Volcanoes of the Decade are called Mountain peaks, which, according to International Association volcanology and chemistry of the Earth's interior deserve careful and full study. The need to study volcanoes is associated primarily with their proximity to large settlements and a rich history filled with many destructive eruptions. The Volcanoes of the Decade project was launched on January 1, 1990 at the initiative of the United Nations as part of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.
Selection Criteria for Volcanoes of the Decade
According to the project, only the most dangerous volcanoes that meet the following criteria can be included in the list:
- pyroclastic flows;
- lava flows;
- lahars;
- fallout of tephra;
- structural volcanic instability;
- recent geological activity;
- high probability of death of tens or hundreds of thousands of people;
- destruction of the lava dome.
List of Volcanoes of the Decade
To date, these include 16 peaks located in different parts of the world:
1. Avachinskaya Sopka, Russia. The 2741 m high volcano is located in the southern part of Kamchatka and is composed of slag, andesite and basalt lava. Over the past three centuries, it has erupted 18 times, during the last explosion in 1991, a large plug of lava formed in its 400-meter crater, which can be pulled out at any moment.
2. Colima, Mexico. Located in the Mexican Volcanic Sierra, the peak has a height of 3850 m and consists of two conical peaks, one of which is active. Since 1576, more than 40 eruptions have been recorded, in the last one, in 2015, a column of ash and smoke rose to a height of about 10 km.
3. Galeras, Colombia. The mountain rises near the city of Pasto and is a constant threat to its 400,000th population. The height of the volcano is 4276 m, the diameter of the crater is 320 m. For 7,000 years, it has experienced at least 6 powerful eruptions and countless small ones. During the last volcanic activity in 2010, local authorities had to evacuate more than 9,000 people.
4. Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA. The shield volcano in Hawaii rises 4169 m above the sea and is considered the largest in terms of volume among all the active peaks of our planet. Since the 1830s, 39 eruptions have been recorded, the last occurring in 1984.
5. Etna, Italy Beautiful is the highest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active. Once it caused the almost complete destruction of Catania, and now, on average, every 3 months it pours lava from its many craters.
6. Merapi, Indonesia. The most active Indonesian volcano is located on the island of Java and erupts at intervals of about six months. Every seven years it is distinguished by a powerful eruption, and emits smoke almost every day. During the 2010 eruption, more than 190 residents of the surrounding villages became victims of the volcano.
7. Nyiragongo, Congo Of all the observed eruptions in Africa, this volcano and the neighboring peak of Nyamlagila account for about 40% of the continent's volcanic activity. has a large 250-meter crater, from which from time to time it emits incredibly liquid lava. Due to the low content of quartz, this lava is able to flow down the slopes at speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour.
8. Rainier, USA More than 150,000 people could be affected by the volcano, according to the US Geological Survey. rises 88 km from Seattle and on this moment refers to dormant, although at least 6 of its eruptions were recorded in the 19th century.
9 Vesuvius, Italy The most terrible event in the history of the volcano happened in 79, when several cities of Campania were destroyed from pyroclastic and mudflows, including Pompeii and Herculaneum. The last time it erupted was in 1944, when 27 people suffered from its activity and the towns of Massa and San Sebastiano were destroyed.
10. Unzen, Japan. The volcanic eruption in 1792 was one of the five most destructive in the history of mankind. During the explosion of the mountain, a 55-meter tsunami was formed, which killed over 15 thousand people.
11. Sakurajima, Japan. The volcano is located on the island of Kyushu and is considered a tourist attraction, but the cities of Tarumizu and Kagoshima are located next to it, so in the event of an eruption, at least 600 thousand people will be affected by the disaster.
12. Santa Maria, Guatemala. One of the scariest volcanoes in the country. Until the beginning of the 20th century, it had not erupted for over 500 years. In 1902, about 5 cubic meters were thrown out as a result of a big explosion. km of tephra and killed 6,000 people.
13. Santorini, Greece. A volcanic eruption dated to around 1645 BC caused the extinction of the Minoan culture in Crete and led to an 18 m high tsunami that washed away all coastal settlements.
14. Taal, Philippines. Active on the island of Luzon, it is known for its 1911 eruption, when pyroclastic flows literally destroyed everything at a distance of 10 km, including more than 1,300 people, in just 8-10 minutes.
15. Teide, Canary Islands, Spain. During the explosion in 1706, the volcano destroyed the city of Garachico and a number of villages. Last volcanic activity dates back to 1909.
