There are active volcanoes. The most dangerous volcanoes in the world

A volcanic eruption, whether a whim of nature or divine providence, poses a huge risk to humans. Seething streams of lava descending onto the nearby plains, toxic volcanic ash that settles to the ground, clouds of smoke that hide the sun - this is not all that awaits settlements close to the active volcano. The earth under the solidified lava turns into a deserted, lifeless mass, unsuitable for habitation; and the destruction brings catastrophic losses.

Here you can read the letters on English language. The letter, by the way, is one big contradiction. The traditional dating for the explosion of Vesuvius, which we also used, comes from the letters of Pliny the Younger. However, it has better preserved versions, some of which indicate that the volcano was not blown up in August, but rather in November, and also suggests some archaeological finds and studying the prevailing wind directions in individual months of the year. It is therefore open to us whether we will ever succeed in eradicating the destruction of Pompey in the future within a few months.

To prevent possible disasters, the International Association of Volcanology and Earth Chemistry dangerous volcanoes the world were compiled into a single list, and they were monitored round-the-clock by scientists. As soon as the volcano begins to prepare for awakening, local authorities immediately learn about it and begin preparing to take emergency measures. Below is complete information about the most dangerous and famous volcanoes in the world.

A long time passed before Pompey reappeared in the light of the whole world in the very state where the raging volcano had left her. For more than one and a half thousand years no one has seen them, and no one has ever looked for them. In the end, Pompeii was discovered by accident and had to be repeated in order for the world to look at the city again. Pompeii lay buried under volcanic material for another 150 years.

Giuseppe Fiorelli took over Italy's work, and it was he who knew that the cavities in the material once contained people whose remains had disintegrated. Fiorelli began filling these cavities with plaster, and the resulting castings beautifully captured the final moments of the people of Pompeii, human and animal.

Located on south side On the Indonesian island of Java, the famous and fairly young volcano Merapi is also one of the largest and most powerful in the world. Its height is 2914 meters, and it itself has become a real curse for the nearby city of Yoghyart. This “fire mountain” regularly shows its activity. Every 7 years there is a major volcanic eruption, and about once every six months you can expect a minor one.

With this evidence of man's final moment, Pompey also emerged from the ashes. Although they were damaged by a pyroclastic wave, they represent and still represent the most modern model of a Roman city with a preserved street layout, many buildings with clear use, many mosaics and other pieces of art, an incomparable architectural treasure and a huge tourist attraction. And by the way, the city is also known for a huge amount of erotic material, and not just in brothels.

Plumes of smoke rise up from the crater every day, as if reminding residents of the surrounding area of ​​possible danger. One of the most catastrophic eruptions of the Merapi volcano should be dated to 1672 (1673). A powerful eruption wiped out great amount settlements on the island of Java, diverted about 10 rivers and led to the death of a significant number of residents.

In addition, visitors to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, where thousands of objects salvaged from the city are on display. Pompeii has been functioning with some degree of severity and without maintenance for a long time, but this time it just passes. Two buildings in the city have fallen recently, apparently due to heavy rains, waterlogged soils and long-term damage to the exposed brickwork. Although there were no casualties, the same survey estimated the cost of needed repairs to city buildings at approximately $335 million.

Only a third of the buildings that tourists could visit in the 1960s are now accessible, and the situation is about to get worse. In any case, as the trend of open field archeology and archeology grows, it is very likely that a more complete Roman monument than Pompey will never be found. So if you want to see a Roman city, Pompeii is a clear choice. Despite numerous restrictions on access, you can literally spend days in the heart of the Roman Riviera, whose life is gone within half a minute.

Pompeii's face can be remembered minimally visually when you watch the recently released film Pompeii. Although there is currently no active volcano on Czech territory, we can find a number of extinct volcanoes. This memorable mountain rises about 200 meters above its surroundings and is in fact an extinct volcano, accordingly. The remainder is exposed to smoke.

A large eruption of Merapi also took place in 1906. It was characterized by the destruction of the cone of the volcano itself. The explosion, which violated the integrity of the shell, was heard for hundreds of kilometers. In the 19th century, volcanologists recorded nine major eruptions of Mount Merapi. In the twentieth century, their number exceeded 15.

One of the last famous eruptions of an active volcano occurred at the end of 2010. Due to the state of emergency, about 80,000 people were evacuated from nearby areas, but casualties could not be avoided; more than 100 people died.

