Volcanoes have always evoked a lot of emotions in humans - from panic horror and fear to admiration and admiration for the incredible power of nature. Volcanic peaks are located almost all over the planet and regularly make themselves felt, spewing tons of ash into the air. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the ranking of the top 10 highest active volcanoes, each of which is distinguished by its grandeur and unpredictability.

10. Cameroon (Fako), 4100 meters

Fako is the highest point of Cameroon, an active volcano. The last major eruption was recorded in 2000. Richard Francis Burton is the first European to conquer the volcano. This happened in 1895.

9. Mauna Loa, 4169 meters

Supreme active volcano Hawaiian Islands... Belongs to shield volcanoes, it has rather gentle slopes with a weakly expressed flat top.

The greatness and extraordinary beauty of the mountains leaves few people indifferent. Sometimes the snow-capped ridges inspire fear, sometimes they fascinate, inspire, beckon ...

8. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, 4835 meters

Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent, located in Kamchatka. This is a fairly active volcano, eruptions occur here almost every two years. In this regard, the height of Klyuchevskaya Sopka is not constant.

7. Sangay, 5230 meters

Located in Ecuador, on the territory of the park of the same name, it is part of the Andes mountain system. The toponym is translated from the Indian as "to scare", and this is not surprising - Sangay is one of the most restless volcanoes on the continent. Sangay has three huge craters, which is not typical for andesitic stratovolcanoes. According to researchers, the volcano was formed about 14 thousand years ago. Since 1934, Sangay has erupted regularly, with the last peak in activity in 2016. The rarest representatives of the fauna are found around the volcano: ocelots, cougars, tapirs, Andean bears and porcupines.

6. Popokatepetl, 5426 meters

It is an active volcano located in Mexico, part of the Cordillera mountain system. Translated from the local language - "smoking hill" and is located next to another volcano - Istaxihuatl. The most famous ancient literary work is written about these peaks - the legend of Popocatepetl and Istaxihuatl. The first ascent was made in 1519 by Diego de Ordaz.

5. Orizaba, 5636 meters

The second name is Sitlaltepetl, which means "star-mountain". Orizaba is the highest Mexican peak and is located in the Cordillera mountain range. Geographically, the volcano is located in two states - Puebla and Veracruz. The stratovolcano is in a state of relative dormancy today, and the last time it erupted in 1846. In total, 27 periods of activity were recorded, including in the middle of the 16th and 17th centuries. Orizaba for the Incas has always been sacred mountain, with which many legends and myths were associated. Since 1936, a nature reserve has been established on the volcano with the aim of protecting Orizaba from unauthorized ascents. Hundreds of climbers come here every year, for whom there are many routes of varying degrees of difficulty. The most favorable time to climb to the top is from mid-autumn to early spring.

4. Misty, 5822 meters

Located in South America, territorially belongs to Peru, in the winter months it is almost completely covered with snow. In 17 km from the stratovolcano there is a small town of Arequipa, whose population is more than 1 million people. In the country, the settlement is known as the "White City" due to the fact that most of the buildings were erected from snow-white volcanic deposits. The Chile River flows past Misty, in the south of the summit there is another volcano - Pichu Pichu. The last eruption was recorded in 1985; in just a century, activity was manifested 5 times. In the 16th century, the inhabitants of Arequipa had to leave the city due to an extremely violent eruption, with huge ash emissions. At the end of the 20th century, mummified remains of the ancient Incas and a number of valuable artifacts were discovered on the slopes of El Misti. All found bodies and household items are kept today in the museum of the Andean sanctuaries.

South America is something unattainable and exotic for us. A lot of literary works have been written about these places, a huge amount has been filmed ...