16. Olavun, Papua New Guinea . highest peak The Bismarck archipelago is considered the most active in the country and is known for the eruption of 1915, as a result of which the nearby town of Toriu was covered with a 10-centimeter layer of ash.
Every student knows that Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun in our solar system. Nevertheless, for several decades in the 19th century, many leading scientists of the world had good reason to believe that the planet, called Vulcan, was somewhere inside the orbit of Mercury. The famous French mathematician first suggested the existence of this phantom planet in 1859, and it remained one of the most wanted objects in the sky until Albert Einstein's theory of relativity finally debunked the mystery in 1915.
In 1859, the French scientist Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier began working on one of the most puzzling problems in astronomy: the orbit of Mercury. For years, astronomers have noted that this small planet in the solar system seems to follow its own course as it orbits the sun. In particular, its perihelion—the point at which the planet is closest to the Sun—shifts slightly on each orbit. According to Sir Isaac Newton's law of gravity, such a discrepancy can be easily explained by the presence of other celestial objects. However, even after Le Verrier calculated the gravitational pulls of Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, his predictions of Mercury's orbit were always slightly inaccurate. The planet never ended up where it should have been.
Le Verrier hypothesis
After Le Verrier carefully checked and recalculated his calculations, he proposed an innovative hypothesis: some other object, unknown and invisible, exerts a gravitational pull on the orbit of Mercury. This planet or group small planets, circling in close proximity to the orbit of Mercury, is capable of producing an anomalous effect, which is felt by the last planet. Le Verrier suggested that the glare of the sun prevented identification of this object in the past. However, he argued that it could be easily detected under the right conditions.
Dear Astronomer
The scientific community welcomed Le Verrier's theory, and for good reason, since he already had experience in searching for new planets. Thirteen years earlier, he had made a similar prediction in an attempt to explain the gravitational fluctuations in the orbit of the planet Uranus. As astronomers scanned the sky, they discovered the previously unknown planet Neptune. The discovery provided Le Verrier with international scientific fame and secured admission to the French Legion of Honor and the post of head of the Paris Observatory. His intelligence has been described as "virtually superhuman".
"Discovery" of a new planet
Armed with a fresh prediction from the discoverer of Neptune, astronomers immediately began hunting for the new planet. But it turned out that the breakthrough came a few months earlier, and was made by an amateur named Edmond Modest Lescarbol. A physician by profession, Leskarbol was also a keen astrologer who built his own makeshift observatory in the countryside. Looking through his telescope on March 26, 1859, he saw a small black dot - possibly a planet - drifting across the surface of the Sun. At that time, the doctor did not tell anyone about his discovery, but after reading the notes on the hypothetical planet Le Verrier sent him a letter with a full report.
Upon receiving the letter, Le Verrier went to meet with Lescarbole to examine his equipment and notes. After this meeting, he was even more convinced that there was another planet closer to the Sun than Mercury. Le Verrier announced the discovery in early 1860. Obeying the tradition of naming the planets after mythical gods, he named it Vulcan, after the Roman god of blacksmithing.
Failed observation attempts
The discovery of Vulcan was a big step forward for science. Lekarbol was accepted into the Legion of Honor, and Le Verrier was once again called a genius. There was only one problem: the new planet was frustratingly difficult to spot. Scattered information about the observation of the Volcano poured from all over the globe, but most of them were from amateur astronomers. Le Verrier still required independent confirmation from a respected professional. Hoping to get this confirmation, Le Verrier's supporters calculated that the planet would be visible in late March/early April 1860. The astronomers adjusted their telescopes, but when the appointed time came, Vulcan did not appear. Many soon began to wonder if this planet really existed.
Volcano Hunt
Over the next few years, the volcano became the subject of an international manhunt. Many observations were made during the 1860s, but for every astronomer who claimed to have seen the planet, there were many who tried and found nothing. The ranks of skeptics continued to grow until 1871, when a team of English astronomers failed to detect the planet for the third year in a row. The question of Vulcan has remained open since 1859, as author Thomas Levenson wrote in his book The Hunt for Volcano. Random observations and seemingly consistent calculations fueled this interest.
In 1876, Vulcan's fate seemed to be sealed. A qualified astronomer reported that he was watching the transit of a planet near the Sun, and the newspapers received a new flurry of reports from amateurs. Enthusiasm was so high that the New York Times even ran an article arguing that "the existence of Vulcan can no longer be denied or ignored." According to the article, Earth should now be called the fourth planet from the Sun, and public school kids who learn the old-fashioned order of the planets should make sure to memorize Vulcan and its place in the solar system.
