1993 a disaster struck, resulting in the deaths of six scientists and three tourists.
Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano and former island... It is often called the Vesuvius of the East. A cloud of smoke is almost always visible above the volcano. The danger of the volcano is that densely populated areas of the city of Kagoshima are located next to it.
Popocatepetl is an active volcano and the second highest peak in Mexico (5426 m). Residents of Puebla, 40 km from the volcano, enjoy a magnificent view of its snow-capped peak. The last major eruption was in 2000. Fortunately, scientists were able to warn the government and people were evacuated from the dangerous area. 
This is the most dangerous and active supervolcano whose eruption will lead to catastrophic consequences. The Yellowstone eruption could lead to the extinction of species and even the end of the world.
10 largest and most dangerous volcanoes on Earth.
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 of tectonic plates, faults are formed, and magma is released to the surface of the Earth. As a rule, volcanoes are a mountain, at the end of which there is a crater, which is the place where lava emerges.
Volcanoes are divided into:
- active;
- sleeping;
- extinct;
Active volcanoes include those that erupted in the near historical perspective (approximately in a period of 12,000 years)
Dormant volcanoes are volcanoes that have not erupted in the near historical perspective, but their eruption is practically possible.
TO extinct volcanoes include those that did not erupt in the near historical perspective, but the top has the shape of a crater, but such volcanoes are unlikely to erupt.
List of 10 most dangerous volcanoes on the planet:
1. (Hawaiian Islands, USA)
Located in the islands of Hawaii, it is one of five volcanoes that make up the islands of Hawaii. This is the most big volcano in the world in terms of volume. It contains over 32 cubic kilometers of magma.
The volcano was formed about 700,000 years ago.
The last volcanic eruption occurred in March 1984, and it lasted more than 24 days, causing tremendous damage to people and the surrounding area.
2. Taal Volcano (Philippines)
The volcano is located on the island of Luzon, which belongs to the Philippine Islands. The volcano crater 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 important thing happened. violent eruption this volcano - 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 led to 200 deaths.
3. Volcano Merapi (Java island)
The name of the volcano is literally the Mountain of Fire. The volcano has been systematically erupting over the past 10,000 years. The volcano is located near the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the population of the city is several thousand people.
It was the most active volcano among the 130 volcanoes in Indonesia. It was believed that the eruption of this volcano led to the decline of the Hindu Kingdom of Matarama. The peculiarity and horror of this volcano is the speed of magma propagation, which is more than 150 km / h. The last volcanic 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 of the 20th century.
It is located at a distance of 130 kilometers from the city of Guatemala, and is located in the Pacific so-called. Ring of Fire. The crater in Santa Maria was formed after its eruption in 1902. Then about 6,000 people died. The last eruption took place in March 2011.
5. Ulavun volcano (Papua - New Guinea)
Ulawun Volcano, located in the New Guinea region, began erupting from the early 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 the year 2010.
6. Volcano Galeras (Colombia)
Volcano Galeras is located near the Ecuadorian border 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. The city of Paphos (Pasto) is located along the eastern slope of the volcano. Paphos is home to 450,000 people.
In 1993, a volcanic eruption killed six seismologists and three tourists.
Since then, the volcanic eruption has occurred 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 the immediate vicinity of Kyushu. After the volcanic eruption in 1914, a lava flow connected the mountain with the Ozumi Peninsula (Japan). The volcano was named as Vesuvius of the East.
It threatens 700,000 people in Kagoshima City.
Since the year 1955, eruptions have occurred every year.
The government even built a refugee camp for the people of Kagoshima so that they could find refuge 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 observed since 1882. Since the beginning of observations, 34 eruptions have been recorded.
The crater in the mountain serves as a holder for magma fluid. In 1977, there was a major eruption, neighboring villages were burned by streams of incandescent lava. average speed lava flow was 60 kilometers per hour. Hundreds of people died. A recent eruption occurred in the year 2002, leaving 120,000 people homeless.
This volcano is a caldera - the formation of a pronounced rounded shape with a flat bottom.
The volcano is located in the United States Yellow National Park.
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 topography 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.
A truly amazing sight is the volcanic eruption. But what is a volcano like? How does a volcanic eruption take place? Why do some of them spew huge flows of lava at different intervals, while others sleep peacefully for centuries?
What is a volcano?
Outwardly, the volcano resembles a mountain. There is a geological fault inside it. In science, a volcano is usually called a formation from a geological rock located on the surface of the earth. Through it, magma erupts outward, which is very hot. It is magma that subsequently forms volcanic gases and rocks, as well as lava. Most of volcanoes on earth formed several centuries ago. Today, new volcanoes appear on the planet occasionally. But this happens much less often than before.
