Which can be distinguished in the history of existence are eruptions on the volcanic island of Krakatau, and the volcanoes Temboro and Katmai. These volcanic eruptions reached extraordinary strength and were accompanied by a huge number of human casualties.

Eruption on the volcanic island of Krakatoa

In terms of strength of action, the eruption that occurred on September 7-9, 1883 on an uninhabited the volcanic island of Krakatoa located to the west of the entrance to the Sunda Strait. This island, together with the nearby islets - Ferlaten and Dang - was the remnant of an ancient volcano up to two kilometers high with a base diameter of 13 kilometers. Krakatoa shook the world with the greatest explosion that man has ever known. The eruption blew up and swept away most of the island with an area of ​​​​about 75 square kilometers. In its place, sea depths of up to 360 meters were formed. The eruption began at noon on 7 September. Volcano Krakatau. There were no direct eyewitnesses of the disaster, since the entire population of Sobezi Island, located almost 20 kilometers from Krakatau, died. At about one in the afternoon in the city of Batavia (now Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia on the island of Java), located at a distance of 178 kilometers from Krakatau, a menacing rumble was heard. At night, he reached such strength that people could not sleep. By the morning of the next day, the sky cleared up somewhat, but soon an impenetrable darkness set in, lasting 18 hours. Around 10 am, the eruption reached its greatest strength. The ash column is believed to have risen to 30 kilometers. Clouds of ash covered ships at a considerable distance from the island. burst into the sea violent storm - Huge waves drowned and threw ashore small ships. The blast wave was especially strongly felt in Jakarta: in many houses, not only windowpanes burst and lamps went out, but even window frames were pressed in and walls collapsed. The roar of the explosion was clearly audible not only in Australia, on the island of Ceylon, the Philippine Islands, but even on the island of Rodrigues (from the Maecaren Islands group), that is, at a distance of about 5000 kilometers from Krakatoa. In New York, 19 thousand kilometers away, fluctuations of the barometer were noted from the awakened volcano due to the propagation of the blast wave. The waters of the ocean began to move. A wave of extraordinary height (up to 36 meters) swept thousands of kilometers, washing away villages from the islands and killing tens of thousands of people. On the islands of the Sunda Strait and on its shores, about 36 thousand people died during this disaster. On the shores of Sumatra and Java, vegetation was washed away in many places, trees torn out by the wind, the corpses of people and animals were lying around, the earth was covered with mud and ash. Even on the island of Ceylon, at a distance of about 3,000 kilometers from Krakatoa, the wave washed away the fishermen in the shallows. The wave, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, reached the shores of France and the British Isles and caused sea tides of extraordinary strength. In the eastern direction, the wave reached the coast of North America from Panama to Alaska. The masses erupted by the volcano consisted mainly of fine ash and pumice. On the islands closest to Krakatau, a layer up to 40 meters thick grew from these volcanic products. The ash thrown out by the explosion spread over a huge area equal to about half of our country. The total volume of volcanic ash was determined by scientists at approximately 18 cubic kilometers. For a long time, especially in the winter of 1883 and in the spring of 1884, morning and evening dawns in Europe and America were exceptionally colorful. The unusual color of the sun, the reddish ring around its disk and the fiery purple brilliance of the dawn were explained by the presence in the atmosphere of finely divided ash particles raised to a height of up to 80 kilometers. A huge amount of pumice was also thrown out. After the eruption, accumulations of pumice covered the surface of the ocean and in places it formed standing floating islands that towered 2 meters above the water. So much pumice had accumulated in the Sunda Strait that it hindered the movement of steamers. One Dutch warship crashed into a pumice field, and was stuck like that for six days, until the waves dispersed the accumulations of pumice. In 1927, after a rest of forty-four years, the almost disappeared Krakatau volcano resumed its activity again: a new volcanic island, Anak-Krakatau, appeared on the site of the former crater.

Tembora volcano eruption

The area of ​​the Sunda Islands has been the area of ​​terrible volcanic eruptions more than once. An exceptional place in terms of the strength of action and the number of victims (over 56 thousand human lives) is occupied by Tembora volcano eruption in 1815 on the island of Sumbawa (from the group of the Sunda Islands, east of the island of Java). The eruption continued for several days. When it reached its greatest strength, impenetrable darkness for three days kept around the volcano in a radius of over 800 kilometers. The noise of the eruption was heard not only on the large and small Sunda Islands, but even on the northwestern coast of Australia (over 1000 kilometers from the volcano).
Volcano Tambora. Much of Sumbawa Island was covered in a thick layer of ash. Even the stone buildings collapsed under its weight. A flourishing country has turned into a gray dead desert. 12 thousand people died on the island, 44 thousand people died under the ashes, as well as from starvation (due to the death of crops and livestock feed). Ashes flew even to Jakarta (1300 kilometers from the volcano) and to the island of Celebes. Pumice covered the ocean for great distances, preventing the movement of ships. Terrible disasters were caused, in addition, by a hurricane that raged on the ocean when the volcanic eruption reached its greatest strength. Waves of extraordinary height rushed to the earth and, although they raged for only three minutes, their effect was terrible. Forests and entire villages were demolished, a spinning tornado uprooted trees, captured individual buildings, animals and people. It is believed that the amount of volcanic products ejected by the Temboro volcano was at least 120 cubic kilometers, i.e., approximately six and a half times more than Krakatoa threw out. After the Temboro eruption, crimson-red sunsets were observed in Europe, in addition, the influence of the eruption on the climate was noted, which gave a noticeable decrease in the average temperatures of the months (and the year). According to the definition of contemporaries, it was "a year without summer", "a disastrous year for rural owners."