Fall from Olympus
Le Verrier died in 1877, but Vulcan's most eventful period was yet to come. Only a year later, on July 29, 1878, there was a total solar eclipse that could be observed in Russia and North America. Such an event was very convenient for observing Vulcan, and so legions of astronomers set up their telescopes and cameras in the hope of seeing it. Most gave up fairly quickly, but two respected astronomers, James Craig Watson and Lewis Swift, claimed to have spotted the planet. The newspapers again began to trumpet the existence of Vulcan, but this triumph was short-lived. Critics said that scientists actually saw two well-known stars, and most of the scientific community dismissed these observations as erroneous.
After Watson and Swift's observations were criticized, the scientific community's faith in Vulcan all but disappeared. This planet has become the astronomical equivalent of the myth of Eldorado, which most scientists have abandoned, although some still continued to search for it. However, if Vulcan does not exist, scientists have again begun to wonder what is causing the shift in Mercury's orbit.
Issue resolution
The final answer to this question finally came in 1915 when Einstein threw the science bomb that became his general theory of relativity. Unlike Newton's theories of gravity, which could only explain Mercury's orbit by the existence of an unknown planet, general relativity states that a supermassive object - in this case the Sun - is capable of bending space and time and changing the path of light. Shortly before the release of his theory, Einstein applied it to Mercury and found that it perfectly explained the discrepancy in its orbit. Thus, Mercury is not attracted by any object, and it is about moving through a distorted time space.
As a result of Einstein's breakthrough, Vulcan was forever thrown out of the astronomical sky. Astronomers erased the planet from their charts, and the news of past sightings was attributed to the appearance of unidentified stars or sunspots. The volcano at the same time became one of the most famous dead ends in scientific history, but its "death" did not end the hunt for new worlds within the solar system. In 1930, after a long search, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered. Meanwhile, in recent years, scientists have unearthed ample evidence that a hypothetical "planet ninth" could be somewhere on the outer edge of the solar system.
Most of the volcanoes on our planet are located in the "ring of fire", which stretches along the shores of the entire Pacific Ocean. And in total there are about 1.5 thousand volcanoes on Earth, of which 540 are active.
Here is a list of the most dangerous ones.
1. Nyiragongo, height 3470 m, Democratic Republic of the Congo
This is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Africa. Since 1882, 34 eruptions have been recorded here. The main crater is 250 meters deep and 2 km wide, and contains a lake of actively bubbling lava. This lava is unusually fluid and its flows can reach speeds of 100 km/h. In 2002, the eruption killed 147 people and left 120,000 homeless. The last eruption to date occurred in 2016.
2. Taal, height 311 m, Philippines
This is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet. It has erupted 34 times since 1572. Located on the island of Luzon, on Lake Taal. The strongest eruption of this volcano in the 20th century occurred in 1911 - 1335 people died in 10 minutes and in general all living things at a distance of up to 10 km. In 1965, 200 people died. Last eruption - 1977
3. Mauna Loa, height 4169 m, Hawaii (USA)
There are many volcanoes in Hawaii, but this is the largest and most dangerous of all. Since 1832, 39 eruptions have been recorded. The last eruption occurred in 1984, the last strong eruption in 1950.
4. Vesuvius, height 1281 m, Italy
One of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world is located just 15 km east of Naples. The most famous historical eruption occurred in 79 AD. As a result of this catastrophe, two cities - Pompeii and Herculaneum - disappeared from the face of the Earth. In modern history, the last eruption of Vesuvius happened in 1944.
5. Merapi, height 2,930 m, Indonesia
This most active active volcano in Indonesia is located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. "Merapi" is translated as "mountain of fire". The volcano is young, so it puffs with enviable regularity. Large eruptions occur on average every 7 years. In 1930, about 1300 people died, in 1974 two villages were destroyed, in 2010 353 people died. Last eruption - 2011
6. St. Helens, height 2,550 m, USA
Located 154 km from Seattle and 85 km from Portland. The most famous eruption of this active volcano occurred in 1980, when 57 people died. The eruption was of a rare type - "directed explosion". The process of the volcanic eruption and the spread of the ash cloud was photographed by photographer Robert Landsburg, who died during this eruption, but kept the film. The last activity to date was recorded in 2008.