How do volcanoes form?
If we briefly explain the essence of the formation of a volcano, it will look like this. Under the earth's crust there is a special layer under strong pressure, consisting of molten rocks, and it is called magma. If cracks suddenly begin to appear in the earth's crust, then hills are formed on the surface of the earth. It is through them that magma comes out under strong pressure. On the surface of the earth, it begins to disintegrate into hot lava, which then solidifies, causing the volcanic mountain to become larger and larger. The emerging volcano becomes so vulnerable on the surface that it spews volcanic gases with high frequency to the surface.
What is a volcano made of?
In order to understand how magma erupts, you need to know what a volcano is made of. Its main components are: a volcanic chamber, a vent and craters. What is a volcanic hearth? This is where magma is formed. But not everyone knows what a volcano's mouth and crater are? A vent is a special channel that unites the hearth with the surface of the earth. A crater is a small bowl-shaped depression on the surface of a volcano. Its size can reach several kilometers.
What is a volcanic eruption?
Magma is constantly under strong pressure. Therefore, there is a cloud of gases above it at any time. Gradually, they push the red-hot magma to the surface of the earth through the mouth of the volcano. This is what causes the eruption. However, one small description of the eruption process is not enough. To see this spectacle, you can use the video, which you need to watch after you have learned what the volcano consists of. In the same way, on the video you can find out which volcanoes do not exist at the present time and how the volcanoes that are active today look like.
Why are volcanoes dangerous?
Active volcanoes are dangerous for a number of reasons. The dormant volcano itself is very dangerous. He can "wake up" at any time and begin to spew lava flows spreading over many kilometers. Therefore, you should not settle near such volcanoes. If an erupting volcano is located on the island, a dangerous phenomenon such as a tsunami may occur.
Despite their danger, volcanoes can serve humanity well.
Why are volcanoes useful?
- During the eruption appears a large number of metals that can be used in industry.
- The volcano breeds the strongest rocks that can be used for construction.
- The pumice stone from the eruption is used for industrial purposes, as well as in the manufacture of rubber bands and toothpaste.
Volcanoes on Earth are divided into two types:
- Active(active) - erupted in a historical period of time or during the Holocene (in the last 10 thousand years). Some active volcanoes can be considered sleeping, but eruptions are still possible on them.
- Inactive(extinct) - ancient volcanoes that have lost their activity.
There are about 900 active volcanoes on land (see the list of the largest volcanoes below), in the seas and oceans their number is being specified.
The period of a volcanic eruption can last from several days to several million years.
On other planets
Types of volcanic structures
V general view volcanoes are subdivided into linear and central, however, this division is conditional, since most volcanoes are confined to linear tectonic faults ( faults) in the earth's crust.
The shapes of central volcanoes depend on the composition and viscosity of the magma. Hot and free-flowing basaltic magmas create vast and flat panel board volcanoes (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Kilauea). If a volcano periodically erupts either lava or pyroclastic material, a cone-shaped layered structure, a stratovolcano, appears. The slopes of such a volcano are usually covered with deep radial ravines - barrancos. Volcanoes of the central type can be purely lava, or formed only by volcanic products - volcanic slags, tuffs, etc. formations, or be mixed - stratovolcanoes.
Distinguish also monogenic and polygenic volcanoes. The first arose as a result of a single eruption, the second - multiple eruptions. Viscous, acidic in composition, low-temperature magma, squeezing out from the vent, forms extrusive domes (Montagne-Pele needle, 1902).
- Shield volcanoes... Formed as a result of multiple ejections of liquid lava. This form is characteristic of volcanoes erupting low-viscosity basaltic lava: it flows for a long time both from the central vent and from the side craters of the volcano. The lava spreads evenly over many kilometers; gradually a wide “shield” with gentle edges is formed from these layers. An example is the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, where lava flows directly into the ocean; its height from the foot on the ocean floor is about ten kilometers (while the underwater base of the volcano is 120 km long and 50 km wide).
- Slag cones... During the eruption of such volcanoes, large fragments of porous slags are piled up around the crater in layers in the form of a cone, and small fragments form sloping slopes at the foot; with each eruption, the volcano becomes higher and higher. This is the most common type of volcano on land. They are no more than a few hundred meters high. Slag cones often form as side cones large volcano, or as separate centers of eruptive activity during fissure eruptions. For example, several groups of cinder cones appeared during the last eruptions of Plosky Tolbachik volcano in Kamchatka in 1975-76 and in 2012-2013.