Katmai volcano eruption

One of the volcanoes in Alaska - Katmai reminiscent of the nature of the eruption. An exceptionally strong eruption of this volcano, which lasted about two months, occurred in the summer of 1912. As a result of several successive explosions, the top of the volcanic cone was completely swept away. In its place, as further research established, a gloomy failure formed almost 1000 meters deep with a diameter of about two kilometers. It is believed that the volcano ejected about 20 cubic kilometers of solid eruption products. The area closest to Katmai was covered with a layer of sand and ash up to three meters thick. When it rained from the ashes, the surroundings of the volcano were immersed in impenetrable darkness for almost three days.
Volcano Katmai. Everything has changed unrecognizably in the nearest district of Katmai: where there were dense centuries-old forests, a lifeless plain spread, only in many places jets of vapors and gases rose from under the layer of ash. This area is called - "the valley of ten thousand smokes." Katmai is located in a deserted area, which is why its eruptions cost, as far as we know, without significant human casualties. Add theme the strongest volcanic eruptions You can read articles:

Review of the most significant volcanic eruptions of the XX century.

1902 May 8, Martinique island, Mont Pele volcano

At 7 o'clock. 50 min. Mont Pele volcano exploded into pieces - 4 strong explosions sounded like cannon shots. They threw out a black cloud from the main crater, which was pierced by flashes of lightning. But it was not the most dangerous release. It was the lateral emissions - those that from that time will be called "Peleian" - that sent fire and sulfur at a hurricane speed along the mountainside directly to St. Pierre - one of the main ports of the island of Martinique.

Superheated volcanic gas, due to its high density and high speed of movement, spreading above the earth itself, penetrated into all the cracks. A huge cloud covered the area of ​​​​complete destruction. The second zone of destruction stretched for another 60 km2. This cloud, formed from super-hot steam and gases, weighed down by billions of particles of incandescent ash, moving at a speed sufficient to carry rock fragments and volcanic ejecta, had a temperature of 700-980 ° C and was able to melt glass. Mont Pele erupted again - on May 20 - with almost the same force as on May 8.

The volcano Mont Pele, flying apart, destroyed St. Pierre, along with its population. 36 thousand people died.

1902 October 24, Guatemala, Santa Maria volcano

The Santa Maria Volcano is located in the western part of Guatemala, at a height of 3762 m; during its eruption, a layer of 20 cm thick covered an area of ​​323.75 thousand km2 with volcanic ash and debris. An explosion of gigantic power was heard 800 km away - in Costa Rica, a whole mountainside flew up, taking with it everything that was on it, then giant blocks fell down the slope. 6 thousand people died.

The clouds formed after the eruption hung for weeks. Before dissipating, they rose to a height of up to 20 km. This eruption is considered the largest in the history of volcanic emissions into the atmosphere.

1911 January 30, Philippines, Taal volcano

During the strongest eruption of the 20th century, Taal, a constantly active volcano in the Philippines, killed 1,335 people. It was a classic example of a "Peleian" type eruption, when the eruption occurs not only from the summit crater, but also from craters on the mountain slopes, often with hurricane-force winds. In practice, the volcano throws out not lava, but masses of white hot ash and superheated steam.

For 10 min. all living things ceased to exist. A layer of mud up to 80 m thick, accompanied by a stream of poisonous volcanic gases, destroyed people and houses at a distance of 10 km. Gradually, the ash covered an area of ​​almost 2 thousand km2.

The mountain exploded a second time with almost the same force as the first eruption. The roar was heard at a distance of almost 500 km. A black cloud of ash rose up, eclipsing the sky over Manila, located 65 km from the volcano. The cloud was seen from a distance of 400 km.

Taal remained calm until 1965, when another eruption occurred, killing 200 people. Until now, it remains an active and dangerous volcano.

