Earth is a hot planet. Beneath the thin crust is a core of hot magma. In some places, through cracks in the earth's crust, the heat of the earth's core breaks out, bringing lava, gases and ash to the surface. Over time, at the sites of such emissions, huge masses of ejected matter accumulate and special geological forms are formed - volcanoes.

The largest volcanoes are those that formed particularly large cones, although not necessarily the tallest, and therefore had a particularly large crater or were active for a very long time. Those that continue to act are dangerous for humans. Fortunately, the largest terrestrial volcano, Tamu Massif, discovered in 2013, has long been extinct, otherwise its eruption would have been disastrous for all life on our planet.

Volcanoes are considered active if they are known to have erupted within the last 10 thousand years or have shown signs of volcanic activity, such as emissions of gases and water vapor. The presence of volcanic activity means that a given volcano may begin to erupt again, and therefore requires careful monitoring by volcanologists. There are currently 627 such volcanoes. 4 of the 5 largest volcanoes on the planet are located in the area Pacific Ocean(these are parts of the “Ring of Fire” of Pacific volcanoes and seismic zones), and 1 in Africa.

It is located in the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, has a volume of 480 cubic kilometers and is the largest active volcano in Kamchatka, as well as the second highest ( 3613 m above sea level), after Klyuchevskaya Sopka. The top of the Ichinskaya Sopka is covered with eternal glaciers.

This is the youngest among the largest active volcanoes, its age is estimated at 10-15 thousand years. Its cone has a complex structure: the base is of a shield type, on top of which is the cone of a younger stratovolcano. Last eruption was recorded in 1740, since then volcanic activity has been weak: small amounts of high-temperature water vapor and volcanic gases are released.

The Galapagos Islands, like the Hawaiian Islands, arose as a result of volcanic activity. Most big volcano Sierra Negra (“black mountain”) 580 cc. kilometers is located on the island of Isabela. This is a shield volcano, tall 1,124 m above sea level, and its crater has a diameter 11 km.

The last eruption of Sierra Negra occurred in 2005. Then the volcano released such an amount of gases and ash that the volcanic cloud reached a height of 7 kilometers or more.

Volume – more 3,200 cu.m. kilometers. The second largest volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its highest point is 4,205 m above sea level. But if you count from the foot, which is under water, then its height reaches 10,203 m, which makes Mauna Kea the most high mountain on the ground. (For comparison, Everest has a height of 4,150 m from its base to its summit). Unlike its neighbor Mauna Loa, it is a stratovolcano, and its viscous lava has formed steep slopes. The last eruption occurred 4,500 years ago, and since then the state of the volcano has been considered “normal” on the danger scale.

Among the aborigines, “White Mountain” (as the name is translated) was considered sacred. Only the highest leaders had the right to climb to its top. The natives collected fruits and hunted in the dense forests on the slopes of the mountain, and made tools and weapons from volcanic basalt.

The altitude, dry climate and constant wind force make the summit of Mauna Kea one of the best areas on Earth for astronomical observations. Since 1964, 13 telescopes have been installed here. Observations are made at all frequencies, from visible light to radio waves, and Mauna Kea Astronomy Park is one of the largest in the world. However, protests against its location in a unique ecological zone and in a place sacred to indigenous people continue.

Cone volume – 4,800 cubic kilometers. This volcano erupted with thick and viscous lava, which led to the formation of an almost regular steep cone. This type is called a stratovolcano. highest mountain African continent ( 5,895 m above sea level), located in East Africa, between Kenya and northern Tanzania. In Swahili, its name means “white mountain”: the top of this gigantic two-headed cone, the only one in the equatorial zone of the Earth, is covered eternal ice. Many rivers originate in its glaciers, including the Nile, the greatest river in Africa. In recent decades, they have been melting faster and steadily decreasing.

Europeans discovered this volcano in 1848, since then no activity has been recorded, but Aboriginal legends speak of its eruption about 200 years ago. In 2003, it was discovered that there was molten lava beneath one of its two peaks, with its upper level rising just 400 meters from the surface. Gas emissions, landslides and rock shifts also occur.