7. Etna, height 3,350 m, Italy
Mount Etna is located on east coast Sicily. It is the highest active volcano in Europe. During its existence, it erupted about 200 times. In 1992, one of the largest eruptions was recorded, during which the town of Zafferana barely escaped. On December 3, 2015, the central crater of the volcano threw a fountain of lava to a kilometer high. The last eruption is February 27, 2017.
8. Sakurajima, height 1117 m, Japan
The volcano is located on the Osumi Peninsula of Kyushu Island in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. There is almost always a cloud of smoke above the volcano. The eruptions were recorded on August 18, 2013, in March 2009. The last eruption was recorded on July 26, 2016.
9. Galeras, height 4276 m, Colombia
Over the past 7 thousand years, at least six large eruptions and many small ones have occurred on Galeras. In 1993, during the research work six volcanologists and three tourists died in the crater (then the eruption also began). Latest recorded eruptions: January 2008, February 2009, January and August 2010
10. Popocatepetl, height 5426 m, Mexico
The name translates as "smoking hill". The volcano is located near Mexico City. It has erupted 20 times since 1519. The last eruption was recorded in 2015.
11. Unzen, height 1,500 m, Japan
The volcano is located on the Shimabara Peninsula. The eruption of Mount Unzen in 1792 is one of the five most destructive eruptions in human history in terms of quantity. human casualties. The eruption caused a tsunami 55 meters high, which killed more than 15 thousand people. And in 1991, 43 people died during the eruption. No eruptions have been observed since 1996.
12. Krakatoa, height 813 m, Indonesia 
This active volcano is located between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Before the historic eruption of 1883, the volcano was much higher and was one big Island. However, the most powerful eruption of 1883 destroyed the island and the volcano. Today, Krakatau is still active and small eruptions occur fairly regularly. Last activity - 2014.
13. Santa Maria, height 3,772 m, Guatemala
The first recorded eruption of this volcano occurred in October 1902, before that he "rested" for 500 years. The explosion was heard 800 km away in Costa Rica, and the ash column rose 28 km. About 6 thousand people died. Today the volcano is active. The last eruption was recorded in 2011.
14. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, height 4835 m, Russia
The volcano is located in the east of Kamchatka, 60 km from the coast. It is the largest active volcano in Russia. Over the past 270 years, more than 50 eruptions have been recorded, the last in April 2016.
15. Karymskaya Sopka, height 1468 m, Russia
Also located in Kamchatka. More than 20 eruptions have been recorded since 1852. Eruptions of recent years: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 A very restless volcano.
Ecology
In 2018, scientists dared to predict the intensification of volcanic activity on the planet, frightening the inhabitants disastrous consequences in the form of global climate change, destruction of cities and loss of life.
Such bleak forecasts of experts are not unfounded: for many years now, there has been increasing volcanic activity along the Pacific Volcanic ring of fire, where there are more than three hundred active volcanoes.
The behavior of a couple or three other active volcanoes that have managed to last years ten-twenty spoil the lives of a significant number of people on our planet. But there are about nine hundred active volcanoes only on land.
Volcanoes are an integral part of the Earth that remind us of how destructive nature's fury can be. We bring to your attention a list of the ten most dangerous active volcanoes on our planet today.
active volcanoes
Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
While the whole world is breathlessly watching how the Kilauea volcano covers the most large island Hawaii, not so far from him peacefully dozing megavolcano mauna loa, whose height is 4169 meters (that is, almost three thousand meters above Kilauea!).
Mauna Loa, whose name translates as " long mountain", is the largest active volcano on planet Earth. At the moment, it is a place for pilgrimage for tourists and a platform for the work of representatives of the scientific world.
The formation of this volcano began about 700,000 years ago, while its activity continues to this day.. The most recent eruption of Mauna Loa occurred in 1984. The underwater part of this volcano is the largest on the planet and is 80 thousand cubic kilometers.
The volcano erupts intense lava flows that threaten not only the huge ecosystem that has settled on its slopes, but also the nearest human settlements. Hawaiians in their mythology identified Mauna Loa as one of the Pele sisters - the goddess of fire, volcanoes and strong winds.
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
For some time now, Eyjafjallajökull has become one of the most famous volcanoes on our planet. And this despite the fact that very few people can pronounce his name without hesitation. This volcano with a height of 1666 meters (a mysterious combination of three sixes, isn't it?) is located in the south of Iceland.
