Volcanoes   - geological formations on the surface of the earth's crust, through which magma emerges. The name comes from the Roman god of fire - Vulcan. Today there are more than 1000 active volcanoes on the planet. Next we will introduce you to the classification of volcanoes, tell you where the majority of them are and what are considered the highest and most famous.

Volcanoes: Interesting Facts

There is a large classification of volcanoes. So, all volcanoes of the world   are divided into 3 types:
   By species (thyroid, stratovolcano, slag cones, domes);
   By location (ground, land, underwater);
   By activity (extinct, sleeping, acting).

Each volcano consists of the following parts:
   The main crater;
   The lateral crater;
   The Mouth.



  Some volcanoes spew not lava. There are also mud volcanoes, geysers belong to the post-volcanic formations.

Where are the volcanoes of the world

Most volcanoes are located in the Andes, Indonesia, Iceland, Hawaii and Kamchatka. However, they are located not chaotically, but in strictly defined zones:
   Most of the volcanoes are located in the zone called the Pacific volcanic fire ring: in the Andes, Cordillera, Kamchatka, as well as in the Philippines and New Zealand. There are almost all active volcanoes   of the world's land - 328 out of 540.
   Another zone of location is the Mediterranean folded belt, which includes the Mediterranean Sea (Santorini, Etna, Vesuvius) and stretches to Indonesia, where almost all the powerful eruptions of the world occurred: Tambora in 1815 and Krakatoa in 1883.
   The Mid-Atlantic Ridge forming whole volcanic islands. Bright examples: Canary Islands, Iceland.

Active volcanoes of the world

Most of the active volcanoes are located in the above zones. Often volcanoes erupt in Iceland, periodically recalls the highest volcano of Europe - Etna. Others, which are especially widely known:
   Popocatepetl, located near Mexico City;
   Vesuvius;
   Mauna Loa;
   Nyiragongo (DR Congo), famous for its huge lake of boiling lava, located in the crater.

Extinct volcanoes of the world

Often volcanoes complete active eruptions. Some of them are considered extinct, others are considered asleep. Extinct volcanoes of the world   located throughout the planet, including the Andes, which is the highest volcano in the world - (6893 meters), as well as a mountain of volcanic origin Aconcagua (the main peak of South America).

Often extinct volcanoes   are used as observatories, for example, Mauna Kea in the Hawaiian Islands, in the crater of which 13 telescopes are installed. By the way, it is Mauna Kea that is recognized as the highest volcano in general, if you consider the underwater part that its height is 10 205 meters.

The most famous volcanoes of the world

Stories of terrible eruptions, destroying whole cities and destroying the islands heard everything. Here we will tell about:
   Vesuvius, this small volcano in Italy (1281 m) destroyed the city of Pompeii. This moment is even captured in Briullov's painting "The Last Day of Pompeii".
   Etna - the highest volcano   in Europe, which periodically erupts. The last eruption took place in May 2015.
   Krakatau is a volcano in Indonesia, the eruption of which in 1883 was equal to the explosion of 10,000 atomic bombs. Now in its place is a new volcano - Anak-Krakatau.
   Tambora. In 1815, the most powerful eruption of our time took place, as a result of which a volcanic winter came (atmospheric pollution with ashes), and in 1816 it was a year without summer.
   Santorini, who destroyed the Minoan civilization and destroyed an entire island in the Mediterranean Sea.
   Mont-Pele in Martinique, in a few minutes, destroyed the port of Saint-Pierre. 36,000 people were killed
   The Yellowstone caldera is a potential super volcano whose eruption can change the world map.
   Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa.

An ordinary person does not see a big difference between "extinct" and "sleeping" volcanoes. In fact, the differences are very significant, because the conditionally "sleeping" volcanic formation can suddenly awaken, and then it will not seem to anybody.

Another thing - they are completely safe, what actively use travel companies and lovers of outdoor activities. What are the main features of extinct volcanoes?