The largest active volcano on Earth is located on the island of Hawaii. This volcano is of the shield type: wide, with sloping slopes. Such volcanoes are formed as a result of a long eruption of liquid, flowing lava. The volume of its cone is approximately 75,000 cubic kilometers, of which 84% are under water. Actually, the island itself appeared as a result of eruptions of this and its neighboring volcanoes.

In the Aboriginal language its name means " long mountain" Its mass is so enormous that the earth’s crust at its location bends inward for several kilometers.

Mauna Loa is one of the most active volcanoes. Its last eruption occurred in 1984, and since then it has gradually shown more signs of activity and is considered highly likely to erupt again in the foreseeable future.

Despite their deadly nature, various volcanoes have long attracted people. Previously, people were attracted by fertile soils, enriched with minerals and trace elements due to the activity of volcanoes, now tourists are attracted by the beauty and majesty of these natural objects.

Where are the largest volcanoes on the world map?

Most of the modern active volcanoes are located in Pacific volcanic ring- the area in which it occurs greatest number eruptions and 90% of earthquakes on our planet.

The second most powerful seismic zone is the Mediterranean fold belt, which stretches from the Indonesian islands to.

The strongest eruption in history

The most destructive eruption in terms of its consequences is considered to be the catastrophe that occurred in 1883 during the explosion Krakatoa volcano located in . During this cataclysm, more than 36 thousand people died, more than 165 cities and villages were completely destroyed, and ash was released to a height of 70 kilometers.

The force of the explosion during the eruption exceeded the force of a nuclear bomb over Hiroshima by 10 thousand times. Most deaths are a consequence of huge tsunami caused by the eruption. The island on which Krakatoa was located was almost completely destroyed during the disaster. The sound of the explosion spread over a distance of 5 thousand kilometers from the epicenter of the disaster.

Earth's Greatest Active Volcanic Mountains

The largest active volcanoes in the world by volume:

• Mauna Loa, Hawaii, with a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers;
• Kilimanjaro(Tanzania), which is considered dormant but could potentially become active, has a volume of 4,800 cubic kilometers;
• Volcano Sierra Negra, located in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) has a volume of 580 cubic kilometers.

Which country has the largest source of lava?

In terms of size, there is no equal to the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa, which has a volume of 80 thousand cubic kilometers. The title of the highest is disputed by 2 volcanoes from South America:

1. Llullaillaco, located on the border of Argentina and Chile with an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters;
2. Cotopaxi, located in Ecuador with an altitude of 5897 meters.

Description with names

There are between 1,000 and 1,500 active volcanoes on our planet. Many of them are located near densely populated areas and pose a threat to human life. The most dangerous volcanoes, which are under special surveillance, are included in UN Decade Volcanoes list.

Merapi

Merapi, which means in Indonesian "mountain of fire", recognized as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Asia. It is located in the south of the island of Java in Indonesia, and its peak rises to a height of 3 thousand meters.

Significant eruptions of Merapi occur at intervals of approximately 7 years; throughout its history, Merapi has repeatedly caused the death of many people. In 1930, the eruption killed 1,400 people, and in 2010 more than 350 thousand people had to be evacuated, killing 353 island residents.

Located near Merapi Yogyakarta city, in the agglomeration of which more than 2 million people live. Due to its activity and danger to human life, Merapi is included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Sakurajima

Sakurazdima Volcano (Japan) is located on Kyushu island, its peak rises to a height of 1110 meters. The first eruption recorded by chronicles occurred in 963, and the most powerful one dates back to 1914, but thanks to the tremors that preceded it, most of the local residents managed to evacuate, and “only” 35 people died.

Since the mid-20th century, the volcano has been constantly active. Happen every year thousands of small explosions and ash emissions.

In 2013, there was a large ash emission reaching a height of 4000 meters.

Sakurajima is also on the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Aso

Volcano Aso is also located on Kyushu island in Japan. The highest point of Aso is at an altitude of 1592 meters. During the period of observation of the volcano, about 165 large and medium eruptions occurred, many of which resulted in human casualties.

The last time people died as a result of a volcanic eruption was in 1979, when 3 people died and 11 were injured. But Aso is dangerous not only for its eruptions, poisonous volcanic gas fumes They regularly poison tourists who try to conquer Aso. The last such incident occurred in 1997, when two climbers died.