3. Cotopaxi, 5897 meters

The toponym is translated from the Quechua language as "shining mountain". Cotopaxi is located in South America, in Ecuador and is the second highest peak in the country. The volcano belongs to the Eastern Cordillera ridge, has a crater measuring 550 by 800 meters, with a depth of almost half a kilometer. For the period from 1738 to the present day, a total of about 50 eruptions were recorded, the penultimate one occurred in 1877. However, 140 years later, on August 15, 2015, Cotopaxi began to show signs of activity again. The first explorer of the volcano was the German Alexander von Humboldt and the Frenchman Aimé Bonpland, but the peak was never submitted to them. A man climbed to the top of Cotopaxi in 1872. This was done by the German geologist Wilhelm Rice, and a year later by the volcanologist and naturalist Moritz Alfons Stubel, also a native of Germany. The history of eruptions looks like this: the first recorded - 1534, then 1742, 1768, 1864, 1877, but until 1940 ash emissions were periodically observed.

2. San Pedro, 6145 meters

Considered one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, it is located in the Atacama Desert, in the El Loa province, Antofagastan region of Chile. Not far from the summit there is another attraction - the volcano San Pablo, connected to San Pedro by a high saddle. By the type of formation, San Pedro is a stratovolcano and is represented by such formations as dacites, andesites and basalts. The relative height of the peak is 2014 meters, the most recent recorded eruption was in 1960. For the first time, a man climbed San Pedro on July 16, 1903. The Chilean Philemon Morales and the Frenchman George Corti became mountain climbers.

By the end of the 19th century, people began to understand that if they did not protect the environment, but only mercilessly exploit it, then in a fairly short time ...

1. Llullallaco, 6739 meters

Llullallaco - The highest active volcano in the world, located in the Peruvian Andes, on the border between Argentina and Chile, on the plateau of the world's highest volcanoes - Puna de Atacama. At the very summit, there is eternal glaciation, and the last eruption was observed here in 1877, and today Llulallaco is in a state of relative rest. The volcano is a cone that continues to grow. The first ascent was made on December 1, 1952 by Billon Gonzalez and Juan Harzeim. The summit is an archaeological site, on the territory of which the burials of Inca children were discovered at the end of the 20th century. Three mummies, supposedly 4, 5 and 13 years old, were sacrificed about 5 centuries ago.

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Volcanoes, in our view, represent a boil of emotions. They are huge and unpredictable, and their action is destructive. In general, a volcano of passions. How big are they really? And do they all continuously boil and smoke, throwing out red-hot lava? For the inhabitants of which regions are they dangerous? How big is it? When was the last time the largest volcano in the world erupted? What is the name and where is it located? Does activity depend on size?

Volcanoes of the planet

In fact, most of the volcanoes are located in the southern latitudes. Conventionally volcanic belts of the earth are divided into three groups: Pacific, Mediterranean-Indonesian and Atlantic. The most active zones are located along these lines, each of which contains volcanoes - large, relatively small and gigantic. Map Latin America literally strewn with them, especially in the middle, from Mexico in the north to Ecuador in the south. There are many of them in the countries of Central Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea). Southeast Asia is also rich in these wonders of nature, as well as island states(Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Fiji Islands), whose names delight the ear of exotic lovers. Nevertheless, there are volcanoes in other places, for example, in Kamchatka, in Japan, and also in Alaska, New Zealand and other regions with cold and temperate climates.

In Europe, Vesuvius and Etna gained notorious fame, causing the death, in whole or in part, of entire cities (sometimes to the delight of modern archaeologists). Despite the tragedies, people continue to settle near towering masses with smoking craters; tourists come to them, rightfully considering them to be real attractions. Their sizes range from 350 meters (Taal, Philippines) to almost seven kilometers Ojos del Salado (border of Chile and Argentina). But height is not the main criterion for determining the largest volcano in the world. In America it is believed that it is located in the state of Wyoming. And this opinion has serious grounds. Yellowstone Volcano is considered the largest on the planet in terms of the area occupied on the map. But the criteria for sizing are ambiguous. For example, there are volcanoes much higher.