It is part of several small glaciers of this island nation. The crater of the volcano itself, whose diameter is from three to four kilometers, was also covered with glaciers. However, the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, which began on March 20, 2010, melted its ice.
Despite the fact that Eyjafjallajökull is not the most large volcano in Iceland, its eruption caused trouble throughout Europe. The height reached by volcanic ash was 13 kilometers. And its significant spread led to the suspension of air traffic over the entire Northern Europe.
Almost a month later, volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was recorded over a huge part of the territory. Russian Federation. As a result of the last eruption, a new crack was formed on the volcano in the direction from north to south, the length of which was two kilometers.
Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Speaking of the most dangerous active volcanoes on the planet, it would be unforgivable frivolity not to mention the Italian Vesuvius. This volcano the last eruption of which was recorded in 1944, is the most famous in the world because of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum wiped off the face of the Earth in 79 AD.
The location of this volcano, the only one active on the territory of continental Europe, makes it one of the most dangerous in the world. The reason is the proximity of densely populated regions. Suffice it to say that only fifteen kilometers from Vesuvius is Naples, the agglomeration of which exceeds three million people.
Vesuvius is not distinguished by its outstanding height - it has only 1281 meters above sea level. His fairly frequent activity (one eruption about once every twenty years) due to the relative youth of the volcano - it formed about 25,000 years ago.
We most often recall the tragedy of Pompeii, where about two thousand people were buried during the eruption. At the same time, we forget that during the eruption on July 26, 1805 (far from the strongest eruption of this volcano!), Vesuvius took the lives of 26 thousand people!
active volcanoes
Volcano Nyiragongo, Congo
If we talk about activity, then the Nyiragongo volcano, whose height is 3469 meters, can rightly be considered one of the most active. It is known that 34 eruptions have been recorded since 1882. Some of these eruptions continued for long months and even years.
In fact, the "conscience" of Nyiragongo and its neighbor Nyamlagir accounts for forty percent of all eruptions that continue to this day to observe on the African continent. If we talk about the most destructive eruptions of Nyiragongo, then the last one occurred on January 10, 1977.
As a result of that cataclysm, about two thousand people died, and the tragedy occurred literally within the first half hour from the moment the eruption began. Deadliest eruption in Nyiragongo in this century happened in 2002, when 45 people died under lava flows.
Nyiragongo is also known for having the most big lake molten lava, whose diameter is two kilometers. The temperature of the lava is 1200 degrees Celsius. Samo lake of fire, which is visible even from space, resembles in size the red cyclopean eye, or, if you like, the eye of Sauron.
Taal Volcano, Philippines
Taal Volcano, whose height is only some 311 meters, is located on the island of Luzon, only 50 kilometers from more than one and a half million city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. In fact, it is one of the smallest active volcanoes on our planet.
Despite its size, Taal sent many thousands of people to the next world. It is known that since 1572 this volcano has erupted at least thirty times. It was thanks to his activity that the third largest lake in the Philippines was formed, the greatest depth of which is 172 meters. It is also called Taal.
One of the most powerful eruptions of Taal, as a result of which all living things died within a few minutes at a distance of up to ten kilometers from the volcano, occurred on January 30, 1911. Then masses of superheated steam and hot ash killed 1335 people. It is noteworthy that the volcano did not throw out lava.
A huge cloud of ash, according to sources of those years, was visible at a distance of more than four hundred kilometers. The last powerful eruption of Taal was also recorded in the last century. It happened in 1965, taking the lives of more than two hundred people.
Mount Merapi, Indonesia
Some volcanoes destroy settlements and villages, like Nyamlagira and Taal. Others, like Vesuvius, entire cities. It is known about the volcano Merapi that he destroyed the whole Javanese-Indian kingdom located in what is now Indonesia. It happened in 1006.
The highest point of Merapi is 2968 meters. "Mountain of fire" (namely, this is how the name of this volcano is translated) does not skimp on deadly eruptions. And this is not surprising, since Merapi is the youngest volcano from the group of its many "relatives" located in the south of the island of Java.
In the first half of the last century, there were 13 eruptions of the "mountain of fire". It is known, for example, that in 1930, 1,300 people died due to the activity of this volcano. And now in 1974 Merapi wipes two villages off the face of the earth, and just a year later - another village, causing huge damage to the infrastructure of the region. Then 29 people died.