Physics volcanic eruption - how it becomes extinct

The eruption is due to the presence in the magma of not only water vapor, but also various gases: hydrogen chloride and fluoride, sulfur oxides and, methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc.

In the "sleeping" volcano, the concentration of gases dissolved in the magma corresponds to the level of pressure under which the magma is at a certain depth. Thus, the state of equilibrium is maintained.

However, because of earthquakes that shift the areas of the cortex, there may be a decrease in pressure, for example, near the magma chamber. The equilibrium state is violated and the gases immediately increase in volume due to the transition to the gaseous state.

Foaming magma begins to move upward, which leads to an even greater drop in pressure, and hence to acceleration of the process of gas evolution from magma.

Accordingly, the probability of its awakening tends to zero.

List of known extinct volcanoes of the world

Volcanoes, which pose no threat, are located on all seven continents: in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica and Australia.

To date, there are over two hundred extinct volcanoes in the world. The most typical representatives of this type are presented below.

Rocky

This extinct volcano is located on the peninsula of Kamchatka, in the heart of the Median ridge. The highest point of the volcano is at a height of 1759 meters above sea level.

According to geologists, the last time Kamenisty showed activity about two and a half million years ago. The volcano formed lava flows and pyroclastic rocks. The volcanic form in the form of a gently sloping cone does not end with a crater, eroded by erosion, but with a steep apex.

Arayat

It is located on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. The highest point is 1025 meters.

The last eruption occurred, most likely, about 10 thousand years ago. Despite the erosion that hit the northern and western parts of the crater, it still survived on top.

Demavend (Damavand)

It is located in the Iranian province of Mazandiran and is the highest point of the Elburs mountain system (5620 meters above sea level). The last eruption was recorded around 5350 BC.

Demavend has the form of a shallow cone and rises above Elburz for one and a half kilometers. The volcanic cone arose from andesitic lava, but on the slopes there are also glaciers.

Sajama

It is located in Bolivia, in the Central Andes. The highest point above sea level is 6542 meters. Sahama is part of the homonymous National Park, located near the Chilean border.

The exact date of the last activity is not known reliably, but many scientists insist on the epoch of the Quaternary period of Holocene, ie. about 12 thousand years ago.

Sahama is a classic stratovolcano in the form of a cone, composed of hardened lava and its debris. At an altitude of more than 6,000 meters, it never covers melting snow and ice.

Aconcagua

It is considered the highest extinct volcano considered to be located all in the same Andes, but already in Argentine territory. The summit is located at around 6961 meters above sea level.

Aconcagua, he is considered not only a record holder among his brethren, but also the highest point of the southern and western hemispheres. For these merits, he even got on the list of the highest peaks of six parts of the world "Seven Peaks".

Aconcagua is also one of the oldest volcanic formations on the planet.

The exact date is unknown, but many scientists come to the conclusion that it originated about 150 million years ago.

Excursions to extinct volcanoes

The traditional excursion lasts 1-2 days and implies either a climb to the tops on helicopters, or a foot climb.

Some volcanoes are even equipped with special areas where tourists can arrange a halt and enjoy the natural views opening from high altitudes.

Extinct volcanoes are not only a living reminder of the great power of nature.

Thanks to their a large number   anywhere in the world, anyone can organize an appropriate tour and get an unforgettable experience.

On the Armenian plateau. It is located on the territory of Turkey, but for a long time belonged to Armenia and is a symbol of this state. The mountain consists of two peaks - the Greater and Lesser Ararat, the cones of which were formed after the eruption of the volcano. The first has a height of 5165 meters, the second - 3,925 meters above sea level. They are located at a fairly large distance from each other and look like two separate mountains. Both peaks are extinct, although in the bowels of this region the activity did not stop: in 1840 a small eruption occurred in the vicinity, which caused an earthquake and an avalanche.

Elbrus and Kazbek

The highest point of Europe - Elbrus - is also often called extinct   stratovolcano, although this title can be challenged, since last eruption   occurred in the historical period, in the 1st century AD. Although the scale of this eruption was insignificant in comparison with what this volcano did in prehistoric times. It was formed more than twenty million years ago, at the dawn of its existence many times erupted, throwing out a huge amount of ash.

