Where was the strongest volcanic eruption. The strongest volcanic eruptions in the XX century

In our country there are about two hundred different volcanoes. Most of them are located on the territory of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, including 8.3% of the total number of active volcanoes of the planet. Here are 10 of them that erupted over the past 10 years.

Berg volcano (The last eruption: 2005).

It is an active volcano, located on the island of Urup, in the middle of the Great chain of islands of the Kuril archipelago. It is part of the Bell group. The absolute height is 1040 m. The eruptions of Berg are known and recorded in the history in 1946, 1951, 1952, 1970, 1973 and 2005. Currently, it records thermal and fumarolic activity. The flora and fauna of the volcano are rather scarce, alder bushes grow on its slopes, and cormorants and seagulls nest.

In addition to the fatal aspects of the eruption of the volcano, they also caused significant economic damage. Lava flows from the volcanic eruption. Volcanoes can be disastrous for administrations, private companies and local residents in the areas where they occur, given the far-reaching costs of volcanic damage. When hundreds and thousands of people become unemployed, countless sufferings from health problems and purification of volcanic ash, which are required later, volcanoes may be among the most costly natural disasters known to mankind.


Chikurachki (The last eruption: 2008).

A complex stratovolcano with a crater vertex, formed from 40 to 50 thousand years ago. It is located on the northern extremity of the Karpinskiy range. The absolute height of 1816 m. One of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands. The eruptions of 1853 and 1986 were the strongest (the Plinian type). Between eruptions, the volcano is in a state of weak fumarolic activity.

The most expensive volcanoes in the record

The eruption of the volcano was quite small, but nevertheless it caused a huge stream of mud, lava and debris. Several evacuation attempts were made on the day of the eruption, but the connection became limited due to a violent storm. Many victims continued to stay in their homes, thinking that the eruption was over, when in fact the noise from the storm just drowned out the sounds of the volcanic eruption.

Other costly volcanic eruptions

Although the death of people due to volcanic eruptions is the most terrible threat, the economic damage that they can potentially cause is also not a laugh. As we become aware of the dangers of volcanoes, in vulnerable areas and action plans, we hope that the financial damage associated with volcanoes may be better mitigated in the future.


Volcano Sarycheva (The last eruption: 2009).

Stratovulkan of the Somma-Vesuvius type on the island of Matua of the Great Kuril chain; one of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands. The absolute height of 1446 m. ​​The strongest volcanic activity occurred from 12 to 15 June 2009. It manifested itself in the descent of pyroclastic flows, pyroclastic waves, the outflow of lava flows. Pyroclastic flows reached the sea and in some places its shore retreated by 400 meters. These streams covered the snowfields in the southeastern part of the volcano, which caused intensive melting of snow and, as a result, the Lahars' gathering. As a result of this eruption, the area of ​​the island increased by 1.5 square meters. km, and the surface of the volcano fell by 40 mm and moved north by about 30 mm. On the area of ​​up to 30 square meters. km vegetation was lost.

The most expensive volcanic eruptions in history

Human activity emits 60 or more times the amount of carbon dioxide released by volcanoes every year. Large violent eruptions can correspond to the rate of human emissions for several hours, which they continue, but they are too rare and fleeting to resist the annual emissions of mankind. In fact, several separate US states allocate more carbon dioxide per year than all the combined volcanoes on the planet.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, human emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and cement production have grown to more than 35 billion metric tons per year, and volcanoes produce less than 1 billion metric tons per year. Volcanoes emit carbon dioxide in two ways: during eruptions and underground magma. Carbon dioxide from underground magma is released through vents, porous rocks and soils and water that feeds volcanic lakes and hot springs.


Ebeko (The Last Eruption: 2010).

A complex stratovolcano with several summit craters. It is located in the north of the island; in the northern part of the Vernadsky range. The absolute height is 1156 m. One of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands. During the eruption in September 1859, dense sulfur fumes closed the neighboring island of Shumshu, causing nausea and headache in the residents.