Forms a unique natural feature of the town of Slana in Kladno. This is actually the original southern slope of the volcano, which was about 5.5 km long and about 2 km wide. The volcano was active until the last one to two million years, that is. Late Tertiary and beginning of the Quaternary period.

It is the best preserved stratovolcano in Moravia. In the area of ​​the Kaczawa Hills and Mountains, the Land of Exhausted Volcanoes is one of the most geologically and tectonic areas in Poland. These are logs with dug trenches and racks. The oldest rocks that make up the Kachava Mountains come from the Cambrian and are more than 500 million years old. The volcanic landscape of the Kazawa Hills can be admired thanks to the presence of basalt volcanoes of former volcanoes.

Sakurajima - never sleeps

The active Sakurajima volcano is located on the south side Japanese island Kyushu, near picturesque city Kagoshima. The volcano reaches a height of 1118 meters, and its activity has not stopped since 1955: a powerful eruption can occur at any moment. One of the strongest was recorded in 1914.

Geological processes, including earth movements and volcanic eruptions, have led to an enormous wealth of gems and minerals. You can find here: pyrite, azurite, malachite, galena, native silver, agate, amethyst, rock crystal, ruby, zirconium, gem, corundum, topaz, tourmaline, titanite, emerald, gypsum and many others. There is even gold in river sediments.

Volcanic processes also led to the creation of volcanic chimneys, built by the Silesian Fujairah, with unique basalt boxes protected by the Ostrowiecka Sandy Nature Reserve. Magnificence is a wonderful viewpoint, the highest in the area. The Vilča Góra Nature Reserve is very interesting, which includes a quarry that exploits basalt from a volcanic volcano 17 million years ago. He revealed unusual rocks that looked like rose petals. You can also visit Chartovskaya Rock - interesting in its basalt form from the volcanic past.

From that moment on, the island of Kyushu became connected to the mainland by igneous rock poured out from the Sakurajima vent. This isthmus has turned into a kind of trail, famous among tourists and volcanologists who visit from time to time. As for the residents of Kagoshima, they are accustomed to a restless neighborhood with an active volcano and conduct regular exercises in case of emergency evacuation.

The Kachava Mountains also contain metal ores - copper, lead, silver and iron, which have been exploited here since the Middle Ages. The most famous are the most beautiful agate cachavas in the world, which were also formed due to the presence of volcanic processes in the region.

Attractions in the country of Expired Volcanoes

You can also visit two observation towers located nearby - in Pasovice and from where you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the Sudetenland and the foothills. Somewhere in the sea, Atlantis existed thousands of years ago. An extraordinary civilization has developed in the land of wealth. But one day the land on the Atlantic shook, and the island suddenly disappeared into the sea. This vision was presented two thousand years ago by Plato. For centuries it was seen as a product of the imagination of a Greek philosopher.


The crater itself is under continuous video surveillance using high-precision equipment, which sensitively captures all changes in the giant mountain and transmits them to local researchers. In case of any changes, they immediately notify the authorities.

After the explosion of the former mighty island, there are several small islands, the largest of which is Santorini, called Thira. However, the volcano on which it lies has not expired. From time to time the ground shakes and a little lava flows. Recently, the activity of the volcano has increased significantly. Recent studies by Oxford University researchers show that the soil of Santorini and other islands lying on the volcano has risen, indicating that magma is growing.

The volcano woke up less than two years ago, which first of all caused a small shock, barely perceptible by seismographs. This was his first recorded action for 25 years. Today, devices are registering increasingly powerful impacts across all the islands on the volcano.

Yellowstone - American super-volcano

In the US state of Wyoming, in the heart of Yellowstone national park is supposedly the most powerful dormant volcano in the world. Its height reaches 3142 meters.

According to volcanologists, the Yellowstone monster has already had 3 of the largest eruptions in its entire existence. The approximate time intervals between them are about 600,000 years.

According to experts, this does not necessarily mean that the volcano will erupt in the coming months or even years. No one gives security guarantees. “Even though observations of the exact date of a volcanic eruption cannot be predicted,” says Prof.