1931 December 13–28, Indonesia, Fr. Java, Merapi volcano

One of the most powerful volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. Both slopes of the volcano exploded, and the erupted volcanic ash covered half the island. For two weeks - from December 13 to 28, the volcano erupted a lava flow about 7 km long, up to 180 m wide and up to 30 m deep. The white-hot stream burned the earth and destroyed all the villages in its path. More than 1300 people died.

1944 June, Mexico, Paricutin volcano

Paricutin is a volcano, which was written about in many magazines in 1943 as "a volcano born in a corn field in front of its owner."

He really got up in the cornfield. For many years there was a small hole in this place, on February 5, 1943, a series of ever-increasing tremors began, as a result of which a crack appeared near the hole. On February 19, residents felt at least 300 aftershocks. On February 20, the crack on one side of the hole began to widen. Almost immediately, there was a sound like thunder. Trees shook nearby, and the ground swelled about a meter. In some places, smoke began to rise from the crack, and fine ash-gray dust. On February 21, lava began to pour out of the growing cone. By the end of the first week, the height of the cone was 15 m, by the end of the first year it had grown to 300 m. In June 1944, a strong eruption occurred. A huge lava flow descended towards the village of Paricutin and the larger village of San Juan de Parangaricutiro. Dense ash partially covered both settlements, there were several victims.

1951 January 21, New Guinea, Lamington volcano

The Lamington volcano eruption claimed the lives of 2,942 people. Many of them died from gale-force winds filled with steam, hot ash, debris and hot mud. These hurricane-force winds were called "new ardente" and manifested themselves during the eruption of Mont Pele volcano in 1902.

The Lamington eruption in New Guinea on January 21 was exactly the same type as Mont Pele, with New Ardentes sweeping away everything in their path as they descended the slope of the volcano. A series of monstrous explosions tore apart the top and slopes, throwing out a huge mushroom-shaped cloud of ash, which in 2 minutes. rose to a height of 12 km, and after 20 minutes. reached a height of 15 km. The explosion was so strong that it was heard on the coast of New Britain - 320 km from Lamington. Breaking out of the mountainside, the "New Ardentes" rushed down, sweeping the forests so that not even the stumps remained.

After another catastrophic ejection at 20:00. 40 min. On January 21, Mount Lamington ceased visible activity. Within 15 years the vegetation returned to normal, but the slopes are still uninhabited to this day.

March 30, 1956, USSR, Kamchatka, Bezymyanny volcano

The massive explosion of the Bezymyanny volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula largely went unnoticed, as there were no fatalities. However, in terms of intensity, it is on a par with the "Peleian" eruptions.

March 30 at 5 p.m. 10 minutes. An explosion of monstrous force split the top of the snow-covered Nameless, which had previously risen to a height of 3048 m above sea level. In a matter of seconds, 183 m of peaks were cut off from the volcano, and volcanic dust rose from the crater to a height of 30–40 km.

Volcanologist G.O. Gorshkov, who was nearby in the village of Klyuchi, described this scene as follows: “The cloud swirled strongly and quickly changed its shape ... It seemed very dense and almost tangibly heavy. Together with the cloud, a roar of thunder arose and intensified, accompanied by incessant flashes of lightning. About 17 hours. 40 min., when the cloud had already passed the zenith, ash began to fall ... and by 6.20 p.m. it became so dark that it was impossible to see one's own hand, even if one brought it to one's face. People returning from work wandered around the village in search of their homes. Thunder rumbled with deafening force, without stopping. The air was saturated with electricity, telephones spontaneously rang, loudspeakers burned out in the radio network ... There was a strong smell of sulfur."

A hot layer of ash covering an area of ​​482 km2 melted the snow and formed rapid mud flows in the valley of the Sukha Khapitsa River and the valleys located on the slopes of adjacent volcanoes. These streams washed away huge boulders weighing hundreds of tons and carried them through the valley, sweeping away everything in their path. Trees were uprooted or burned. 3 weeks after the eruption, G.O. Gorshkov discovered thousands of plumes of fumarolic gases rising from the surface of a 30-meter layer of ash over an area of ​​47 km2.

May 18, 1980, USA, Washington state, St. Helens volcano

The cloud of ash, shot up from the cone vertically upwards in 10 minutes, rose to a height of 19.2 km. Day turned into night. In the city of Spokane (Washington), 400 km from the volcano, visibility dropped to 3 m in broad daylight, as soon as this cloud reached the city. In Yakima, 145 km from the volcano, a layer of ash up to 12 cm thick fell. Ash fell in smaller quantities in Idaho, in central Montana and partly in Colorado. A cloud of ash circled the globe in 11 days. For weeks, a belt of ash colored sunsets, affecting the atmosphere. As in most eruptions, a lava dome was formed with a height of 183 m and a diameter of 610 m. Lava began to pour out of it. Throughout 1982, Mount St. Helens erupted again, but with less force.