Global estimates have fallen between about 3-15 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, which means that carbon emissions in the human world were more than 90 times greater than global carbon dioxide emissions in volcanoes. About nine hours, carbon dioxide emissions from a volcano may correspond to human emissions, but such massive eruptions are rare and fleeting. Geological survey of Robert Krimmel's photo.

Recognizing the large range of variability of estimates, the authors concluded that the best overall estimate is about 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Although higher than Gerlach's estimate, this figure still remains only part of the production of carbon dioxide from human activities.


Flat Tolbachik (The Last Eruption: 2012).

Tolbachik - a volcanic massif in the east of Kamchatka, in the southwestern part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. It consists of the Sharp Tolbachik (3682 m) and the Flat Tolbachik (3140 m), located on the pedestal of the ancient shield volcano. A new fracture eruption began on November 27, 2012, with a crack opening about 5 km long, a few kilometers south of the caldera. The lava flow of the South Center was flooded by a hospital located at the foot of the volcano IVS FEB RAS (the former base "Leningradskaya"), as well as the building of the base of the natural park "Volcanoes of Kamchatka".

Sometimes eruptions are powerful enough to release carbon dioxide at a rate that corresponds to or even exceeds the global rate of human emissions for several hours. For example, Gerlach suggested that the eruptions of Mount St. Helens and Pinatubo released carbon dioxide on a scale similar to the human release at about nine o'clock. The carbon dioxide emissions of humans continue from day to day, month after month, year after year.

Volcanic activity today can be pale compared to the carbon dioxide emissions that we generate by burning fossil fuels for energy, but during geologic time volcanoes sometimes contributed to global warming by producing a significant amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.


Kizimen (The last eruption: 2013).

It is located on the western slope of the southern tip of the Tumrok ridge, 115 km from the village of Milkovo, 265 km from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The absolute height of 2376 m. During the eruption in 2009, some geysers became active in the valley of the geysers. Before the eruption in the crater was an extrusion lava plug. On May 3, 2009 at 9:00 am Kizimen stepped up and the lava plug literally split into small volcanic rocks, as a result of which ashes scattered over much of the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve.

This large-scale, prolonged eruption probably caused a global temperature sufficient to cause one of the worst extinction events on our planet. Current volcanic activity does not occur on the same mass scale.

Today, and not the warming of the global climate, volcanic eruptions often have the opposite effect. This is because carbon dioxide is the only thing that volcanoes inject into the atmosphere. Even small eruptions often produce particles of volcanic ash and aerosol.

Surrounding the globe at altitudes even higher than the tops of thunderclouds, the particles reflected so much sunlight that the global surface temperatures cooled for two years. Of small or large eruptions, volcanic aerosols reflect sunlight back into space, cooling the global climate.


Unnamed (Last eruption: 2013).

The volcano in Kamchatka, near Klyuchevskaya hill, is about 40 km from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky district. The absolute height of this volcano is 2882 m. The most famous eruption of Nameless was in 1955-1956. The height of the eruption cloud reached a height of about 35 km. As a result of the eruption, a horseshoe crater with a diameter of 1.3 km was formed, open to the east. At the eastern foot of the volcano on an area of ​​500 square meters. km trees and shrubs were broken and felled in the direction of the volcano.

Signs are condensed that the strongest volcano of Iceland can face a huge eruption. Volcanologists from the University of Iceland have warned about this. As evidence of several earthquakes that shocked the end of October, the volcanic region on the island.

The last two reached level 4. 7 on the Richter scale. "I am confident that the pressure in the magmatic chamber will increase," said Sara Barsotti, coordinator of the meteorological service "Iceland". He is Icelandic, and also one of the most active. This is the so-called subglacial volcano, because it lies under the ice of the glacier Vatnajokull. Such mountains of fire are considered especially dangerous: a large amount of glacial ice falls out in the eruption. When the resulting vapor collides with the magma, explosions occur that break the molten mass into small particles.


Klyuchevskaya Sopka (The last eruption: 2013).