Old and young volcanoes

To assess the degree of danger of the neighborhood with a volcano, you need to understand what it is. After all, it was not just a high mountain that was called that. So, volcanoes are located in those places on the earth's surface where the upper solid layer moves. The interior of the Earth is filled with boiling magma, it boils and sometimes asks out. In those places where it comes closest to the upper solidified edge, a volcano may arise under certain conditions. This process is long, sometimes taking millions of years, but it does not stop even for a moment. At the same time, the age of the volcano does not really matter. For a long time extinct crater may suddenly wake up. It is not always known when the previous eruption took place. It is believed, however, that young volcanoes are the most active. Eruptions often happen out of the blue.

What's inside?

Both the largest volcano in the world and the relatively small one have a similar internal structure. The mass of previously ejected lava rises above the surface and presses on the layer of granite, basalt and other rock deposits, provoking the release of magma through the main trunk and its lateral branches. The eruption does not last long (sometimes several hours), then a shaky balance sets in, sometimes leading to solidification of the surface of the crater, in which a lake often appears. This parity of internal pressure and external conditions can be violated at any time. And then the sky will darken from ash, so much carbon monoxide and other ozone-depleting compounds will rise into the air that all bans on the use of freon in cans will seem completely inappropriate and useless. And all this happens, even if it is not the largest volcano in the world that is erupting, but medium or very "small".

But this is all on the earth's surface. And under water, its own volcanic life takes place. And if "land" volcanoes emit into the atmosphere substances harmful to the ozone layer, then their underwater counterparts, on the contrary, help to restore it. This happens because by their activity they contribute to the vital activity of phytoplankton, which in turn produces oxygen in the process of photosynthesis. Thanks to the iron emitted by underwater volcanoes, the food chain of a number of living microorganisms is supplied with trace elements.

Underwater seismic and volcanic activity leads to a change in the topography of the world's ocean floor, up to the appearance or disappearance of islands, and sometimes causes the appearance of giant tsunami waves. But underwater volcanoes excite people less than those that can be seen with their own eyes, making their way to the nearest national park or making a tourist voyage.

Yellowstone miracle

The United States is a young country, its history is not counted for many centuries, and even more so for millennia, like many European or Asian countries... The more Americans love and appreciate everything that can be proud of in their homeland. If there is something very, very much in the country (better than in the whole world), then the guides do not forget to remind tourists of this, and numerous avenues vying with each other indicate such an attraction. This is where the authorities of the United States have really succeeded, so it is in respect of nature. There are wonderful national parks all over the country. They began to be created in the 19th century, many presidents paid much attention to them, and F.D. Roosevelt believed that, like nothing else, they convey the essence of the whole country.

Any resident of Wyoming knows where the largest volcano is located. "In America, of course!" - he will confidently say. Also in Yellowstone National park, from which the process of creating reserves in the United States began in 1872. And this reserve is named after the volcano. It is really huge, but somehow flattened. Even having arrived here, not everyone will immediately understand what is in the crater itself. The area occupied by the largest volcano in the world (which is four thousand square kilometers) is twenty times the size of the capital of the United States, the city of Washington. The height of the crater, in fact, is also by no means small, more than three kilometers, but, given such a vast base, it is somehow lost in the general landscape of the National Park.

Yellowstone is the largest volcano in the world. They are very proud of this in the USA. It will take at least an hour to cross only its extinct crater by car. Its dimensions are 72 kilometers long and 55 kilometers wide.

It is the area occupied by Yellowstone that gives rise to his title. Looking at its cartographic plan, it is easy to conclude that although it is not the highest, it is still the largest volcano in the world in terms of volume. What is the name of its Ecuadorian competitor, which has risen to almost seven kilometers in height? More on this later. In the meantime, you can speculate about the potential danger that Yellowstone poses.

