When will the volcano erupt. The most powerful volcanic eruptions in human history. Causes of volcanic eruptions

Most of the volcanoes on our planet are located in the "ring of fire", which stretches along the shores of the entire Pacific Ocean. And in total there are about 1.5 thousand volcanoes on Earth, of which 540 are active.

Here is a list of the most dangerous ones.

1. Nyiragongo, height 3470 m, Democratic Republic of the Congo

This is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Africa. Since 1882, 34 eruptions have been recorded here. The main crater is 250 meters deep and 2 km wide, and contains a lake of actively bubbling lava. This lava is unusually fluid and its flows can reach speeds of 100 km/h. In 2002, the eruption killed 147 people and left 120,000 homeless. The last eruption to date occurred in 2016.

2. Taal, height 311 m, Philippines


This is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet. It has erupted 34 times since 1572. Located on the island of Luzon, on Lake Taal. The strongest eruption of this volcano in the 20th century occurred in 1911 - 1335 people died in 10 minutes and in general all living things at a distance of up to 10 km. In 1965, 200 people died. Last eruption - 1977

3. Mauna Loa, height 4169 m, Hawaii (USA)


There are many volcanoes in Hawaii, but this is the largest and most dangerous of all. Since 1832, 39 eruptions have been recorded. The last eruption occurred in 1984, the last strong eruption in 1950.

4. Vesuvius, height 1281 m, Italy


One of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world is located just 15 km east of Naples. The most famous historical eruption occurred in 79 AD. As a result of this catastrophe, two cities - Pompeii and Herculaneum - disappeared from the face of the Earth. In modern history, the last eruption of Vesuvius happened in 1944.

5. Merapi, height 2,930 m, Indonesia


This most active active volcano in Indonesia is located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. "Merapi" is translated as "mountain of fire". The volcano is young, so it puffs with enviable regularity. Large eruptions occur on average every 7 years. In 1930, about 1300 people died, in 1974 two villages were destroyed, in 2010 353 people died. Last eruption - 2011

6. St. Helens, height 2,550 m, USA


Located 154 km from Seattle and 85 km from Portland. The most famous eruption of this active volcano occurred in 1980, when 57 people died. The eruption was of a rare type - "directed explosion". The process of the volcanic eruption and the spread of the ash cloud was photographed by photographer Robert Landsburg, who died during this eruption, but kept the film. The last activity to date was recorded in 2008.

7. Etna, height 3,350 m, Italy


Mount Etna is located on the east coast of Sicily. It is the highest active volcano in Europe. During its existence, it erupted about 200 times. In 1992, one of the largest eruptions was recorded, during which the town of Zafferana barely escaped. On December 3, 2015, the central crater of the volcano threw a fountain of lava to a kilometer high. The last eruption is February 27, 2017.

8. Sakurajima, height 1117 m, Japan


The volcano is located on the Osumi Peninsula of Kyushu Island in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. There is almost always a cloud of smoke above the volcano. The eruptions were recorded on August 18, 2013, in March 2009. The last eruption was recorded on July 26, 2016.

9. Galeras, height 4276 m, Colombia


Over the past 7 thousand years, at least six large eruptions and many small ones have occurred on Galeras. In 1993, during research work in the crater, six volcanologists and three tourists died (then the eruption also began). Latest recorded eruptions: January 2008, February 2009, January and August 2010

10. Popocatepetl, height 5426 m, Mexico


The name translates as "smoking hill". The volcano is located near Mexico City. It has erupted 20 times since 1519. The last eruption was recorded in 2015.

11. Unzen, height 1,500 m, Japan


The volcano is located on the Shimabara Peninsula. The eruption of Mount Unzen in 1792 is one of the five most destructive eruptions in human history in terms of the number of human casualties. The eruption caused a tsunami 55 meters high, which killed more than 15 thousand people. And in 1991, 43 people died during the eruption. No eruptions have been observed since 1996.

12. Krakatoa, height 813 m, Indonesia


This active volcano is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Before the historic eruption of 1883, the volcano was much higher and was one large island. However, the most powerful eruption of 1883 destroyed the island and the volcano. Today, Krakatau is still active and small eruptions occur fairly regularly. Last activity - 2014.