- Stratovolcanoes, or "layered volcanoes". Periodically they erupt lava (viscous and thick, rapidly solidifying) and pyroclastic matter - a mixture of hot gas, ash and hot stones; as a result, deposits on their cone (sharp, with concave slopes) alternate. The lava of such volcanoes also flows from cracks, solidifying on the slopes in the form of ribbed corridors that serve as a support for the volcano. Examples are Etna, Vesuvius, Fujiyama.
- Dome volcanoes... Formed when viscous granite magma, rising from the bowels of the volcano, cannot drain along the slopes and solidifies at the top, forming a dome. It clogs its mouth, like a cork, which is eventually knocked out by the gases accumulated under the dome. Such a dome is now being formed over the crater of Mount St.Helens in the northwestern United States, formed during the 1980 eruption.
- Complex (mixed, composite) volcanoes.
Baransky volcano. Iturup Island.
Volcanic eruption
Hawaiian type
Strombolian type
Volcanic eruptions are geological emergencies that often lead to natural disasters. The eruption process can last from several hours to many years.
An eruption is understood as the process of inflow from the depths to the surface of a significant amount of incandescent and hot volcanic products in a gaseous, liquid and solid state. During eruptions, volcanic edifices are formed - a characteristic form of upland, confined to channels and cracks, through which the products of the eruption come to the surface from magma chambers. Usually they have the shape of a cone with a depression - a crater at the top. In the event of its subsidence and collapse, a caldera is formed - an extensive circus-shaped basin with steep walls and a relatively flat bottom.
The generally accepted assessment of the strength of an eruption, or its explosiveness, without taking into account the individual characteristics of the volcano, is made according to the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) scale. It was proposed in 1982 by American scientists C.A. Newhall and S.Self, allowing to give a general assessment of the eruption on the impact on the earth's atmosphere. An indicator of the strength of a volcanic eruption, regardless of its volume and location, on the VEI scale is the volume of erupted products - tephra and the height of the column of ash - the eruptive column.
Among the various classifications stand out common types eruptions:
- Hawaiian type- Ejections of liquid basaltic lava, lava lakes are often formed, lava flow can spread over long distances.
- Strombolic type- lava is thicker and is thrown out of the vent by frequent explosions. The formation of cones from ash, volcanic bombs and lapilli is characteristic.
- Plinian type- powerful rare explosions capable of throwing tephra to a height of several tens of kilometers.
- Peleus type- eruptions, the hallmark of which is the formation of extrusive domes and pyroclastic flows ("scorching clouds").
- Gas (freotic) type- eruptions in which only volcanic gases reach the crater and solid rocks are ejected. Magma is not observed.
- Underwater type- eruptions occurring under water. As a rule, they are accompanied by emissions of pumice.
Postvolcanic phenomena
After eruptions, when the activity of the volcano either ceases forever, or it “dorms” for thousands of years, the processes associated with the cooling of the magma chamber are preserved on the volcano itself and its surroundings. post-volcanic... These include:
During eruptions, a volcanic structure sometimes collapses with the formation of a caldera - a large depression up to 16 km in diameter and up to 1000 m deep. As the magma rises, the external pressure weakens, the gases and liquid products associated with it break out to the surface, and a volcano erupts. If it is not magma that is brought to the surface, but ancient rocks, and water vapor prevails among the gases, formed when groundwater is heated, then such an eruption is called phreatic.
Eiffel volcanic domes
Lava that has risen to the earth's surface does not always come out on this surface. It only raises layers of sedimentary rocks and solidifies in the form of a compact body (laccolith), forming a kind of system of low mountains. In Germany, such systems include the Rhön and Eifel regions. On the latter, another post-volcanic phenomenon is observed in the form of lakes filling the craters of former volcanoes that failed to form a characteristic volcanic cone (the so-called maars).
Geysers are found in areas with volcanic activity, where hot rocks are located close to the earth's surface. In such places, groundwater is heated to boiling point, and a fountain of hot water and steam is periodically thrown into the air. In New Zealand and Iceland, energy from geysers and hot springs is used to generate electricity. One of the most famous geysers in the world is the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone national park(USA), which every 70 minutes shoots a jet of water and steam to a height of 45 m.