One of the threats to the United States

Modern geodetic science allows us to assume with a high degree of certainty that it erupted infrequently, only a hundred times in its entire life. And his age is quite respectable, seventeen million years. The last time he showed his temper was about 6400 centuries ago. A simple arithmetic calculation leads to the frightening thought that soon, perhaps, the eruption will begin again. And every year the probability of this event increases more and more. The data obtained by means of objective control is alarming, since the beginning of the new millennium the internal activity of the mountain has been growing. Inside a giant flattened cone with a collapsed center-crater, lava is rustling louder and louder. It's not just the people of Wyoming and neighboring states that are frightened by this buzz. Pessimists argue that no thermonuclear war can compare in consequences with the destruction that the largest volcano in the world can cause. In the United States, life will become impossible, and not in some figurative, political or economic sense, but in the most literal, physical sense, and throughout the country. If you imagine that the largest volcano in the world has woken up, there is something to be horrified. Sunlight will cease to flow, the ash raised in the air will close the star. The greenhouse effect will lead to a sharp drop in temperature. The overall picture resembles a futuristic horror film in which the consequences of a nuclear war are played up with a plot.

However, not all scientists are so pessimistic. In fact, no one knows for sure how events will develop in the event of a new eruption, and how serious the catastrophe will be if the largest volcano in the world begins to erupt. On the other hand, if something like this does happen, then no security measures will be effective. Evacuate to safe place the entire population of the United States (and it is possible that Canada and Mexico will also suffer) is simply impossible. So you should not be afraid in any case, what will be, will not be avoided.

In general, all these fears remind the listener of the lecture about the future of the universe, who was very frightened when he heard that in a hundred million years the Sun would go out and life on Earth would end, but calmed down, realizing that the speaker had made a reservation. It turns out that there is still a hundred billion years ahead, and not a hundred million. Quite another matter!

Despite the monstrous threat to national security, any American schoolchild knows what the largest volcano in the world is and where it is. And she is very proud that Yellowstone is an American landmark.

Other greatest volcanoes in the world, active and dormant

Despite its enormous size, Yellowstone cannot boast of worldwide fame. He is known about him in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and residents of the Old World, visiting America, are more often interested in other wonders, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood and the skyscrapers of New York, Dallas or San Francisco. Not every tourist will remember where the largest volcano in the world is. Photos of Fujiyama, Vesuvius, Popocatepetl and other eternal masses are replicated in tourist brochures much wider. These volcanoes have become a kind of visiting cards of the countries on whose territory they are located, and often even cultural and national symbols. Songs are composed about them, poems are written, since ancient times they have become inanimate (and sometimes living) characters of folk sagas, legends and traditions. Perhaps, in addition to deep folklore roots, the fame of these natural attractions was also promoted by the fact that from time to time they, unlike Yellowstone, smoke, make noise and show other signs of "liveliness", usually unpleasant. Where are the largest active volcanoes in the world and what is the secret of their popularity?

Serenity of Vesuvius

You can start from any part the globe... For example, from an old woman in Europe. Vesuvius is not the largest volcano. Its height would not make much of an impression on America, it is almost three times lower than Yellowstone. But this does not prevent it, decorating the Neapolitan landscape, from being considered the highest in Europe. It was Vesuvius who destroyed ancient city Pompeii. In previous centuries, the volcano erupted at different intervals, but quite often in volcanic terms. Sometimes a century and a half passed between revivals, and sometimes only fifty years. In 1631, four thousand Neapolitans became victims of the disaster, and the crater, as a result of a violent outflow of incandescent magma, sank by almost 170 meters.

The last eruption happened during the Second World War, in 1944. Then the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano became victims of destruction not associated with the actions of the Allied bombers. The column of ash and smoke rose to a nine-kilometer height, showing humanity all the power of nature, in comparison with which the explosions of all bombs pale in, at least as of 1944. In 1945, people used weapons commensurate with the forces of the earth's interior. It was in Japan.