The energy released during the catastrophic explosion of the volcano corresponded to the energy of 500 atomic bombs of the type dropped on Hiroshima, or 10 million tons of TNT. An area of ​​600 km2 burned out to the state of a lunar landscape.

Mount St. Helens shrunk like a broken tooth. The once symmetrical and well-built peak has disappeared, and instead, 400 m below it, an amphitheater has appeared with sheer walls of 600 meters, with barren terrain below them.

1982 March 29, Mexico, El Chichon volcano

The eruption of the El Chichon volcano occurred in two stages: on March 29 and April 3–4, 1982. Initially, volcanic ash filled the atmosphere to a height of about 30 km. Then what was in the stratosphere (about 10 Mt) began to be transferred to the west. The tropospheric part of the cloud (3–7 Mt) moved in the opposite direction and rather quickly settled on the Earth's surface. The stratospheric cloud, expanding horizontally, made several distinct revolutions around the Earth. Observations in the Hawaiian Islands showed that by December (compared to June), the ash concentration at a height of 20 km decreased by 6 times due to dispersal. In temperate latitudes, volcanic ash appeared in November 1982. Signs of increased turbidity in the Arctic stratosphere did not appear until March 1983. Thus, it took about a year for the pollution to be evenly distributed in the stratosphere of the Northern Hemisphere. In the future, it evenly decreased over the year by about 3 times.

1985 November 14–16, Colombia, Nevado del Ruiz volcano

The largest eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in terms of the number of victims and property damage occurred. A column of ash and rock fragments rose into the sky to a height of 8 km. Hot gases ejected from the crater of the volcano and pouring lava melted the snow and ice on its top. The resulting mudflow completely destroyed the city of Amero, located 50 km from the volcano. The layer of mud reached 8 m in some places. The volcano practically destroyed everything around within a radius of 150 km. About 25 thousand people died, the total number of victims exceeded 200 thousand.

1991 June 10–15, Philippines, Luzon Island, Mount Pinatubo

Approximately 200 people died and 100 thousand were left homeless as a result of numerous eruptions.

On June 10, a medium-sized eruption of the Pinatubo volcano, located on the island of Luzon, 88 km from Manila, occurred. June 12 at 8 a.m. 41 min. the volcano exploded, sending a mushroom cloud into the sky. Streams of gas, ash and rocks melted to a temperature of 980°C poured down the slopes at a speed of up to 100 km/h. For many kilometers around, all the way to Manila, day turned into night. And the cloud and the ash falling from it reached Singapore, which is 2.4 thousand km away from the volcano.

On the night of June 12 and the morning of June 13, the volcano erupted again. And with even more power than before. He threw ashes and flames into the air for 24 km.

On the morning of June 14, a typhoon hit the east coast of Luzon with a wind speed of 130 km / h, which flooded the area, soaked a layer of ash and turned it into white mud.

The volcano continued to erupt on June 15 and 16. Mud streams and water washed away houses. A layer of ash 20 cm thick, turning into mud, destroyed buildings before our eyes. The slopes of Mount Pinatubo resembled a lunar landscape. In the province of Zambales, the most affected region, everything was covered with a 90-centimeter layer of ash and volcanic debris.

The smallest particles of ejected ash formed a huge cloud that encircled the entire globe along the equator. It contained little ozone in its central part, and a lot of sulfur dioxide along its edges. During the eruption, more than 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide were released into the atmosphere. The ash cloud of Mount Pinatubo, like that of Krakatoa in 1883, led to some general decrease in temperature, since the ash particles form a screen that delays sunlight. From space satellites, the presence of chlorine compounds and some other harmful gases in the atmosphere at a concentration higher than usual was registered.

1997 June 30, Mexico, Popocatepetl volcano

There was a strong eruption of the Popocatepetl volcano, located 60 km from the capital of Mexico. A column of flame from the crater of the volcano reached 18 km in height, ash fell on the streets of Mexico City. Almost 40,000 people were evacuated from the villages located near the mountain.

March 14, 2000, Russia, Kamchatka, Bezymyanny volcano

During a volcanic eruption, ash was thrown with great force to a height of up to 5 km above sea level, and the plume of the ash cloud stretched in a northwest direction for at least 100 km. The village of Kozyrevsk, located at the foot of the volcano, was almost completely covered with ash, and there was a smell of sulfur. The last time Bezymyanny erupted on February 24, 1999, when ash emissions reached a height of 8 km. A similar ash fall was recorded on this volcano only in 1956. The awakened volcano did not pose a danger to the population.

2000 December, Mexico, Popocatepetl volcano

On December 14, the eruption of the Popocatepetl volcano began, it erupted hot stones and ash to a height of up to 1 km, the radius of their fall was about 10 km. 14 thousand people were evacuated. According to the authorities, the evacuation was announced mainly out of precaution - the ash from the volcanic eruption, which the locals call El Popo, was carried by the wind in a radius of more than 80 km.