The last eruption of Aso was noted in 2011, ash emission occurred to a height of up to 2 kilometers.

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Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is located in the territory DR Congo in the Virunga mountain system (Africa). In the crater of the volcano there is the world's largest lava lake, the depth of which can reach 3 kilometers. In 1977, the crater wall ruptured, causing a large flow of lava into the surrounding area, ultimately killing 70 people.

During observations of Nyiragongo since 1882, it was recorded 34 major volcanic eruptions. A feature of the Nyiragongo eruptions is the extremely rapid flow of lava, reaching speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. During a major eruption in 2002, 400 thousand residents of the city of Goma, located near the volcano, were evacuated. Nevertheless, 147 of them died as a result of this cataclysm, and the city itself suffered significant damage.

All these factors make Nyiragongo one of the the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet, for which he was rightly included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

Galeras

The Galeras volcano is located in Colombia near the city of Pasto, whose population is more than 400 thousand people. Its height exceeds 4200 meters. Due to its danger, Galeras was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade that pose the greatest threat in the foreseeable future.

It is believed that over the past 7,000 years, Galeras has experienced at least 6 major eruptions, the last of which was recorded in 1993.

Mauna Loa

The Mauna Loa volcano is located on Hawaiian Islands belonging to the United States of America. This giant volcano occupies more than half the area of ​​Hawaii, the height of the peak above sea level is 4169 meters, but most of the volcano is located under water. Together with the underwater part, its height from base to top reaches 9170 meters, which exceeds the height of Everest.

Mauna Loa erupts according to what is called Hawaiian type with an outpouring of lava, but without explosions and large ash emissions. Observations of the volcano have been carried out only since 1832, but during this time 39 major eruptions of Mauna Loa have been recorded. This volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade due to the huge lava flows accompanying the eruption and the densely populated area in its immediate vicinity.

The summit of the volcano and its slopes were included in the list World Heritage UNESCO.

Colima

The most active volcano in Central America is located in the state of Jalisco. Thanks to her activity, Colima received the nickname "little Vesuvius", its height exceeds 3800 meters.

Over the past 450 years, more than 40 large and medium-sized volcanic eruptions have been recorded, the last of which occurred on September 12, 2016. More than 400 thousand people live near Colima, making it America's most dangerous volcano. For this reason, the volcano was included in the list of Volcanoes of the Decade.

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Vesuvius

Most famous volcano of the world is located on the Apennine Peninsula in. The lonely peak of Vesuvius, 1281 meters high, rises above the vast fields of the province of Campania and is part of the Apennine mountain system.

Located just 15 kilometers from Naples, Vesuvius has repeatedly gone down in history with its catastrophic eruptions; about 80 major ones alone were recorded. In 79 AD, the most destructive eruption of Vesuvius, during which famous cities perished:

• Pompeii;
• Oplontis;
• Herculaneum;
• Stabiae.

It is believed that at least 16 thousand people died during this disaster.

The last one happened in 1944. this moment eruption of Vesuvius, cities were destroyed during this natural disaster Weight And San Sebastiano, 27 people became victims. Since then, Vesuvius has not shown much activity, but the danger of a new eruption always remains. Vesuvius is one of the main attractions of the province of Campania and a visit to it is included in sightseeing tour when traveling to Naples.

Etna

Another famous volcano in Italy is located in the east of the island of Sicily and is the highest volcano, rising to a height of 2329 meters. Etna erupts several times a year. History has recorded several major eruptions of this volcano that led to devastating consequences:

1. Was destroyed in 122 AD Catania city;
2. In 1169, during the large-scale eruption of Etna, they died 15 thousand people;
3. In 1669, Catania suffered again, houses were destroyed 27 thousand people;
4. In 1928, the ancient Maskali city.

Despite the danger of the volcano, the inhabitants of the island continue to settle on its slopes. The reason for this is fertile soil, enriched with minerals and trace elements contained in cooled lava flows and ash.

Etna is one of the main natural attractions of Sicily; tourists from all over the world come to see the volcano and climb to its top.