The last powerful eruption of Merapi in 2010 forced more than 350,000 people to leave the nearby region. local residents. Some of them, however, dared to go back, for which many of them paid with their lives - the volcano sent 353 people to the next world.
The most dangerous volcanoes
Volcano Galeras, Colombia
In Colombia, not far from the border with the Republic of Ecuador, is the majestic volcano Galeras. The height of this giant is 4276 meters. The depth of the crater (about 80 meters) and its diameter (320 meters) turn this volcano into a kind of cannon that has fired more than once.
The Galeras volcano continues to operate, which can be seen from numerous small eruptions. There were not many really strong eruptions on Galeras. According to scientists, over the past seven thousand years, there have been about six major bursts of its activity.
Galeras is very popular place for tourists in the territory South America who also come to admire the beauties of the mountain located at the foot of the mountain national reserve covering an area of several thousand hectares.
Galeras constantly keeps in suspense almost half a million people living near the volcano, which, according to experts, has been active for at least a million years. Because of small eruptions, people often die there, and because of the threat of large authorities, many thousands of residents are periodically evacuated.
Volcano Sakurajima, Japan
The active Japanese volcano Sakurajima was once independent island. However, after the 1914 eruption, it became part of the Osumi Peninsula, connecting with it through frozen lava flows.
Sakurajima has been incessantly active since 1955, posing a serious threat to the city of Kagoshima with a population of over six hundred thousand people. However, this did not prevent (but rather helped) the residents of the city to benefit from such a dangerous neighborhood, making the volcano a tourist attraction.
A ferry runs regularly to Mount Sakurajima, and from the city itself to the volcano, whose height is 1117 meters, breathtakingly beautiful view. Given the constant small eruptions of the volcano, it is not surprising that the inhabitants are used to it. For example, in 2014 alone, there were 471 eruptions!
Today, there are about 600 active volcanoes and up to 1000 extinct volcanoes on the Earth's surface. In addition, about 10,000 more hide under water. Most of them are located at the junctions of tectonic plates. About 100 volcanoes are concentrated around Indonesia, on the territory of the western American states there are about 10 of them, a cluster of volcanoes is also noted in the region of Japan, Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. But all of them are nothing compared to the one megavolcano that scientists fear the most.
The most dangerous volcanoes
Any one of the dangers is one or the other. existing volcanoes even sleeping. Not a single volcanologist or geomorphologist undertakes to determine which of them is the most dangerous, since it is impossible to accurately predict the time and strength of the eruption of any of them. The name "the most dangerous volcano in the world" is simultaneously claimed by the Roman Vesuvius and Etna, the Mexican Popocatepetl, the Japanese Sakurajima, the Colombian Galeras, located in the Congo Nyiragongo, in Guatemala - Santa Maria, in Hawaii - Manua Loa and others.
If the danger of a volcano is judged by the expected damage that it can cause, then it would be wise to turn to history describing the consequences of the most dangerous volcanic eruptions in the world in the past. For example, the well-known Vesuvius carried away in 79 AD. e. up to 10 thousand lives and wiped off the face of the Earth two major cities. The Krakatoa eruption in 1883, which was 200,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, echoed across the Earth and took the lives of 36,000 islanders.
The eruption in 1783 of a volcano called Laki led to the fact that a huge part of the livestock and food stocks was destroyed, due to which 20% of the population of Iceland died of starvation. The following year, because of Lucky, became a poor harvest for the whole of Europe. All this shows what large-scale consequences can turn out for people.
Destructive supervolcanoes
But did you know that all the biggest dangerous nothing compared to the so-called supervolcanoes, the eruption of each of which thousands of years ago brought truly catastrophic consequences for the entire Earth and changed the climate on the planet? The eruptions of such volcanoes could have a force of 8 points, and ash with a volume of at least 1000 m 3 was thrown to a height of at least 25 km. This led to prolonged sulfuric precipitation, the absence of sunlight for many months, and the covering of vast areas of the earth's surface with huge layers of ash.
Supervolcanoes are distinguished by the fact that at the site of the eruption they do not have a crater, but a caldera. This cirque-shaped hollow with a relatively flat bottom is formed as a result of the fact that after a series of strong explosions with the release of smoke, ash and magma, the upper part of the mountain collapses.
The most dangerous supervolcano
Scientists are aware of the existence of approximately 20 supervolcanoes. On the site of one of these awesome giants is today Lake Taupa in New Zealand, another supervolcano is hidden under the one located on the Long Valley in California, Wallis in New Mexico and Ira in Japan.