13. Santa Maria, height 3,772 m, Guatemala


The first recorded eruption of this volcano occurred in October 1902, before that he "rested" for 500 years. The explosion was heard 800 km away in Costa Rica, and the ash column rose 28 km. About 6 thousand people died. Today the volcano is active. The last eruption was recorded in 2011.

14. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, height 4835 m, Russia


The volcano is located in the east of Kamchatka, 60 km from the coast. It is the largest active volcano in Russia. Over the past 270 years, more than 50 eruptions have been recorded, the last in April 2016.

15. Karymskaya Sopka, height 1468 m, Russia


Also located in Kamchatka. More than 20 eruptions have been recorded since 1852. Eruptions of recent years: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 A very restless volcano.

Volcanoes are one of the most insidious and cruel natural phenomena. They hide for hundreds of years, creating the illusion of security, and then wake up and destroy all life around. A single volcano can engulf entire cities, turn summer into winter, and change the course of history forever. Scientists predict that these monsters are capable of destroying our civilization. The time has come to talk about the most terrible volcanic eruptions.

Vesuvius - the killer of ancient cities

The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. e. was not the most powerful in history, but definitely one of the most catastrophic. In two days, he destroyed a large city of the Roman Empire, which was inhabited by 20 thousand people - Pompeii. People were sure that the volcano fell asleep forever, so when a roar began to be heard from the side of the mountain, they continued to go about their business.

Source: ice-nut

When pieces of pumice stone and ash flakes fell from the sky, people began to leave Pompeii. Several thousand people remained in the city, who were doomed to death.

Scientists concluded that people who did not have time to leave the city were killed by a pyroclastic flow. This is a rapidly rushing avalanche, consisting of red-hot ash, pumice and volcanic gases. Six such streams descended from Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii and three more smaller settlements - Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae.

The video shows a reconstruction of this terrible event.

Tambora - the volcano that caused the "year without summer"

The eruption of the Tambora volcano in April 1815 on the island of Sumbawa, according to various sources, claimed the lives of from 70 to 170 thousand people. No other volcano in history has killed so many people.

Tambora woke up with a deafening explosion. The islands that were in the vicinity of the volcano began to fall asleep volcanic ash. When pyroclastic flows began to descend from the slopes of the mountain, the people who got in their way had practically no chance of surviving - about 12 thousand people died. The volcano destroyed three kingdoms with a distinctive culture - Pekat, Sangar and Tambora. Tens of thousands more died after the eruption.

With his eruption, Tambora caused the so-called year without summer - from May to September 1816, frosts were in Europe and North America, which led to crop failure and, as a result, death of people from hunger and disease.

Krakatau - the volcano that gave rise to the most powerful explosion in history

The eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 affected the whole world. The catastrophe affected the planet's climate and for several months "repainted" the sun in green and blue hues. The volcano announced its awakening with a powerful roar, which was heard for five thousand kilometers. It is believed that this was the loudest sound in history. From the explosion, the deserted island of Krakatau was blown apart. From the shock wave, glass flew out in buildings located within a radius of 130 km from Krakatoa.

Volcanic precipitation blocked the sun, plunging the territories adjacent to the volcano into darkness. A hot pyroclastic flow swept through the water and reached the settlements.

A new test awaited those who survived - the volcano gave rise to a tsunami. Five giant waves hit the shore, flooding the islands of Sumatra and Java. About 300 villages and cities were destroyed. According to official figures, about 40 thousand people became victims of Krakatoa.

The catastrophe changed the climate on the planet for several years, causing a cooling. The release of a huge amount of ash into the atmosphere caused an unusual phenomenon - circles (halos) appeared around the Sun, and the celestial body itself turned green and blue for several months.

See the destructive power of a pyroclastic flow.

Volcano Lucky - "Slow Killer"

The eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland began in 1783. Through the faults that appeared as a result of tremors, lava poured out for eight months.