Fujiyama: an extinguished fire deity

Volcanoes are beautiful. Their silhouettes evoke poetic emotions, they make one think about the frailty of human life, eternity and many other philosophical questions that people rarely turn to in everyday life. Of course, people as inclined to contemplation as the Japanese could not help but succumb to the charm of such a magnificent sight as Fuji. But in addition to purely aesthetic pleasure, the islanders showed a completely practical mindset, using the image for commercial purposes sacred mountain... Perhaps the same fate awaits the other largest volcanoes in the world. Photos, videos and other products of the Japanese corporation Fuji are widely known all over the world.

Fujiyama itself is considered an extinct volcano, the last time it spewed out lava and ash back in 1707. This symbol of Japan is really very beautiful; both Japanese and foreigners come to admire it. Artists often depict the snow-capped volcano peak in combination with cherry blossoms, another "calling card" of the Country The rising sun... Fujiyama is 3,776 meters high.

Volcanoes of Ecuador and the largest active volcano in the world

There are more than six hundred active volcanoes on our planet. They are located on lines along which tectonic plates press against each other with their edges. It is at these borders that revolutionary changes in the relief take place. mountain ranges... The Andes are an example. Here, as it is believed in Ecuador, is the largest active volcano in the world, it is called Cotopaxi. Its height exceeds 5,911 meters. This, of course, is a lot, but the reasons for such a high title of this volcano remain a mystery. The fact is that his neighbors in the Andes - Llullaillaco and Ojos del Salado - are higher than him (6739 and 6887, respectively). This discrepancy can only be explained by commercial considerations. It's just that a developed tourist infrastructure has been created around Cotopaxi, which prompts visitors to convince visitors that they have visited the largest volcano in America, this time Latin. To see Ojos del Salado requires a long and arduous journey.

Volcano in the country - happiness or sorrow?

Many countries of the world somehow manage without volcanoes. No, and don’t. Neighborhood with a fire-breathing mountain always threatens with unpredictable consequences. If the elements rage, destruction and casualties are inevitable, and humanity has not yet learned to resist these threats. The most that can be done in this case is to try to leave the dangerous territory in a timely manner. However, since such a natural formation in a number of countries still exists, it should be treated as something useful.

Tens of thousands of tourists, mountaineers and rock climbers climb the craters, descend into them, sometimes risking their lives. This is human nature, although they say that "the smart one will not go up the hill."

Erik Peterson, a climber from Sweden, died on Balinese Batura. Kamchatka volcano The stone took the lives of three Belarusian travelers. The Japanese volcano Ontake, located two hundred kilometers from Tokyo, suddenly woke up, throwing a huge amount of ash into the sky, which led to the death of at least three dozen tourists. And all these tragedies have happened literally in the last year. It is not the largest volcanoes in the world that pose a mortal danger, although they cannot be called small either. Most fortunate are the countries in which volcanoes sleep, and even better if they are completely extinguished.

The ancient Romans believed that destructive fire was commanded by the god Vulcan, hence the name of the geological uplands. Today, scientific discoveries have made it possible to describe the origin of volcanoes, the nature of eruptions, and the danger to the population living nearby.

Let's consider the largest active geological elevations and give them a characteristic. On the surface of the land, their number exceeds 900, hundreds more are located under the waters of the World Ocean.

The biggest eruption in history

All terrestrial volcanoes are divided into two types:

• acting;
• extinct.

Depending on the activity of the eruption, it can last either several days or indefinitely. It is noteworthy that the atmosphere on planet Earth arose thanks to the strongest eruptions, during which a huge amount of soot, steam and carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere.

The location of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet

Any eruption is considered an emergency. The force is calculated according to the VEI (Volcanic Eruption Index) scale and does not depend on the characteristics of the crater and the size of the geological formation itself. The assessment is given according to two parameters:

1. the volume of the ejected mass;
2. ash column height.

When studying the consequences of volcanic activity, it turned out that some supervolcanoes are capable of changing the climate on the planet by their activity. This happened about 75 thousand years ago.

Toba supervolcano eruption

The exact date of the beginning of the eruption of the Indonesian volcano is unknown, at that time the planet was going through the last ice age. Today, its crater is located in the center of Sumatra, where spilled big lake... Toba has gone out and will never be able to influence the climate again.