Kazbek also called extinct, but his last earthquake occurred in 650 BC. Therefore, many scientists consider it to be operational, because by geological standards, not so much time has passed.

Other extinct volcanoes

Really extinct volcanoes, which have not been active for more than ten thousand years, are several hundred more active than the active ones, but they are almost unknown in the broad masses, since most of them, because of their antiquity, do not differ in their height and large dimensions. Many of them are in Kamchatka: it is Key, Olka, Chavych, Calm, part - in oceans   in the form of islands formed as a result of the eruption. Several volcanoes, allegedly incapable of erupting, are in the Baikal area: Kovrizhka, Podgorny, Talsky Peak.

One of the Scottish castles is built on the remains of a very ancient extinct volcano, which last erupted more than three hundred million years ago. From its slopes, almost nothing remained - in the glacial period the glaciers broke them. In New Mexico there is the Rock Ship Rock - also the remnant of an ancient volcano: its walls are almost completely destroyed, and the channel with the frozen magma is partially exposed.

For a long time the Mexican volcano El-Chichon was extinct, but in 1982 it suddenly began to erupt. Scientists began to investigate it and found out that the previous eruption occurred not so long ago - just over a thousand years ago, they simply did not know anything about it.

Volcanoes are mountains that can spew fire, fragments of rocks, smoke, lava. Scientists subdivide them according to volcanic activity into acting, sleeping and extinct. There are several criteria by which a volcano can be attributed to extinct.

Instructions

The main features of the volcano are the crater, or caldera, and the stratification of the rocks forming the cone. But over time, an extinct volcano collapses, eroded   The crater is washed away and covered with new layers of earth. Then it can be difficult to say whether the mountain is extinct

Volcanoes - this is the place where magma comes to the surface of the planet. It's simple. But up to now this is almost an unexplored natural element, which causes great destruction to human settlements, but at the same time it is a spectacle that can not but fascinate. Particularly beautiful and dangerous large volcanoes, which should be known to everyone.

10. Mauna Loa - a volcano in the Pacific Ocean on the island of Hawaii, is known for its truly gigantic dimensions, its height reaches 4170 meters, but the volume of the constituent material is 80,000 cubic kilometers. The last volcanic eruption occurred in 1984.

9. Tahumulko - the highest point of Central America and Guatemala, 4220 meters above sea level. It has two peaks: a young one on the western part of the cone, and an old one on the eastern side. To date, the volcano is asleep, there is not even information about the recent eruptions.

8. Rainier - volcano, located in the state of Washington, the height of 4392 meters. It is the highest point of the Cascade Mountains. The volcano is asleep, the last small eruption was in 1854, but activity was manifested until 1894.

7. Klyuchevskaya Sopka – active volcano   height of 5000 meters. Located in the east of the Kamchatka peninsula, it is in constant activity: in 2010, it threatened air aviation.

6. Sangai - a volcano on the slope of the Andes in Ecuador. Height above sea level - 5230 meters. The basis of the mountain is ancient volcano, but the upper part - the young rocks that make up the cone. Since 1728, he constantly threw ash and vapors, the last eruption was in 1975.

5. Nevado del Huila - a volcano with a height of 5365 meters is located in Colombia, and is the highest point of the country. Until 2007, the volcano was considered invalid, as it was inactive for more than 500 years, but then began to exhibit insignificant seismic activity.

4. Orizaba - a tourist attraction of Mexico, this is the most high mountain   countries. Its height is 5700 meters, and the last eruption of the volcano occurred in 1687. The highest activity of the volcano occurred in the XVI-XVII century.

3. Cotopaxi (Cotopashi) is the most active volcano   Ecuador, since 1738, it erupted more than 50 times. The last eruption in 1976. Its height is 5897 meters, above 4700 meters is covered by glaciers. Interestingly, in form, it is almost an ideal cone.