Mud volcanoes- small volcanoes through which not magma comes to the surface, but liquid mud and gases from the earth's crust. Mud volcanoes are much smaller than ordinary volcanoes. Mud tends to come to the surface cold, but the gases erupted by mud volcanoes often contain methane and can ignite during an eruption, creating a picture that looks like a miniature eruption of an ordinary volcano.
Heat sources
One of the unsolved problems of manifestation volcanic activity is the determination of the heat source required for local melting of the basalt layer or mantle. Such melting should be narrowly localized, since the passage of seismic waves indicates that the crust and upper mantle are usually in a solid state. Moreover, the thermal energy must be sufficient to melt huge volumes of solid material. For example, in the USA in the Columbia River Basin (Washington and Oregon states) the volume of basalts is more than 820 thousand km³; the same large basalt strata are found in Argentina (Patagonia), India (Deccan plateau) and South Africa (Big Karoo Upland). There are currently three hypotheses. Some geologists believe that melting is due to local high concentrations of radioactive elements, but such concentrations in nature seem unlikely; others suggest that tectonic faults in the form of shears and faults are accompanied by the release of thermal energy. There is another point of view, according to which the upper mantle is in a solid state under high pressure conditions, and when the pressure drops due to cracking, the so-called phase transition occurs - the solid rocks of the mountain mantle melt and liquid lava flows out of the cracks onto the Earth's surface.
Extraterrestrial volcanoes
Volcanoes are found not only on Earth, but also on other planets and their satellites. The first highest mountain in the solar system is the Martian volcano Olympus, 21.2 km high.
On some satellites of the planets (Enceladus and Triton), in low temperatures, the erupting "magma" does not consist of molten rock, but of water and light substances. This type of eruption cannot be attributed to ordinary volcanism, therefore this phenomenon is called cryovolcanism.
Famous eruptions
- The eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in 1883 caused the loudest rumble ever heard in history; the sound was heard at a distance of more than 4800 km from the volcano. Atmospheric shockwaves circled the Earth seven times and were still visible for 5 days. The eruption killed more than 36,000 people, destroyed 165 villages and damaged 132 more (mainly through the tsunami that followed the eruption). The volcanic eruptions after 1927 formed a new volcanic island called Anak-Krakatau.
- The Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii is the most active volcano at the present time. The last eruption has been going on since 1983, and the lava channels reach the ocean.
- In 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano caused the cancellation of more than 60,000 flights across Europe.
Recent eruptions
Scientists have observed eruptions at 560 volcanoes. The last largest ones are presented in the list:
The largest volcanoes on Earth
The largest regions of volcanic activity are South America, Central America, Java, Melanesia, the Japanese Islands, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, the northwestern United States, Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Aleutian Islands, Iceland, etc.
| Volcano name | Location | Height, | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ojos del Salado | Chilean Andes | 6893 | South America |
| Llullaillaco | Chilean Andes | 6723 | South America |
| San Pedro | Central Andes | 6159 | South America |
| Cotopaxi | Equatorial Andes | 5911 | South America |
| Kilimanjaro | Masai highlands | 5895 | Africa |
| Misty | Central Andes (southern Peru) | 5821 | South America |
| Orisaba | Mexican highlands | 5700 | |
| Elbrus | Greater Caucasus | 5642 | Europe |
| Popocatepetl | Mexican highlands | 5455 | North and Central America |
| Sangay | Equatorial Andes | 5230 | South America |
| Tolima | Northwest Andes | 5215 | South America |
| Klyuchevskaya Sopka | Kamchatka Peninsula | 4850 | Asia |
| Rainier | Cordillera | 4392 | North and Central America |
| Tahumulco | Central America | 4217 | North and Central America |
| Mauna loa | O. Hawaii | 4169 | Oceania |
| Cameroon | Massif Cameroon | 4100 | Africa |
| Erciyas | Anatolian plateau | 3916 | Asia |
| Kerinci | O. Sumatra | 3805 | Asia |
| Erebus | O. Ross | 3794 | Antarctica |
| Fujiyama | O. Honshu | 3776 | Asia |
| Teide | Canary islands | 3718 | Africa |
| Semeru | O. Java | 3676 | Asia |
| Ichinskaya Sopka | Kamchatka Peninsula | 3621 | Asia |
| Kronotskaya Sopka | Kamchatka Peninsula | 3528 | Asia |
| Koryakskaya Sopka | Kamchatka Peninsula | 3456 | Asia |
| Etna | O. Sicily | 3340 | Europe |
| Shiveluch | Kamchatka Peninsula | 3283 | Asia |
| Lassen Peak | Cordillera | 3187 | North and Central America |
| Llaima | Southern Andes | 3060 | South America |
| Apo | O. Mindanao | 2954 | Asia |
| Ruapehu | New Zealand | 2796 | Australia Oceania |
| Paektusan | Korean peninsula | 2750 | Asia |
| Avachinskaya Sopka | Kamchatka Peninsula | 2741 | Asia |
| Alaid | Kuril Islands | 2339 | Asia |
| Katmai | Alaska Peninsula | 2047 | North and Central America |
| Tyatya | Kuril Islands | 1819 | Asia |
| Haleakala | O. Maui | 1750 | Oceania |
| Hekla | O. Iceland | 1491 | Europe |
| Montagne Pele | O. Martinique | 1397 | North and Central America |
| Vesuvius | Apennine Peninsula | 1277 | Europe |
| Kilauea | O. Hawaii | 1247 | Oceania |
| Stromboli | Aeolian islands | 926 | Europe |
| Krakatoa | Sunda Strait | 813 | Asia |
The list of the largest eruptions in the history of the Earth is constantly growing as the question is investigated.