The eruption was so strong that the ash of Toba was subsequently found in the area of ​​Lake Malawi (East Africa, Great Rift Valley). The lava volume exceeded 2800 km 3, this had dire consequences:

• reduction in the population of humans, animals and birds;
• ash release into the atmosphere and reduction of sunlight;
• decline average temperature on the planet by 3 degrees;
• destruction of a number of plants and microorganisms.

Today the Toba crater is the lake of the same name.

Eruptions of supervolcanoes on Earth occur no more often than once every 100,000 years.

The largest volcano in North America - Yellowstone

Supervolcano is not quite a scientific term, it is used to assess the largest geological elevations that can cause significant harm to the planet and humanity. The eruption of such a giant can be estimated at 8 points on the VEI scale.

Consider the largest volcano in America and find out if it may erupt in the near future.

Yellowstone is an elevated volcanic basin called a caldera. It is located in the northwestern part of the United States (Wyoming) on ​​the territory of the Yellowstone Reserve. Geologists measured the size of the caldera: 55 by 72 kilometers, which is about a third of the territory protected area... The height of the volcano is 2805 meters.

Since the size of the Yellowstone caldera is enormous, it was found relatively recently.

Research shows that there have previously been a series of three eruptions, the first of which is dated 2.1 million years ago. Each of them was weaker than the previous one. The likelihood that Yellowstone will wake up is very small. Meanwhile, it is impossible to predict the onset of activity. The US government invests annually in a magma bladder cooling project.

The largest volcano in Europe - Etna

On the territory of Europe, there are 2 supervolcanoes, their activity is not very high. However, people still remember the aftermath of the eruption of Vesuvius, which engulfed Pompeii and nearby cities.

To see the largest volcano in Europe, you should travel to Italy to the island of Sicily. On the east coast near the town of Messina is Mount Etna, 3295 meters high. Studies have shown that the giant has hundreds of side craters, from which lava is alternately knocked out.

A breathtaking sight of the eruption of Etna on the island. Sicily

Etna is a dangerous volcano, once every hundred years it floods the Sicilians with hot streams, destroying villages and towns. The ash left after this is rich in minerals and trace elements, therefore grapes, olives, tangerines are grown on the slopes. In 2015, Etna threw up a 1 kilometer high lava flow.

The largest volcano in Russia - Elbrus

There are several active volcanoes in Russia that can wake up at any moment. Most of it is geographically located in Asia, but there is one that is at the same time the most high point Europe.

The largest volcano in Russia is the Caucasian Elbrus, which has been sleeping for a long time and is not considered dangerous. The summit is located at an altitude of 5642 meters. Formed 2-3 million years ago, volcanic activity lasted 250 thousand years, after which he fell asleep. Today, in the foothills and on the slopes, hotels, tourist centers, a rescue center, cable cars.

Do not forget that Elbrus is a dormant volcano, and one day it will wake up

Studies in 2000-2010 showed that the activity of Elbrus is increasing; moss was found on the slopes near the summit in place of glaciers. The volcano may wake up within the next 50-70 years.

TOP 10 largest volcanoes in the world

Active volcanoes are located all over the planet Earth. The largest hazardous areas are Central and South America, Indonesia, Kamchatka, Kurile Islands and Japan, Hawaii and the Northwest United States. We present the TOP 10 largest active volcanoes in the world in terms of height.

1. Ojos del Salado (6893 m)

The highest volcano on Earth is considered to be the giant Ojos del Salado, located on the border between Argentina and Chile in South America. It is considered extinct and not dangerous, but little activity is observed. In the crater Ojos del Salado is the highest mountain lake on the planet.

The greatest volcano on the planet, although it is active, may soon be declared extinct

The Incas, who lived here historically, considered the supervolcano sacred; on the slopes of the mountain, climbers found sacrificial altars.