However, if an explosion occurs, it can be very strong. The Santorini volcano is one of the most dangerous on Earth, says the professor. It is located in the zone where continental plates collide. In such areas, the feet are rich in volatile substances. Their eruption is always very explosive. The situation in Santorini is aggravated by the fact that the volcano is located in the sea. When hot magma from such a volcano comes into contact with cold water, the force of the explosion is unlikely to increase. It produces a cloud of dust, says Prof.

IN last years There is an increase in the activity of the famous American volcano, which manifests itself in the overheating of geysers located on its slopes. Some of them emit powerful streams of geothermal vapor instead of water. Since 2006, there has been a slight rise in soil in several places. This once again confirms the guess that the volcano is becoming active.

Archaeologists are convinced that the eruption not only destroyed Thira, but also developed the neighboring Cretan Mine culture, one of the oldest human civilizations during the Bronze Age. The Santorini outbreak was even more devastating. - Today, it is estimated that it was about 1.5-2 times stronger than the Krakatoa explosion - prof. A study this year by scientists from the University of Rhode Island and the Hellenic Center for Marine Research confirmed that the volcano erupted as much as 60 cubic meters of magma. It is possible that if Santorini were to erupt now, the event would be comparatively violent if magma chamber accumulated a large amount of magma under the volcano -.

The consequences of the explosion will be felt by the entire planet. After the explosion, we can expect dust to partially cut off the sun's rays and temporarily cool the Earth's climate. But the tsunami wave will be the most dangerous. It is likely that air transport will stop for many months. The volcano in Iceland is much smaller. With advanced volcanic monitoring systems, seismographs and hundreds of sensors surrounding the island, local residents Today they also cannot feel safe. "It is not certain that Santorini's warning systems will work because an explosion could happen very quickly," says Prof.

Popocatepetl - alluring mystery

In the state of Puebla, in the vast expanses of Mexico, lies one of the most mysterious and unpredictable active volcanoes. Its height is 5452 meters, and its name translated from the original language means “hill that smokes.” Long time this volcano had no idea great danger for a Latin American country and was considered completely extinct. However, since the end of the twentieth century, he has openly declared his imminent awakening.

There are various methods for determining the speed of an eruption. A number of data from experimental studies indicate that only a few minutes may pass from the first signs to major eruptions. This is extreme data, usually more this time. Even though it may be that the volcano is still powerless, like the inhabitants of Atlantis.

Expired, but there are hundreds of them. And it's also easy to recognize. They are also easy to find on the other side of the mountains - in Czech Republic. The area of ​​extinct volcanoes in the Kaczawa Hills is located in a triangle between the cities of Jelenia Góra, Jawor and Zlotoria. For millions of years, this was a hellish land - its landscape was dominated by hundreds of smoky volcanic cones.

The ideal shape of a cone, a bottomless elliptical crater, smooth vertical walls - large clouds of smoke periodically appear above all this geometric splendor.

Over the past 600 years, volcanologists have recorded about 25 fairly powerful lava emissions from the depths of Popocatepetl. One of the last weak eruptions of an active volcano occurred in June 2011. In the event of a more serious explosion, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Today, the Silesian volcanoes are connected by an 85-kilometer volcanic trail. It sounds proud, but it does not mean, as we expected, a designated route with signs and information boards. The boards, yes, stand at the foot of protected volcanoes, but the signs on Silesian roads are like medicine. That's why we've created a map of these places for you. The volcanoes in the Kachava Hills are remnants of the three most important periods of volcanic activity.

What parts of the volcano remain today?

Some of the former volcanoes are simply volcanic cones. Other erosion has lost its former forms, but their true nature has only been revealed by the quarries - extremely numerous in this area, and most of them are no longer in use. Miners in many places have dug down to the hardest part of the volcano, the remains of a chimney filled with hard, most often basaltic magma.

Vesuvius - a living legend

An active and unusually powerful one is located near the Italian province of Napoli. Its height is 1281 meters. And it itself is considered one of the largest in the Apennines. Visually it represents 3 combined cones, which can tell a lot about the past of this famous European volcano.

The main cone was created by the mutual layering of tuff and hardened lava. It is located in the middle between the outer arc-shaped shaft of Monte Somma and the inner temporary cone, which disappears during new powerful eruptions and then reappears. Vesuvius is a volcano that went down in history as the cause of the destruction of Stabia, Herculaneum and Pompeii in 79. Over the entire period of its existence, more than 80 powerful eruptions have been recorded. The last time the famous volcano was active was in 1944, which brought serious destruction to the surrounding areas.