Popocatepetl

Volcano Popocatepetl, or El Popo as they affectionately call him local residents, is located in Mexico, 70 kilometers from the capital of this country, Mexico City. The height of the volcano is almost 5500 meters. Popocatépetl has erupted more than 15 times over the past 500 years, with the most recent one occurring as recently as 2015. An extinct volcano is located near Popocatepetl. Iztaccihuatl.

A trip to these volcanoes is an integral part excursion program when visiting Mexico City.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka

Most high volcano Eurasia is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula and is considered the most famous of the many volcanoes of Kamchatka. Highest point beyond Caucasus Mountains reaches an altitude of 4750 meters. It is the most active volcano in Eurasia, with an average of almost every year. The last significant eruption occurred in 2013, the height of the ash emission was 10-12 kilometers. The eruption was accompanied by mud flows and ashfall.

Cotopaxi

The active Cotopaxi volcano is located in South America on the territory of the state Ecuador part of the Andes mountain system. The height of the peak of Cotopaxi is 5897 meters. In the entire history of observations, 86 eruptions have been recorded, the largest of which led to the complete destruction of the city of Latacunga in 1786. The last activity of Cotopaxi was noticed in 1942, after which the volcano is still dormant.

Famous extinct giants

In addition to active volcanoes, there are many extinct volcanoes on our planet that do not exhibit volcanic activity.

Supreme

The tallest extinct volcano on the planet, Aconcagua, is located in Argentina and is part of mountain system Andes. Aconcagua is not only the highest extinct volcano in the world, but also the highest peak in the Americas, Western and Southern Hemispheres. The height of Aconcagua exceeds 6950 meters.

Sleeping giants

Many extinct volcanoes are now considered simply mountains, although some of them could potentially “wake up” and begin to become active. Such volcanoes, which may become active in the future, are called "sleeping".

• Famous Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (Africa) is a dormant volcano that is not active. Scientists believe that one day Kilimanjaro may wake up, then this potential volcano will become one of the highest in the world, because the height of Kilimanjaro is 5895 meters above sea level.

Colossal supervolcano Yellowstone was considered extinct, but scientists have found that there is little activity in it, so now Yellowstone is classified as a dormant volcano. The giant last erupted almost a million years ago.

It is believed that if Yellowstone wakes up, a potential eruption will become one of the largest disasters in the history of the Earth, every third inhabitant of the planet will die, and several US states will be completely destroyed.

Yellowstone eruption will provoke many earthquakes, giant tsunami waves and other volcanic eruptions, which will affect almost every inhabitant of the planet. The ash ejected by the volcano will cover the surface of the earth from the sun for a year and a half, and a volcanic winter will occur throughout the planet.

However, not all scientists believe that the consequences of this cataclysm will be so serious. In any case, the eruption of this volcano remains one of the main potential threats to humans.

• The largest extinct volcano in Russia is 5642 meters. It is located on the border of the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. Belongs to the list highest peaks six parts of the world. Scientists consider the activity of the volcano not so much completed as fading.
• The largest volcano of our time cannot be visited and is very difficult to see, since it is under water. Array Tamu located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and is located approximately 1,600 kilometers east of the Japanese Islands. Its dimensions are 650 by 450 kilometers; in scale, the array is one of the largest not only on Earth, but in the entire solar system. The last volcanic eruption occurred 140 million years ago.
• Dormant volcanoes Big and Small Ararat are now located on the territory and belong to the category of volcanoes that do not exhibit volcanic activity. Peak Greater Ararat, reaching 5165 meters, is the highest point in Turkey.
• One of the highest peaks of the Caucasus, Mount Kazbek is also an extinct volcano. Kazbek is located on the border with Russia, the top point of the mountain is located at an altitude of more than 5 kilometers. During research, volcanic ash from an eruption that allegedly occurred 40 thousand years ago was found in one of the Kazbek caves.

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Watch a video about these and other volcanoes in the world:

Climate 201

the western part of the mainland with a height of 400-500 m with low remnant mountains up to 1500 m; The central lowland in the central part with prevailing heights of 100-200 m and the Great Watershed Range is a system of medium-altitude flat-topped mountains in the east of the continent, consisting of a number of isolated ridges with steep eastern and gentle western slopes.