2. Llullaillaco (6723 m)

The high mountain plateau of Puna de Atacama is dotted with large volcanoes. Llullaillaco is one of them. A number of volcanologists attribute Ojos del Salado to the list of extinct ones, in their opinion it is Llullaillaco who should take first place in the top. Geographically, they are neighbors. The last eruption took place in 1877.

The volcano is located in the driest place on the planet, the Atacama Desert.

The Incas, who survived more than one major catastrophe, performed sacrificial rites. So, in 1999, the mummies of three children were found here, well-preserved, they are kept in the Museum of Argentina.

3. San Pedro (6159 m)

In the central part of the Andes, the largest is the San Pedro stratovolcano. Geographically lies in the province of El Loa in Chile. The last time he acted in 1960. Since in this area there are few settlements, it is not considered dangerous.

Near San Pedro is the giant San Pablo

At the present time he is in a state of long rest, does not show activity. Climbers have conquered San Pedro more than once, the journey is considered difficult due to the peculiarities of the dry climate.

4. Cotopaxi (5911 m)

Volcano Cotopaxi is the second highest peak in Ecuador. Crater dimensions: 800 by 550 meters. The stratovolcano is considered not only large, but also dangerous. It has been active over 50 times over the past 300 years.

Cotopaxi is a dangerous volcano

The last eruption took place in 2015. The summit of Cotopaxi is steep, covered with snow and ice; bases for climbers have been built on the slopes.

5. Kilimanjaro (5895 m)

One of the most attractive sights of Tanzania, the highest volcano in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro. The last activity is dated 200 thousand years to the present day, but a detailed study has shown that hot lava is located close, tremors can provoke its release at any moment. It is also interesting that the ice cap at the top has significantly melted over the past 100 years, its volume has decreased by 82%.

Kilimanjaro Kibo crater from above

Despite the fears of volcanologists, Kilimanjaro is a mecca for climbers. The mountain is considered difficult to climb. Consists of three peaks covered with glaciers:

• Mawenzi (eastern);
• Shira (western);
• Kibo (central).

Kilimanjaro's area is 6208 kilometers.

6. Misty (5821 m)

Let's go back to South America. The sixth place on the list is occupied by the Peruvian volcano Misti, the top of which is covered with snow only in winter. The city of Arequipa lies 20 kilometers from the hill, built from white pyroclastic material mined from the mountain.

Center of Arequipa, on the right in the background the volcano Misti

In 1985, the population saw little activity, at the moment Misty is stable. Inca mummies were also found on its slopes.

7. Orizaba (5700 m)

Orizaba Peak is the highest point in Mexico. For more than 300 years, it has been in a phase of calm, watched by volcanologists. Next to it is the Sierra Negra stratovolcano, at the top of which there is a high-precision telescope. An observatory has been built between the two peaks to observe the galaxy.

Orizaba Peak Trail

The summit of Orizaba is a small crater closed with a plug.

8. Elbrus (5642 m)

The largest volcano in Eastern Europe and Russia is Elbrus. It last erupted over 5,000 years ago. History knows hundreds of failures in ascents and not a single death from hot lava.

Climbing Elbrus

A much more dangerous supervolcano in Russia is Klyuchevskaya Sopka, located in Kamchatka. In the list of the largest volcanoes on Earth, it ranks 12th; it shows activity approximately every 5 years.

Activity of Klyuchevskaya Sopka

9. Popocatepetl (5422 m)

Translated from the Nahuatl language, the name of the active powerful stratovolcano literally means "smoking hill". It is the second highest peak in Mexico. Not far from it is The largest city countries - Mexico City.

He threw out ash and gases in 2019 without causing any harm to the population.

10. Sangay (5230 m)

Volcanic formation Sangay in Ecuador has three craters. The area around it is considered a protected area. Sangay is active, last ejecting lava flows in 2016. The world watched the action with horror, but there were no casualties.