Stratovulkan in the east of Kamchatka. It is the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent. The age of the volcano is about 7000 years, and its height varies from 4750 to 4850 m and more above sea level. The last eruption began on August 15, 2013. On August 26, the first lava flow was recorded on the southwestern slope of the volcano, later 4 lava flows flowed. On October 15-20, the culmination phase of the eruption of the volcano with the ascent of the ash column to 10-12 km was observed. The ash plume stretched to the south-west of the Klyuchevsky volcano. In the villages of Lazo and Atlasovo, ash falls, the thickness of the fallen ash is about two millimeters.

Then they fly like fine ash in the air. It also belongs to the subglacial type. At first, its slopes arched, then the hot steam filtered out. The subsequent eruption caused strong streams of thawed water, which turned the neighboring river Markarfjot into a stream up to three kilometers wide. As a result, more than a thousand flights were canceled in Europe and around it.

Sulfur-containing gases to Norway

Bardarbunga survived the last eruption of the year. It lasted almost six months, shedding almost two cubic kilometers of lava covering an area of ​​85 square kilometers. However, the volcano then threw a small ash into the atmosphere, but it released a large amount of sulfur-containing gases. When the gas cloud reached Norway, the concentration of sulfur dioxide in it was so high that you could smell the sulfur.


Karymskaya Sopka (Last eruption: 2014).

The volcano is located on Kamchatka, within the Eastern Ridge. Refers to stratovolcanoes. The absolute height of 1468 m. A very active volcano, since 1852 more than 20 eruptions have been recorded. Near Karymskaya Sopka, in the caldera of the neighboring ancient volcano is Karymskoe Lake. With a powerful underwater explosion in 1996, almost all life was lost in the lake.

Now Iceland can again face such a scenario. Current earthquakes indicate that the magmatic chamber of Bardarbunga is refueling. Ascent from the inner glowing liquid of the Earth flows through cracks in the depths of the Earth. It exerts pressure on the surrounding stone, which causes tremors.

Volcanologists can measure the movement of magma. Then they know how close to the surface of the earth, and with it, if there is one. Their strengths and duration can not be predicted from this data, even when they begin. This also applies to the current situation in Bardarbung. "When a volcanic eruption is difficult to say, it's a million dollar issue," says Barsotti, an expert on meteorological services.


Shiveluch (Last eruption: March 2015).

Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula within the Eastern Ridge. The northernmost of the active volcanoes of Kamchatka. The absolute height of 3307 m. On June 27, 2013, early in the morning Shiveluch threw an ash column up to 10 km above sea level, in the village of Klyuchi located 47 km from the volcano, passed ash falls, the streets of the village were powdered with a layer of red ash up to a millimeter thick. October 18, after the volcano Klyuchevskaya hill Shiveluch threw a column of ash height of 7600 meters. February 7, 2014 threw a column of ash with a height of more than 11,000 meters. On May 13, 2014, the volcano threw three ash pillars to a height of 7 to 10 km.

But Gudmundsson also admits that under fire mountain magma accumulates again. "He is likely to break out again," says the geophysicist. We can never endure it. This can happen only after a few years or even several decades.

Lava falls and moves, carrying everything in its path. This happens in a slow and continuous manner, destroying whole cities, populations, forests and thousands of human lives. Details of some of the most significant eruptions. Prior to this eruption, the Romans viewed Vesuvius as an extinct volcano. There was no evidence of eruptions, and its cone, which was strongly eroded, was densely populated with vegetation, which included extensive vineyards on the lower slopes.


Volcano. This word enchants and scares at the same time. People have always been attracted to something beautiful and dangerous, because beauty, accompanied by risk, becomes even more attractive, but at the same time one immediately remembers the history of the city of Pompeii. Volcanoes have not brought such terrible devastations that are still stored on the pages of our history for a long time, because thanks to scientists who can tell which mountain is a volcano and which is not, people stopped settling at the foot of dangerous mountains. But, nevertheless, volcanoes continue to exist and then go into hibernation, then wake up from sleep to begin an active life. Let us consider which volcanoes are the largest in the world.