On the night of December 18-19, a strong volcanic eruption occurred. Stones, gas and a hot lava column flying out of a crater located at an altitude of 5.5 km could be observed from anywhere in Mexico City, located 60 km away. 40 thousand people were urgently evacuated from the vicinity of the volcano.

Incredible Facts

In mid-June of this year, it was 20 years since the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, as a result of which a huge amount of ash was released into the atmosphere and circled the globe, which led to a drop in global temperatures by 0.5 degrees Celsius next year.

On this anniversary, we decided to highlight the largest volcanic eruptions measured using the Volcanic Eruption Index (VEI), a classification system similar to earthquakes.

The system was developed in the 1980s, taking into account factors such as the volume of the eruption, its speed, and other quantitative variables. The scale ranges from 1 to 8, with each subsequent VEI being 10 times stronger than the previous one.

There have been no volcanic eruptions with an index of 8 in the last 10,000 years, however, human history has witnessed several powerful and destructive eruptions. Below are the 10 most powerful volcanic eruptions that have occurred in the last 4000 years.

Huaynaputina, Peru - 1600, VEI 6

It was the largest volcanic eruption of all time in the history of South America. The explosion provoked the appearance of mudflows that reached the Pacific Ocean, which was located 120 km from the scene. Among other things, apparently, the explosion also affected the global climate. The summer of 1600 was one of the coldest in the previous 500 years. Ash from the explosion covered everything around within a radius of 50 square kilometers.

Despite the fact that the mountain is quite high (4850 meters), no one expected an eruption from it. She stands on the edge of a deep canyon, and her peak does not at all resemble the silhouette that is usually associated with possible eruptions. The cataclysm of 1600 damaged the nearby cities of Arequipa and Moquegau, which did not recover until a century later.

Krakatoa (Krakatoa), Sunda Strait, Indonesia, - 1883, VEI 6

The most powerful explosion that occurred on August 26-27, 1883 was accompanied by loud peals for several months. The eruption of this stratovolcano, located along a volcanic island arc in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian Platform, threw out huge amounts of rock, ash and pumice, and it was heard for thousands of kilometers.

The explosion also provoked the development of a tsunami, the maximum wave height reached 40 meters, while more than 34,000 people died. Tidal sensors located 11,000 km from the Arabian Peninsula even recorded an increase in wave height.

While the island that had been his home before the eruption of Krakatoa remained completely destroyed, new eruptions began in December 1927 and provoked the appearance of Anak Krakatoa ("Child of Krakatoa"), a cone in the center of the caldera that appeared as a result of the 1883 eruption. Anak Krakatau comes to his senses from time to time, reminding everyone of his great parent.

Volcano Santa Maria, Guatemala - 1902, VEI 6

The Santa Maria eruption in 1902 was one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century. A strong explosion occurred after almost 500 years of silence, leaving behind a large crater, about 1.5 km in diameter, on the southwestern flank of the mountain.

The symmetrical, tree-covered volcano is part of a chain of stratovolcanoes that rises along the Pacific plain of the coast of Guatemala. From the moment of the strongest explosion, the volcano began to show its character too often. So, in 1922 there was an eruption with a force of VEI 3, and in 1929 Santa Maria "gave out" a pyroclastic flow (fast moving and flammable clouds of gas and dust) that killed more than 5,000 people.

Novarupta, Alaska Peninsula - June 1912, VEI 6

The eruption of Novarupta - one of the chain of volcanoes in the Alaska Peninsula, part of the Pacific ring of fire - was the largest volcanic explosion of the 20th century. A powerful eruption provoked the release of 12.5 cubic kilometers of magma and ash into the air, which then settled on the ground in a radius of 7800 square kilometers.

Mount Pinatubo, Luzon, Philippines - 1991, VEI 6

The catastrophic eruption of Pinatubo was a classic explosive eruption. The eruption spewed more than 5 cubic kilometers of waste products into the air and created a column of ash that rose 35 kilometers into the atmosphere. Then all this fell on one village, the roofs of many of whose houses even collapsed under the weight of ash.

The explosion also released several million tons of sulfur dioxide and other elements into the air, which spread around the world due to air currents and caused a global drop in temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius next year.

Ambrym Island, Republic of Vanuatu - 50 AD, VEI 6+

The 665 sq. km volcanic island, which is part of a tiny country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, witnessed one of the most impressive eruptions in the history of mankind, when a huge amount of ash and ash was thrown into the atmosphere and a caldera 12 km in diameter was formed .

The volcano continues to be one of the most active in the world to this day. It has erupted about 50 times since 1774, and has proven to be the most dangerous neighbor for people living nearby. In 1894, six people died as a result of being hit by volcanic bombs, and four people drowned in lava flows. In 1979, acid rain, triggered by a volcanic eruption, burned several local residents.