But the most dangerous volcano in the world is the Yellowstone supervolcano, located on the territory of the western American states, which is the most “ripe” for an eruption. It is he who makes volcanologists and geomorphologists in the United States, and indeed the whole world, live in a state of growing fear, forcing them to forget about all the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world.
Location and size of Yellowstone
The Yellowstone Caldera is located in the northwestern United States, in the state of Wyoming. She was first noticed by satellite in 1960. The caldera, whose dimensions are approximately 55 * 72 km, is part of the world famous Yellowstone national park. A third of the almost 900,000 hectares of parkland is located on the territory of the volcano's caldera.
To this day, a giant magma bubble with a depth of about 8,000 m rests under the Yellowstone crater. The temperature of the magma inside it approaches 1000 0 C. Due to this, a lot of hot springs rage on the territory of the Yellowstone Park, clouds of steam and gas mixtures rise from cracks in the earth's crust.
Also there are many geysers and mud pots. The reason for this was a vertical stream of solid rock heated to a temperature of 1600 0 C 660 km wide. Under the territory of the park at a depth of 8-16 km there are two branches of this stream.
Yellowstone eruptions in the past
The first eruption of Yellowstone, which occurred, according to scientists, more than 2 million years ago, was the most major disaster on earth throughout its history. Then, according to the assumption of volcanologists, about 2.5 thousand km 3 of rock were thrown into the atmosphere, and the upper mark reached by these emissions was 50 km above the earth's surface.
The largest and most dangerous volcano in the world began a second eruption more than 1.2 million years ago. Then the volume of emissions was approximately 10 times less. The third eruption occurred 640 thousand years ago. It was then that the walls of the crater collapsed and the caldera that exists today was formed.
Why You Should Be Afraid of the Yellowstone Caldera Today
In the light recent changes on the territory of Yellowstone National Park, it is becoming clearer to scientists which volcano is the most dangerous in the world. What is going on there? Scientists were alerted by the following changes, which were especially intensified in the 2000s:
- In the 6 years leading up to 2013, the ground covering the caldera has risen by as much as 2 meters, while in the previous 20 years, the rise was only 10 cm.
- New hot geysers bubbled up from underground.
- The frequency and strength of earthquakes in the area of the Yellowstone caldera is increasing. In 2014 alone, scientists recorded about 2,000 of them.
- In some places, underground gases make their way through the layers of the earth to the surface.
- The water temperature in the rivers has risen by several degrees.
This frightening news alarmed the public, and especially the inhabitants of the North American continent. Many scientists agree that the supervolcano will erupt in this century.
Consequences of the eruption for America
No wonder many volcanologists believe that the Yellowstone Caldera is the most dangerous volcano in the world. They assume that its next eruption will be as powerful as the previous ones. Scientists equate it to the explosion of a thousand atomic bombs. This means that within a radius of 160 km around the epicenter, everything will be completely destroyed. The territory covered with ash, stretching for 1600 km around, will turn into a "dead zone".
The eruption of Yellowstone can lead to eruptions of other volcanoes and the formation of powerful tsunamis. There will be a state of emergency for the United States and martial law will be introduced. Information comes from various sources that America is preparing for a disaster: building shelters, making more than a million plastic coffins, drawing up an evacuation plan, drawing up agreements with countries on other continents. Recently, the United States prefers to remain silent about the true state of affairs on the Yellowstone caldera.
Yellowstone Caldera and the End of the World
The eruption of the caldera, located under the Yellowstone Park, will bring trouble not only to America. The picture that can unfold in this case looks sad for the whole world. Scientists have calculated that if the release to a height of 50 km lasts only two days, then the “cloud of death” during this time will cover an area twice as large as the entire American continent.
In a week, emissions will reach India and Australia. The sun's rays will drown in thick volcanic smoke and a long one and a half year (at least) winter will come to Earth. average temperature air on Earth will drop to -25 0 C, and in some places it will reach -50 o. People will die under debris falling from the sky from red-hot lava, from cold, hunger, thirst and inability to breathe. According to assumptions, only one person in a thousand will survive.
The eruption of the Yellowstone caldera can, if not completely destroy life on earth, then radically change the conditions for the existence of all life. No one can say for sure whether this most dangerous volcano in the world will begin its eruption in our lifetime, but the existing fears are really justified.