The situation was aggravated by the awakening of Laki's neighbor, the Grimsvötn volcano. A huge amount of toxic gases - sulfur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride - were released into the atmosphere. These compounds provoked acid rain, which destroyed animals and vegetation. The eruption killed crops and most of the livestock. As a result, more than 20% of the Icelandic population died of starvation and disease.

The poisonous fog spread to Europe as well. The effects of the Laki eruption were felt for another two years. Cooling was observed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, causing abnormally cold winters. Crop failure and the fall of livestock led to famine and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Pinatubo hit the planet's ozone layer

The powerful eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippine Islands in 1991 was one of the most destructive in the 20th century. The volcano was silent for 600 years. During this time, thousands of Filipinos settled on its slopes. The explosion thundered on June 12, and a column of smoke and ash rose over the volcano.

August 24-25, 79 AD an eruption occurred that was considered extinct Mount Vesuvius, located on the shores of the Gulf of Naples, 16 kilometers east of Naples (Italy). The eruption led to the death of four Roman cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontius, Stabia - and several small villages and villas. Pompeii, located 9.5 kilometers from the crater of Vesuvius and 4.5 kilometers from the base of the volcano, was covered with a layer of very small pieces of pumice about 5-7 meters thick and covered with a layer of volcanic ash. With the onset of night, lava flowed from the side of Vesuvius, everywhere fires started, the ashes made it hard to breathe. On August 25, along with the earthquake, a tsunami began, the sea receded from the coast, and a black thundercloud hung over Pompeii and the surrounding cities, hiding Cape Mizensky and the island of Capri. Most of the population of Pompeii was able to escape, but about two thousand people died from poisonous sulfurous gases on the streets and in the houses of the city. Among the victims was the Roman writer and scholar Pliny the Elder. Herculaneum, located seven kilometers from the crater of the volcano and about two kilometers from its sole, was covered with a layer of volcanic ash, the temperature of which was so high that all wooden objects were completely charred. The ruins of Pompeii were accidentally discovered at the end of the 16th century, but systematic excavations began only in 1748 and are still ongoing, along with reconstruction and restoration.

March 11, 1669 there was an eruption Mount Etna in Sicily, which lasted until July of that year (according to other sources, until November 1669). The eruption was accompanied by numerous earthquakes. Lava fountains along this crack gradually shifted downward, and the largest cone formed near the city of Nikolosi. This cone is known as Monti Rossi (Red Mountain) and is still clearly visible on the slope of the volcano. Nicolosi and two nearby villages were destroyed on the first day of the eruption. In another three days, the lava flowing down the slope to the south destroyed four more villages. At the end of March, two larger cities were destroyed, and in early April, lava flows reached the outskirts of Catania. Lava began to accumulate under the fortress walls. Part of it flowed into the harbor and filled it. On April 30, 1669, lava flowed over the upper part of the fortress walls. The townspeople built additional walls across the main roads. This made it possible to stop the progress of the lava, but the western part of the city was destroyed. The total volume of this eruption is estimated at 830 million cubic meters. Lava flows burned 15 villages and part of the city of Catania, completely changing the configuration of the coast. According to some sources, 20 thousand people, according to others - from 60 to 100 thousand.

October 23, 1766 on the island of Luzon (Philippines) began to erupt mayon volcano. Dozens of villages were swept away, incinerated by a huge lava flow (30 meters wide), which descended the eastern slopes for two days. Following the initial explosion and lava flow, Mayon volcano continued to erupt for another four days, spewing large amounts of steam and watery mud. Greyish-brown rivers, 25 to 60 meters wide, crashed down the slopes of the mountain in a radius of up to 30 kilometers. They completely swept away roads, animals, villages with people (Daraga, Kamalig, Tobako) on their way. More than 2,000 residents died during the eruption. Basically, they were swallowed up by the first lava flow or secondary mud avalanches. For two months, the mountain spewed ash, poured lava into the surrounding area.