Ilopango Volcano, El Salvador - 450 AD, VEI 6+

Although this mountain is located in the center of El Salvador, just a few miles east of the capital city of San Salvador, it has only experienced two eruptions in its history, the first being very strong. It covered much of Central and Western El Salvador in cinders and ash, and destroyed the early Maya cities, forcing the inhabitants to flee.

Trade routes were destroyed, and the center of Maya civilization moved from the mountainous regions of El Salvador to the lowlands in the north in Guatemala. Eruption calderas are currently one of the largest lakes in El Salvador.

Mount Thera, Santorini Island, Greece - 1610 BC, VEI 7

Geologists believe that the volcano of the Aegean islands of Thera exploded with a force equivalent to the force of several hundred atomic bombs. Although there is no record of an eruption, geologists think it was the most violent explosion ever seen by man.

The island of Santorini (part of the archipelago of volcanic islands) where the volcano is located was home to the people of the Minoan civilization, although there are some indications that the inhabitants of the island suspected the "desire" of the volcano to explode and were able to evacuate in time. But even if we assume that the inhabitants managed to escape, as a result of the eruption, their culture still suffered greatly. It is also worth noting that the volcano provoked the strongest tsunami, and the huge release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere caused a global decrease in temperature and climate change subsequently.

Volcano Changbaishan (Changbaishan), the border of China and North Korea, 1000, VEI 7

Also known as the Baitoushan volcano, so much volcanic material was ejected from its eruption that even northern Japan, 1,200 km away, felt it. The eruption created a large caldera - almost 4.5 km in diameter and about 1 km deep. Currently, the caldera is Lake Tianchi, which is popular with tourists not only for its beauty, but also because of the alleged unidentified creatures living in its depths.

The mountain last erupted in 1702 and geologists believe it is dormant. Emissions of gases were recorded in 1994, but no evidence of the resumption of activity of the volcano was observed.

Mount Tambora, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia - 1815, VEI 7

The explosion of Mount Tambora is the largest in the history of mankind, its explosive index is 7, which is a very high figure. The volcano, which is still active, is one of the highest peaks in the Indonesian archipelago. The eruption reached its peak in April 1815, the explosion was so loud that it could be heard on the island of Sumatra, which is located at a distance of more than 1930 km. The death toll was 71,000, and clouds of heavy ash hit many islands very far from the volcano.

The most recent mention of active volcanic activity on the planet occurred on August 16 this year, when a series of mini-earthquakes occurred in the vicinity of the Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland. On August 28, the eruption itself began, marked by the outpouring of lava from a long fissure on the Holuhrain lava plateau. It was not as dramatic an eruption as the one that occurred in 2010, when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano emerged from a long dormancy, whose ash prevented flights for two weeks. This time, the pilot of the plane flying by, on the contrary, made a small detour and approached the ash clouds so that the passengers could better see this grandiose phenomenon. The Icelandic meteorological office, in turn, only raised the threat level for air travel to red, without making too much noise out of it. According to James White, a volcanologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, there is little that society can do about large volcanic eruptions, so their rarity is good news.

10. Mount Saint Helena, Washington, USA - 57 victims

On May 18, 1980, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake set off a series of explosions on Mount St. Helena. The process culminated in a massive eruption that unleashed a record wave of rock debris, killing 57 people. In total, the volcanic eruption caused $1 billion in damage to the country, destroying roads, forests, bridges, homes and recreational areas, not to mention logging farms and rural areas. "Indirect loss of life" as a result of this eruption made it one of the worst cataclysms in the world.

9. Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo - 70 victims


Nestled in the Virunga Mountains along the Great Rift Valley, Nyiragongo Volcano has erupted at least 34 times since 1882. This active stratovolcano reaches a height of 1100 meters and has a two-kilometer crater filled with a real lake of lava. In January 1977, Nyiragongo began to erupt again, lava flowing down its slopes at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, killing 70 people. The next eruption occurred in 2002, when lava flows headed for the city of Goma and the shores of Lake Kivu, fortunately no one was hurt this time. Scientists believe that the increased level of volcanism in the district has caused the supersaturation of Lake Kivu with carbon dioxide to a dangerous level.

8 Pinatubo, Philippines - 800 victims


Located in the Cabusilan Mountains on the island of Luzon, Mount Pinatubo has been dormant for over 450 years. In June 1991, when the danger of this volcano was already forgotten, and its slopes were covered with dense vegetation, he suddenly woke up. Fortunately, timely monitoring and forecasts made it possible to safely evacuate most of the population, however, 800 people died as a result of this eruption. It was so strong that its effects were felt all over the world. A layer of sulfuric acid vapor settled in the planet's atmosphere for some time, which caused a decrease in world temperature by 12 degrees Celsius in 1991-1993.