Nyiragongo - great and merciless

The most active, largest and dangerous volcano on the African continent is Nyiragongo. In just 150 years it has erupted more than 30 times. And in some cases, volcanic activity lasted for several months or even years. In 1977, a famous eruption occurred that claimed the lives of several hundred people. One of the most powerful eruptions was in 2002, when lava, sweeping away everything in its path, destroyed half the territory of the nearby city of Goma.


The lava of the volcano is quite liquid and extremely fluid, which is due to the lack of quartz in its composition. As a result, it moves at lightning speed, about 100 km/h. According to modern research conducted by seismologists, the largest known eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano is still ahead, and it could happen at any moment. The city of Goma will again be under attack from a merciless monster.

Volcanoes play a huge role in creating the landscape of our earth, and since I am quite fascinated by them, I am pleased to know that there are active volcanoes that you can visit. Exciting, exciting and adventurous... What could be better than climbing an active volcano? Here are some of the active volcanoes scattered around the world that you can visit.

Since 1983, Kilauea Volcano has been constantly awakening, and today it is one of the most active volcanoes that can be visited. This is the youngest of the 5 volcanoes that form Hawaii, it is located in the southern part of the island. The Hawaiian name for the volcano, Kilauea, translates to “strongly spreading.” It was named so because of its constant eruption. Only experienced people can count on being able to climb there, as there are certain risks, and the requirements for preparing tourists are high. You can take boat and helicopter tours to see the volcanic activity, especially how lava flows into the sea.


In 79 AD this volcano erupted and destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Today, tourists are offered a very popular tour of the ruins of Pompeii. The volcano is considered inactive in the fall and spring, so this is a great time to visit it. 1944 was the last time Vesuvius erupted. But the volcano is still closely monitored, as about three million people live close enough to be affected if it erupts.


The Sicilian volcano Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe, with a height of about 3350 m. The ancient Greeks believed that deep inside the core of the volcano, the Cyclops forged lightning for Zeus. Located in the Regional Park of Etna, Mount Etna is one of the most amazingly picturesque active volcanoes you can see. IN winter period You can go skiing here, and in summer you can go hiking on this mountain. The last major volcanic eruption was in 2001, and this is a fairly popular volcano among volcanologists.


In 1980, a catastrophic eruption of this volcano occurred, which lasted 9 hours. It was the most destructive eruption in the United States. The damage caused was: 57 dead, 250 people left homeless, 298 km of roads, 24 km of rails were destroyed, 47 bridges were destroyed. Stable, on this moment, St. Helens is one of the volcanoes that you can visit and see the aftermath of the recent eruption. You can climb to the top of the mountain and look at the damage done to the forests and landscape. The moon-like landscape is one of the reasons why you should visit this active volcano.


Located in the Philippines, Mount Pinatubo is a volcano with a height of 1780 m. In 1991, after 600 years of hibernation, this volcano erupted with catastrophic results. During the nine-hour eruption, more than 800 people died and about 100,000 were left homeless. It was the second largest eruption of the 20th century. The eruption released millions of tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, affecting global temperatures in subsequent years. The volcano's crater now houses Lake Pinatubo, and one of the great volcano tours allows you to see the beauty of this lake.


Located in Guatemala, this volcano has erupted regularly since 1965. In some cases, eruptions required the evacuation of numerous villages. This is one of the volcanoes that people love to climb, but before you can climb there, you need to pay for training courses, since several people have already died due to the eruption. A safer option is to take a tour of this active volcano. You can find many tour operators in Guatemala. On a clear day in Guatemala City, you can enjoy stunning views of a volcanic eruption.


The island of Stromboli, which is part of the Aeolian Islands, has the world's longest period of activity, spanning over 2,000 years. Due to its frequent eruptions, the Stromboli volcano is called the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean”. Eruptions are caused by small gas explosions that create "bubbles" of lava. These small eruptions can occur several times every hour. When this type of eruption occurs in other volcanic chains, they are called "strombolic eruptions." There are ongoing tours that provide a glimpse of how such eruptions occur.

Of course, visiting active volcanoes is an adventure, but, of course, safety should be your main concern. Guided tours - the best choice, because local residents usually always know what is happening to their mountain. Have you ever climbed an active volcano?