Australia is rich in mineral resources, especially ores of ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals. Ore deposits are confined mainly to outcrops of the crystalline basement of the ancient Australian platform. The largest iron ore deposits are concentrated in the north-west (Hamersley Range). There are uranium deposits in various parts of the mainland (on the Arnhem Land Peninsula, etc.). Polymetallic ores are mined in the area of ​​Brocken Hill, gold - in the southwest (Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, etc.). The largest bauxite deposits are located in the north of Australia (Cape York Peninsula, Arnhem Land), as well as in the southwest (Darling Range). The main energy resources are hard and brown coal, the deposits of which are confined to the Great Watershed Range. Oil and gas

Tectonic structure of Australia:

Precambrian platforms, basement projections: 1 - Archean age, 2 - Proterozoic: plates: 3 - with a relatively shallow foundation, 4 - with a deep foundation; 5 - area of ​​Baikal folding; 6 - region of Hercynian folding; 7 - Hercynian marginal troughs; 8 - sedimentary cover of the Epipaleozoic platform; Cenozoic geosynclinal region: 9 - geoanticlinal uplifts, 10 - geosynclinal troughs; // - intrusions; 12 - Big barrier reef; 13 - large faults

found on the coast and in the continental shelf zone (Bass Strait, northwestern Australia).

Climate

Most of Australia lies in tropical latitudes. The annual amount of solar radiation varies from 585 kJ/cm2 in the south to 752 kJ/cm2 in the northern and central parts mainland.

Due to its location in tropical latitudes and flat terrain, Australia experiences high air temperatures all year round. January averages vary from +30°C in the northern parts of the continent to +18°C in the southeast. Most of Western and Central Australia is contoured by the January isotherm of + 25 °C. The highest temperatures in January are in the interior regions of the northwestern part of the continent (absolute maximum +53.1 °C). Winter temperatures in the far north reach + 25, in most of the mainland they are +10-+15, and in the southeast they drop in places to +5 - + 10°C. No negative temperatures have been observed on the Australian plains; frosts occur only occasionally at the heights of the central island mountains. Below the temperature in the Great Dividing Range, an absolute minimum of -22 °C was recorded here.

Almost all of Australia is dry. Only in the far north of the mainland and most of the east coast does more than 1000 mm of precipitation fall per year. The windward slopes of the Great Dividing Range receive in places up to 1500 mm of precipitation, and the Cairns city area receives over 2000 mm. However, such a significant

It will not be difficult for me to answer the question - before my eyes is a contour map with the boundaries of tectonic plates. :) However, I would like to clarify what a volcano is, where it is formed and where there are most of them.

Which continent has no volcanoes?

In order to understand which continent does not have volcanoes, it is necessary to determine what volcanoes actually are and in what places they occur. So, mountain, at the top of which there is a hole - crater, from which lava periodically erupts, is a volcano. But in what areas are they formed? According to research, risk areas are places where there is boundary between tectonic plates. If you open the atlas, where the boundaries of the plates are indicated, you can easily make sure that Australia- a continent on whose territory no such areas are observed.

Why a volcano is dangerous and useful

An “awakened” volcano is extremely dangerous for several reasons, however "sleeping" poses a much greater danger. At any moment it can simply explode, spewing streams of lava over vast areas. In addition, if the volcano is located at the bottom or on an island, it is very likely that this will cause tsunami. However, despite the fact that this phenomenon is very dangerous, volcanoes bring some benefit. For example:

• come to the surface rare metals;
• used in industry pumice- porous substance of volcanic origin;
• often volcanoes form strong rocks, which can be used in construction.

Countries with the most volcanoes

Total on our planet about 500 active volcanoes, most of which are located at the junctions of sections of the cortex. Here are the “record holders” among countries whose territory is rich in volcanoes:

• Ecuador - 62;
• Japan - 69;
• Chile- about 100;
• Indonesia - 125;
• USA- more than 135.

Pacific Ring of Fire

This name was given to a vast area in which a huge number of volcanoes are concentrated. It extends along the edge of the Pacific Ocean, where the oceanic plates seem to go under the continental ones, forming long chains of volcanoes. Of all the earthquakes that occurred on the planet, more than 93% occurred in this area. There are near350 volcanoes, which corresponds to 78% of the total number of active volcanoes in the world.