Sangay volcano in 2016

conclusions

1. The largest eruption studied by volcanologists occurred on the island of Sumatra thousands of years ago. Such a phenomenon can change the climate on the planet and harm humanity.
2. The largest volcano by area in North America is Yellowstone. If he enters the active phase, it will end in disaster.
3. Largest in Western Europe- Etna stratovolcano in Italy.
4. In Russia, the highest is Elbrus, the largest in area is Klyuchevskaya Sopka.
5. The largest volcano in the world is Ojos del Salado in Argentina and Chile. He is inactive. If volcanologists recognize him as sleeping, Llullaillaco, next to him, will rise to the first line.

Ojos del Salado is the tallest volcano on the planet. It is located in the Chilean Andes in South America, on the Argentina-Chile border, but it belongs to Argentine territory. Its height reaches 6893 meters. It is the second highest peak on the South American continent. Not far from the volcano lies the Atacama Desert. The volcano did not erupt during the entire observation period and is considered extinct.

The Cordillera West of the Andes is home to the world's highest active volcano, Llullaillaco. Absolute height it is equal to 6739 meters. The top of the volcano is covered with ice. The snow line of the western slope of Llullaillaco has the highest position on earth - more than 6.5 thousand meters. In 1877, the last volcanic eruption took place. V the given time he is in the solfatara stage.

In Chile, on the edge of the Atacama Desert, is the active volcano San Pedro. Its height is 6145 meters, it is a stratovolcano in shape. It is located in the Antofagasta region of the El Loa province and is adjacent to the Sero Parini volcano. A huge saddle separates San Pedro from the mountain ranges of the Central Andes. The last volcanic eruption was recorded on December 2, 1960.

Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in Ecuador (5911 meters) and the country's second highest peak. It is located in the Cordillera Oriental in South America. The volcano is included in the list of the highest active volcanoes on earth. It has a huge crater 550x800 meters in size and 450 meters deep. Cotopaxi has erupted about 50 times since 1738. The last eruption dates back to 1940.

In northeastern Tanzania, towering over the Masai Plateau, is the active volcano Kilimanjaro. It reaches 5895 meters and is considered the highest point in Africa. After exploring Kilimanjaro, in 2003, scientists found that only 400 meters away the molten lava from the edge of the Kibo crater - the main summit of the volcano. There are fears that a major eruption is approaching.

The El Misti stratovolcano is located in Peru in South America. Its height is 5822 meters. In winter, the top of the volcano is covered with snow. The city of Arequipa with a population of one million is located 17 kilometers west of El Misti. Most of the buildings in it are built from the deposits of the pyroclastic flows of the volcano, due to which Arequipa is also called the "white city".

The highest peak in Mexico is Orizaba. Her middle name is Sitlaltepetl, which translates as "star mountain". She is the third highest point on the list. North America... Its peak is located at an altitude of 5636 meters, and its excess is 4922 meters. In the period from 1537 to 1687, there were 7 eruptions of Orizaba, but the volcano is currently considered dormant.

Elbrus is in the north Caucasus mountains and is the highest point in Russia. The stratovolcano is a saddle-shaped cone with two peaks located at a distance of 3000 meters from each other. The heights of the western and eastern peaks are 5642 and 5621 meters, respectively. The saddle separating the peaks is 5300 meters high. The date of the last eruption is approximately 50 AD.

The active volcano Popocatepetl rises above the Mexican Highlands. Its name in the Nahuatl language means "smoking hill". It is the second highest stratovolcano in Mexico, its peak reaches 5455 meters. Not far from it is located dormant volcano Istaxihuatl. Popocatepetl last erupted in 2011. Northwest of the volcano is the city of Mexico City with a population of 20 million.

Closes the list of the highest volcanoes "Sangay". The active volcano Sangay is located in Ecuador, on the eastern side of the equatorial Andes. Its height is 5230 meters. This stratovolcano has three craters. According to scientists, Sangay was formed approximately 14,000 years ago. In 1628, an eruption was recorded for the first time. Since 1934, the volcano has been actively erupting, most recently in 2007.