April 5-7, 1815 there was an eruption Volcano Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. Ashes, sand and volcanic dust were thrown into the air to a height of 43 kilometers. Stones up to five kilograms in weight scattered over a distance of up to 40 kilometers. The Tambora eruption affected the islands of Sumbawa, Lombok, Bali, Madura and Java. Subsequently, under a three-meter layer of ash, scientists found traces of the fallen kingdoms of Pekat, Sangar and Tambora. Simultaneously with the volcanic eruption, a huge tsunami 3.5-9 meters high was formed. Receding from the island, the water hit the neighboring islands and drowned hundreds of people. Directly during the eruption, about 10 thousand people died. At least 82 thousand more people died from the consequences of the catastrophe - hunger or disease. Ashes that covered Sumbawa with a shroud destroyed the entire crop and covered the irrigation system; acid rain poisoned the water. For three years after Tambora's eruption, a veil of dust and ash particles enveloped the entire globe, reflecting part of the sun's rays and cooling the planet. The following year, 1816, Europeans felt the effects of a volcanic eruption. He entered the annals of history as "a year without a summer". The average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere has fallen by about one degree, and in some areas even by 3-5 degrees. Large areas of crops suffered from spring and summer frosts on the soil, and famine began in many territories.

August 26-27, 1883 there was an eruption Krakatoa volcano located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. From the tremors on the nearby islands, houses collapsed. On August 27, at about 10 am, there was a giant explosion, an hour later - a second explosion of the same force. More than 18 cubic kilometers of rock fragments and ash shot up into the atmosphere. The tsunami waves caused by the explosions instantly swallowed up cities, villages, forests on the coast of Java and Sumatra. Many islands disappeared under water along with the population. The tsunami was so powerful that it bypassed almost the entire planet. In total, 295 cities and villages were swept off the face of the earth on the coasts of Java and Sumatra, more than 36 thousand people died, hundreds of thousands were left homeless. The shores of Sumatra and Java have changed beyond recognition. On the coast of the Sunda Strait, fertile soil was washed away down to the rocky base. Only a third of the island of Krakatoa survived. In terms of the amount of water and rock displaced, the energy of the Krakatoa eruption is equivalent to the explosion of several hydrogen bombs. The strange glow and optical phenomena persisted for several months after the eruption. In some places above the Earth, the sun seemed blue and the moon bright green. And the movement in the atmosphere of dust particles thrown out by the eruption allowed scientists to establish the presence of a "jet" flow.

May 8, 1902 Mont Pelee volcano, located on Martinique, one of the islands of the Caribbean, literally exploded into pieces - four strong explosions sounded like cannon shots. They threw out a black cloud from the main crater, which was pierced by flashes of lightning. Since the emissions did not go through the top of the volcano, but through side craters, all volcanic eruptions of this type have since been called "Peleian". The superheated volcanic gas, which, due to its high density and high speed of movement, floated above the earth itself, penetrated into all the cracks. A huge cloud covered the area of ​​​​complete destruction. The second zone of destruction stretched for another 60 square kilometers. This cloud, formed from super-hot steam and gases, weighed down by billions of particles of incandescent ash, moving at a speed sufficient to carry rock fragments and volcanic eruptions, had a temperature of 700-980 ° C and was able to melt glass. Mont Pele erupted again - on May 20, 1902 - with almost the same force as on May 8. The volcano Mont-Pele, having scattered to pieces, destroyed one of the main ports of Martinique, Saint-Pierre, along with its population. 36 thousand people died instantly, hundreds of people died from side effects. The two survivors have become celebrities. Shoemaker Leon Comper Leander managed to escape within the walls of his own house. He miraculously survived, although he received severe burns to his legs. Louis Auguste Cypress, nicknamed Samson, was in a prison cell during the eruption and sat there for four days, despite severe burns. After being rescued, he was pardoned, soon he was hired by the circus and was shown during performances as the only surviving resident of Saint-Pierre.