7. Kelud, East Java, Indonesia - 5,000 victims


Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Kelud Volcano has erupted over 30 times since 1000 AD. One of its deadliest eruptions occurred in 1919. More than 5,000 people died from hot and fast-moving mudflows. The volcano later erupted in 1951, 1966 and 1990, causing a total of 250 deaths. In 2007, 30,000 people were evacuated after his awakening, and two weeks later there was a huge explosion that destroyed the top of the mountain. Dust, ashes and rock fragments covered the nearby villages. The last eruption of this volcano occurred on February 13, 2014, when 76,000 people were evacuated. Emission of volcanic ash covered an area of ​​500 square kilometers.

6 Laki Volcanic System, Iceland - 9,000 Victims


Iceland is a sparsely populated country nestled between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Circle and is famous for its waterfalls, fjords, volcanoes and glaciers. Iceland got its nickname "Land of Fire and Ice" for the reason that there is a whole system consisting of 30 active volcanoes. The reason for this is the location of the island on the border of the collision of two tectonic plates. We all remember the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010, when thousands of tons of ash and debris darkened the sky over the island and air travel over Europe was banned for several weeks. However, this eruption pales in comparison to the 1784 eruption in the Laki volcanic system. It lasted eight months, spewing more than 14.7 cubic kilometers of lava and releasing into the atmosphere an incredible amount of harmful gases, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride and fluoride. A cloud of toxins rained down in acid rain, poisoning livestock and spoiling the soil, and also caused the death of 9,000 people.

5. Mount Unzen, Japan - 12,000 to 15,000 victims


Located near the city of Shimabara, in Nagasaki Prefecture, on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Mount Unzen is part of a group of intersecting stratovolcanoes. In 1792, Mount Unzen began to erupt. A huge explosion generated an earthquake that caused the eastern part of the dome of the volcano to break, resulting in a huge tsunami. On that memorable day, from 12 to 15 thousand people died. This eruption is considered the deadliest in the history of Japan. Mount Unzen subsequently erupted again in 1990, 1991 and 1995. In 1991, 43 people died, including three volcanologists.

4. Vesuvius, Italy - 16,000 to 25,000 victims


Located 9 kilometers east of Naples, Mount Vesuvius is one of the most infamous volcanoes in the world. The reason for its notoriety was the eruption in 79 AD, which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The lava flow then reached 20 miles in length and consisted of molten rocks, pumice, stones and ash. The amount of thermal energy released during this eruption was 100,000 times greater than the energy released during the bombing of Hiroshima. Some estimates put the death toll at between 16,000 and 25,000. The last eruption of Vesuvius occurred in 1944. Today, Mount Vesuvius is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, since more than 3 million people live in its vicinity.

3. Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia - 25,000 victims


Nevado del Ruiz, also known as La Massa de Jurveo, is a stratovolcano located in Colombia. It is located 128 kilometers west of Bogotá. It differs from an ordinary volcano in that it consists of many alternating layers of lava, hardened volcanic ash and pyroclastic rocks. Nevado del Ruiz is widely known for its deadly mudflows that can bury entire cities under them. This volcano erupted three times: in 1595, 635 people died as a result of falling into a hot mudflow, in 1845 1,000 people died, and in 1985, which turned out to be the deadliest, more than 25,000 people died. Such a large number of victims is explained by the fact that on the path of the lava flow, rushing at a speed of 65 kilometers per hour, the village of Armero arose.

2. Peli, West Indies - 30,000 victims

Pelee volcano is located on the northern tip of Martinique. Until recently, it was considered a dormant volcano. However, a series of eruptions that began on April 25, 1902 and ended with an explosion on May 8 proved otherwise. This eruption has been called the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century. Pyroclastic flows destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre - the largest on the island. More than 30,000 people died as a result of this disaster. According to some reports, only two of the inhabitants of the city survived: one of them was a prisoner whose cell turned out to be poorly ventilated, and the second was a young girl who hid in a small boat in a small cave near the shore. She was later found drifting in the ocean, two miles from Martinique.

1. Tambora, Indonesia - 92,000 victims


The Tambora volcano erupted on April 10, 1816, killing 92,000 people. The volume of lava, which amounted to more than 38 cubic miles, is considered the largest in the history of all eruptions. Before the eruption, Mount Tambora reached 4 kilometers in height, after which its height decreased to 2.7 kilometers. This volcano is considered not only the deadliest of all, but also had the strongest impact on the Earth's climate. As a result of the eruption, the planet was hidden from the rays of the Sun for a whole year. The eruption was so significant that it caused a number of weather anomalies around the world: it snowed in New England in June, there was a crop failure everywhere, and livestock died in the entire Northern Hemisphere as a result of famine. This phenomenon has become widely known under the name "volcanic winter".