In culture
Bryullov K.P. The last day of Pompeii. 1830-1833
- Karl Bryullov's painting "The Last Day of Pompeii", Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation;
- Movies "Volcano", "Dante's Peak" and a scene from the movie "".
- The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, during its eruption, became the hero of a huge number of humorous programs, TV news plots, reports and folk art discussing events in the world.
According to a register of active volcanoes compiled by scientists from the University of North Carolina, it was found that out of 1,500 dangerous craters, 50 are erupting, and 11 are of particular concern. Oddly enough, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, whose eruption paralyzed the sky over Europe for several days, is considered a "supporting character" in the world.
In just three days, it emitted 140 million cubic meters of gas and dust into the atmosphere. The plume of smoke rose to a height of 10 km, in which the air is so electrified that incredible lightning can be observed every 15 minutes. 
In the list of the most dangerous volcanoes, scientists included the Philippine Pinatubo, which in 1991 emitted so much gas and ash into the atmosphere that changes in the planet's climate were noted over the next two years. Also included are the Italian volcanoes Stromboli and Etna. 
According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, according to the European Space Agency, up to 500 million people live in the immediate vicinity of volcanoes. 90% of 1500 active volcanoes are concentrated on 40 thousand kilometers of the "ring of fire" in the Pacific Ocean. 
The publication recalled that a week ago, the deepest volcanic eruption took place at a depth of 1500 meters under water in the Fiji and Samoa region. To observe the volcano, it was necessary to design a camera that would withstand the melting point of lead. But the "coldest" vent is located above the ice shell in the Antarctic region. 
Eruptions usually begin with deep "breathing". The earth around the volcano is being pulled in. Then the mountain begins to tremble, special sensors record the shaking of the soil. Then there is a dull sound that comes from the depths. 
However, the most dangerous volcanic eruption can happen very soon, scientists fear. The recently awakened Eyjafjallajokull is not so scary (his behavior already seems stable). However, the Katla volcano, located 20 km away, is of concern: it is five times larger and 100 times more powerful than Eyjafjallajokull, capable of erupting up to a billion cubic meters of lava per second. The data obtained from the observation equipment indicate that the volcano will soon wake up. A rapid eruption is also indicated by a change in the direction of the flow of local rivers.
"History indicates that it is very rare for Eyjafjallajokull to come to life without waking Katla volcano," said the University of North Carolina's Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction report. 
In the event of its eruption, scientists predict, a phenomenon called "volcanic winter" can be expected: a cloud of ash beats off the sun's rays at a height, preventing them from reaching the earth's surface.
Experts see the reason for such massive manifestations of volcanic force in the melting of ice, which probably weakened the pressure of the Earth's surface layers, allowing magma to rise upward.
"In the coming years, we expect more frequent and more powerful eruptions in Iceland. Global warming is causing the ice to melt. This phenomenon also affects the movement of magma below the Earth's surface," explained geologist Freisteinn Sigmundsson. 
But the current eruption is not capable of affecting the Earth's climate, even if someone believes that a cloud released by a volcano can contribute to a decrease in the average temperature on the planet. Since the Icelandic volcano is much weaker than the Philippine, which ranks 6th out of 8 possible. 
"We do not expect anything like this from Eyjafjallajokudl. The level of its eruption is too low to influence the climate," explained Olav Hijja from the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology.
At the same time, it is possible that the next 12-14 months Northern Europe will observe unusual sunsets of intense red color. 