June 1, 1912 eruption began Katmai volcano in Alaska, which has been dormant for a long time. On June 4, ash material was thrown out, which, mixed with water, formed mud flows, on June 6 there was an explosion of colossal force, the sound of which was heard in Juneau for 1200 kilometers and in Dawson for 1040 kilometers from the volcano. Two hours later there was a second explosion of great force, and in the evening a third. Then, for several days, an eruption of a colossal amount of gases and solid products went on almost continuously. During the eruption, about 20 cubic kilometers of ash and debris escaped from the mouth of the volcano. The deposition of this material formed a layer of ash from 25 centimeters to 3 meters thick, and much more near the volcano. The amount of ash was so great that for 60 hours there was complete darkness around the volcano at a distance of 160 kilometers. On June 11, volcanic dust fell in Vancouver and Victoria at a distance of 2200 km from the volcano. In the upper atmosphere, it spread throughout North America and fell in large quantities in the Pacific Ocean. For a whole year, small particles of ash moved in the atmosphere. Summer on the entire planet turned out to be much colder than usual, since more than a quarter of the sun's rays falling on the planet were retained in the ashy curtain. In addition, in 1912 surprisingly beautiful scarlet dawns were observed everywhere. A lake with a diameter of 1.5 kilometers formed on the site of the crater - the main attraction of the Katmai National Park and Reserve, formed in 1980.

December 13-28, 1931 there was an eruption volcano Merapi on the island of Java in Indonesia. For two weeks, from December 13 to 28, the volcano erupted a lava flow about seven kilometers long, up to 180 meters wide and up to 30 meters deep. The white-hot stream burned the earth, burned the trees and destroyed all the villages in its path. In addition, both sides of the volcano exploded, and the erupted volcanic ash covered half of the island of the same name. During this eruption, 1,300 people died. The eruption of Mount Merapi in 1931 was the most destructive, but far from the last.

In 1976, a volcanic eruption killed 28 people and destroyed 300 houses. Significant morphological changes taking place in the volcano caused another disaster. In 1994, the dome that had formed in previous years collapsed, and the resulting massive release of pyroclastic material forced the local population to leave their villages. 43 people died.

In 2010, the number of victims from the central part of the Indonesian island of Java was 304 people. The death toll included those who died from exacerbations of lung and heart diseases and other chronic diseases caused by ash emissions, as well as those who died from injuries.

November 12, 1985 eruption began Volcano Ruiz in Colombia, which was considered extinct. On November 13, several explosions were heard one after another. The power of the strongest explosion, according to experts, was about 10 megatons. A column of ash and rock fragments rose into the sky to a height of eight kilometers. The eruption that began caused the instantaneous melting of vast glaciers and eternal snows lying on the top of the volcano. The main blow fell on the city of Armero located 50 kilometers from the mountain, which was destroyed in 10 minutes. Of the 28.7 thousand inhabitants of the city, 21 thousand died. Not only Armero was destroyed, but also a number of villages. Such settlements as Chinchino, Libano, Murillo, Casabianca and others were badly affected by the eruption. Mudflows damaged oil pipelines, fuel supply to the southern and western parts of the country was cut off. As a result of the sudden melting of snow lying in the mountains of Nevado Ruiz, nearby rivers burst their banks. Powerful streams of water washed away roads, demolished power lines and telephone poles, destroyed bridges. According to the official statement of the Colombian government, as a result of the eruption of the Ruiz volcano, 23 thousand people died and went missing, about five thousand were seriously injured and maimed. About 4,500 residential buildings and administrative buildings were completely destroyed. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless and without any means of subsistence. The Colombian economy has suffered significant damage.

June 10-15, 1991 there was an eruption Mount Pinatubo on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The eruption began quite rapidly and was unexpected, as the volcano came into a state of activity after more than six centuries of dormancy. On June 12, the volcano exploded, sending a mushroom cloud into the sky. Streams of gas, ash and rocks melted to a temperature of 980 ° C poured down the slopes at a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour. For many kilometers around, all the way to Manila, day turned into night. And the cloud and the ash falling from it reached Singapore, which is 2.4 thousand kilometers away from the volcano. On the night of June 12 and the morning of June 13, the volcano erupted again, throwing ash and flame into the air for 24 kilometers. The volcano continued to erupt on June 15 and 16. Mud streams and water washed away houses. As a result of numerous eruptions, about 200 people died and 100 thousand were left homeless

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

On August 24, 79, the most famous volcanic eruption in history, the eruption of Vesuvius, took place. The cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae were buried under volcanic ash. Ash from Vesuvius flew to Egypt and Syria. We decided to make a selection of several world-famous volcanic eruptions.