10 most catastrophic volcanic eruptions

Volcano Unzen (Unzen), 1792

The largest eruption of the Unzen volcano occurred in 1792. From the volcanic eruption, earthquake and, as a result, the occurrence of a tsunami, 15,000 people died.

200 years after this eruption, the volcano was calm.

In 1991, the volcano became active again, in the same year there was an eruption with the release of lava, while 43 people died, including a group of scientists and journalists. The Japanese authorities were forced to evacuate thousands of residents. The volcano was active, ejecting lava and ash until about 1995. Since 1995, activity has decreased and in this moment it is in a static state.

El Chichon Volcano, Mexico, 1982

The eruption of the El Chichon volcano in 1982, led to the death of 2,000 residents of nearby areas in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. After the eruption, a lake filled with chamois formed in the crater of the volcano.

A feature of the eruption of this volcano was that a large amount of aerosol was thrown into the atmosphere, about 20 million tons in this aerosol was the content of sulfuric acid.

The cloud entered the stratosphere and increased its average temperature by 4 C, and the destruction of the ozone layer was also observed.

Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines was the second largest eruption of the 20th century. The volcanic rating index was 6.

This is more than the eruption of St. Helens in 1980, but less than Tambora in 1815. Pinatubo, on June 15, 1991, ejected about two and a half cubic kilometers of matter, including lava, ash and toxic gases. In total, about 10 square kilometers of matter was ejected during the eruption. About 800 people died as a result of the eruption.

Volcano St. Helens, USA, 1980

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in the United States. The volcanic eruption killed 57 people (according to other sources, 62 people).

The release of gases into the atmosphere reached a height of 24 kilometers, before the eruption there was an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 points, which caused a huge landslide.

The eruption lasted 9 hours. The released energy can be compared with the energy of the explosion of 500 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima.

Volcano Nevada del Ruiz, Colombia, 1985

The eruption of the Nevada del Ruiz volcano in 1985 killed 20,000 people in the nearby village of Armero. It is the second most fatal volcano in the 20th century.

The volcanic eruption melted the glacier on it, and the mudflow mass completely destroyed Armero.

But the tragedy happened first in the village of Chinchina - the authorities did not have time to completely evacuate the inhabitants and 2,000 people died. The total death toll is estimated at 23,000 to 25,000.

Kilauea Volcano, USA, 1983 (present)

The Kilauea volcano may not be the most destructive, but what makes it special is that it has been erupting continuously for over 20 years, making it one of the most active volcanoes in the world. According to the diameter of the crater (4.5 km), the volcano is considered the largest in the world.

Vesuvius exploded in 79, he buried the entire city of Pompeii under a veil of ash and pumice, which fell from the sky during the day. Ash layer reached 3 meters. According to modern estimates, 25,000 people became victims of the volcano. Excavations were carried out on the site of the city of Pompeii, such a number of victims was caused by the fact that people began to leave their homes not immediately, but tried to pack and save their property.

Since 79, the volcano has erupted dozens of times, most recently in 1944.

The Pele volcano exploded on the Caribbean island of Martinique in 1902, killing 29,000 people and destroying the entire city of Saint-Pierre. For several days, the volcano spewed gases and a small part of the ash, the inhabitants saw it, and on May 8, Pele exploded.

Witnesses on ships just off the coast described the sudden appearance of a massive mushroom-shaped cloud filled with fiery hot ash and volcanic gases that covered the island in seconds.

Only two people survived the explosion of the volcano.

Volcano Krakatoa, Indonesia, 1883

The explosion of Krakatoa in 1883 can be compared to the power of 13,000 atomic bombs.

Over 36,000 people died. The height of the ejected ash reached 30 km. After the eruption, the island seemed to have formed, that is, the island itself fell into the void under the volcano, all this was covered with masses of ocean waters. Since the surface temperature was high and the sinking of the land was fast, this led to the emergence (formation) of a tsunami wave that moved towards the island of Sumatra, which led to the death of more than 2,000 people on it.

At the moment, a new active volcano has formed on the site of the old volcano, which is growing in height by 6-7 meters per year.

Volcano Tambora, Indonesia, 1815

The Tambora volcano eruption was the largest volcanic eruption ever recorded on the planet.

10,000 people died instantly under lava flows and from poisoning by toxic gases.

The total number of deaths from the volcano and the tsunami is about 92,000 people, not counting those who died from the famine that followed.

The scale of the eruption is evidenced by the fact that the amount of substance released into the earth's atmosphere was so large that in the northern hemisphere in 1816 there was no summer.

The thing is that particles of matter reflected the Sun's rays and interfered with the warming of the Earth.

The consequence of the eruption was famine around the world.

The power of the eruption was 7 points on the scale of volcanic eruptions.