In 63 there was a strong earthquake, which caused various losses in the cities surrounding Vesuvius. The local population of that time did not understand these relations, probably because they believed absolutely true that the volcano had died out. Thus, the great cloud that appeared from the mountain around noon on August 24 was a "shock" for them, which left them stunned. Details of this story were confirmed by an analysis of the rocks formed by the eruption, and, in their opinion, during this eruption, there were many phenomena that could be observed during subsequent eruptions.

The 10 largest volcanoes in the world

  1. Yellowstone volcano.This volcano is located in the Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Yellowstone can rightly be called the largest volcano in the world, and also the most dangerous volcano in the world. The height of the volcano is 3,142 meters above sea level, and the area of ​​the volcano is 4000 square kilometers. The area of ​​this volcano is twenty times larger than the size of Washington, the capital of the United States of America. This volcano is still dormant, although from the beginning of the twenty-first century, it began to show signs of activity. According to scientists, this volcano erupts approximately every 600 thousand years, and since the last eruption has passed already about 640 thousand years.


  2. Vesuvius volcano.This is the highest active volcano of Eurasia at this moment. And also it is the highest volcano in Europe. It is located fifteen kilometers from the Italian city. Its height is 1281 meters. Currently, Vesuvius is the only active volcano in Europe, and in addition it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Science is aware of more than eighty eruptions, one of which was destroyed by the famous.


  3. Volcano Popocatepetl.This volcano is also active. It is located in the southern part of Mexico. The height of Popokateptl is 5452 meters. Over the past half century, his activity was very small, and in general, history knows about thirty-six large eruptions of this volcano. Popocatepetl can be called the largest active volcano at the moment.


  4. The volcano of Sakurajima.The active volcano, located in Japan. Once he was on the island, but during one of the eruptions a huge amount of lava connected him to the mainland. The height of the volcano is 1118 meters above sea level. At the moment, Sakuradzim is visited by many tourists every year, despite the fact that the volcano is almost always in activity - smoke is bursting from its mouth, and sometimes there are also small eruptions.


  5. The volcano Galeras.   This volcano is located in Colombia. The height of Galeras is 4267 meters above sea level. The activity of this volcano was noticed in 2006, at the same time people were evacuated from the nearest settlements. In 2010, more people were evacuated, as the volcano continues its active activity. Although for the past several thousand years Galeras, if erupted, it is extremely insignificant.


  6. The Merapi Volcano.The current Indonesian volcano, located in Java. Height above sea level is 2914 meters. This volcano is almost always active. Small eruptions occur several times a year, and large ones occur about once every ten years. Merapi took many lives, but in one of his biggest eruptions, he even changed the surrounding landscape.


  7. The volcano of Nyiragongo.   This volcano is in Africa, in the mountains of Virunga. At the moment, it is more in sleep mode, although insignificant activity is sometimes observed. The most terrible eruption of this volcano was recorded in 1977. In general, this volcano is interesting because its lava is very liquid because of its composition, therefore, at the eruption, its speed can reach even one hundred kilometers per hour.


  8. Volcano Ulawun.   The volcano is located on the island of New Guinea and at the moment it is an active volcano. Its height is 2334 meters above sea level. This volcano erupts quite often. Once this volcano was located under the water, and on the surface it came out only in 1878.


  9. The Taal volcano.This active volcano is in the Philippines, on the island of Luzon. Taal is noteworthy because it is the smallest of all the currently unoccupied volcanoes in the world, and there is a lake in the Taal Crater. Every year Taal visits a lot of tourists from all over the world.


  10. The Mauna Loa volcano.   Mauna Loa is an active volcano in Hawaii, USA. The height of this volcano is 4169 above sea level. This volcano can be considered the highest volcano on earth, if you take into account its underwater part, whose height reaches 4,500 meters. The last time this volcano seriously erupted in 1950.


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