1. One of the largest eruptions in modern history occurred on April 5-7, 1815 in Indonesia. Volcano Tambora erupted on the island of Sumbawa. Mankind remembered this volcanic eruption because of the large number of victims. During the catastrophe itself and subsequently, 92,000 people died of starvation. Ash clouds from Tambor's eruption blocked the sun's rays for so long that it even led to a drop in temperature over the area.

2. Taupo volcano in New Zealand erupted 27 thousand years ago. It remains the largest volcanic eruption in the last 70,000 years. During it, about 530 km³ of magma was erupted from the mountain. After the eruption, a giant caldera was formed, which is now partially filled with Lake Taupo, one of the most beautiful tourist spots in the world.

3. On August 27, 1883, Krakatoa volcano erupted between Java and Sumatra. This eruption is known for the largest volcanic explosion in history. The tsunami caused by this explosion covered 163 villages. More than 36,000 people died in the process. The roar from the colossal force of the explosion could be heard by 8 percent of the world's population, and pieces of lava were thrown up to a height of 55 kilometers. Volcanic ash, which was blown away by the wind, fell 5,000 kilometers from the site of the eruption 10 days later.

4. After the eruption of the Santorini volcano in Greece, the Cretan civilization perished. That happened around 1450 BC on the island of Thera. There is a version that Fera is Atlantis, which was described by Plato. According to another version, the pillar of fire that Moses saw is the eruption of Santorin, and the parted sea is a consequence of the island of Thera being submerged in water.

5. Mount Etna, in Sicily, according to some reports, has already erupted more than 200 times. In one of them, in 1169, 15 thousand people died. Etna is still an active volcano that erupts about once every 150 years. But the Sicilians still continue to settle on the side of the mountain due to the fact that the frozen lava makes the soil fertile. During the eruption that occurred in 1928, a miracle happened. Lava stopped right in front of the Catholic procession. A chapel was built on this site. Lava from the eruption that occurred 30 years after construction also stopped in front of it.

6. In 1902, the Montagne Pele volcano erupted on the island of Martinique. On May 8, a cloud of red-hot lava, vapors and gases covered the city of Saint-Pierre. The city was destroyed in a few minutes. Of the 28 thousand inhabitants who were in the city, two escaped, including Opost Siparis, who was sentenced to death. He was saved by the walls of the death row. The governor pardoned Siparis and he traveled around the world for hundreds of years, talking about what had happened.

7. In ten minutes, the city of Armero in Colombia was destroyed after the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano on November 13, 1985. This city was located 50 kilometers from the site of the eruption. Of the 28 thousand inhabitants after the eruption, only 7 thousand survived. Many more people could have survived if they had listened to volcanologists who warned of disaster. But no one believed the experts that day, as their forecasts turned out to be wrong several times.

8. June 12, 1991 in the Philippines came to life, dormant 611 years volcano Pinatubo. 875 people died in the disaster. Also during the eruption, an air force base and a US naval base were destroyed. The eruption led to a decrease in temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius and a reduction in the ozone layer, in particular, the formation of an ozone hole over Antarctica.

9. In 1912, on June 6, one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century occurred. Volcano Katmai erupted in Alaska. A column of ash from the eruption rose 20 kilometers. A lake formed on the site of the crater from the volcano - the main attraction of the Katmai National Park.

10 . The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. Thick puffs of volcanic ash shrouded parts of the Icelandic countryside, and an invisible plume of sand and dust covered Europe, clearing the skies of planes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to rush to find hotel rooms, train tickets and hire taxis.

11 . Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Russia. This volcano has erupted about 20 times. In 1994, another eruption began, when a powerful eruptive column loaded with ash rose from the summit crater to an absolute height of 12-13 km. Fountains of red-hot bombs flew up to 2-2.5 km above the crater, the maximum size of the debris reached 1.5-2 m in diameter. A thick dark plume, laden with volcanic products, extended to the southeast. Powerful mud flows passed along the already developed channels for a distance of 25-30 km and reached the river. Kamchatka