What is a volcano? Where is the largest volcano? Earth's volcanoes photographed from space Volcanic eruption online from space.

Photo taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A large column of smoke, steam and ash erupts from Sarychev Volcano on Matua island Great Kuril Ridge, Russia. The eruption is believed to have created a hole in the cloud layer above it.

Smoke rising from Grimsvoetn - Iceland's most active volcano. Authorities closed Iceland's airspace after the country's most active volcano began spewing clouds of ash that rose to a height of 20 kilometers.

Anak Krakatoa. View from space of the Krakatoa volcano, one of the largest volcanoes that erupted in the 19th century. The last eruption practically destroyed the island on which the volcano was located. The new volcano, named Anak Krakatoa (“Child of Krakatoa”), rose 9 meters above sea level within a few days. An island appeared in the center three islands, which once made up the Krakatoa volcano.

Mount Cleveland, Aleutian Islands of Alaska. View from the International Space Station. The volcano reaches a height of 1730 meters.

Images of volcanoes in visible and infrared wavelengths. Changes in rock color indicate geological age, Landsat satellite. Chile-Argentina border.

Mount Semeru - (3676 m) (center, bottom) and Mount Bromo (top, center) Java island, Indonesia. These two mountains are active volcanoes located in the center of a vast plain known as the Sand Sea. Mount Semeru is the highest peak on the island of Java.

The summit of Mount St. Helens, Skamania County, Washington. The crater's summit was formed during a massive volcanic eruption on May 18, 1980, after months of volcanic activity.

Photo taken in false color from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER). A large plume of ash and steam rises from Chaiten Volcano, Chile. Vegetation is shown in red, the ground covered in ash is brown and the water is black.

Smoke and ash (top left) from the Chikurachki volcano on Paramushir Island in the Kuril Islands chain in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between Russia and Japan. Photo from the International Space Station (ISS). The ash turned the snow-covered island into a gray mass.

Shiveluch stratovolcano, one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, Russia.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano, Russia, satellite observation (EO-1).

Volcano Damavand, image from the International Space Station. Vulcana is located 50 kilometers northeast of the Iranian capital Tehran, on the Elbrus mountain range.

Mount Fuji, 3776 meters high, is the highest volcano in Japan. Photo from the ISS.

The peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in northeastern Tanzania captured by the GeoEye-1 satellite. Mount Kilimanjaro rises to a height of 5895 meters, the highest in Africa and the largest single standing mountain in the world it is also an active volcano.

Satellite photo shows a plume of smoke coming from Mount Etna, located in the eastern part Italian island Sicily. Etna is the largest and most active volcano in Europe.

Satellite image of Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth. Located on Ross Island in Antarctica near the South Pole, part of the Pacific volcanic Ring of Fire, which includes more than 160 active volcanoes.

Manam Volcano Island, Papua New Guinea, releases a faint plume of steam.

June 22, 2001: Sicily. The Entna volcano ejects a column of ash that covered the streets of the city of Catania. The eruption opened five holes in the mountain and released a cloud of ash.

SPOT 4 satellite image shows the creation of a new crater at Puyehue-Cordon in the Caulle volcano chain, 800 km south of Santiago, Chile.

A plume of smoke from a volcanic eruption in southern Eritrea, northern Ethiopia.

Traces of ash after two days of continuous emissions at Puyehue, Chile. Surveying in visible and infrared ranges from geostationary environmental satellites "Vostok" (GOES-Vostok), June 6. Ash clouds stretch more than 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km / 1,181 miles) from Chile, to the coast of Argentina, and further into the Atlantic Ocean.

A plume of light ash stretched along the edge of the Andes. Puyehue-Cordon Caulle.

Volcanic activity on Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands. One of the most active volcanoes in the world. The eruption opened a new fissure, causing a forest fire.

False-color image shows the remains of a large pyroclastic flow on the slopes of Shiveluch volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. No one was injured during the eruption. Pyroclastic flows are one of the most formidable and dangerous manifestations of volcanic eruptions. This is an avalanche of ash, gas and rocks.

Volcanic ash cloud coming from the peak of Mount Shinmoedake, located between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, Japan.

Ash from Mount Merapi in Indonesia.

Large pyroclastic flow along the Gendol River south of Mount Merapi in Indonesia. Light gray shows the volcanic emissions that filled the river south of the volcano. The dark areas closer to the volcano are a pyroclastic flow that devastated everything in its path. In this dark gray area, most of the trees were downed and the ground was covered in ash and lava.

Eruption and lava flow of Mount Merapi, Indonesia. Volcano on the outskirts of Yogyakarta, Java island. In 1930, an eruption killed about 1,300 people. During the eruption in 1974, 2 villages were destroyed, and in 1975 - a large village and five bridges, killing 29 people. In addition, several cases of death of tourists and volcanologists have been recorded, whose graves can be found right on the volcano.

A picturesque ridge of snow-capped volcanoes of the Aleutian Islands.

Satellite image (EO-1) shows the eruption of the Eyjafjoell volcano, Iceland.

An ash flow carried by the wind from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano south across the North Atlantic.

Volcanoes are geological formations on the surface of the Earth (or another planet) where hot magma rises to the surface, forming lava, volcanic gases and pyroclastic flows.
The word "volcano" comes from the name of the ancient Roman god of fire, Vulcan. There are about 1,500 active volcanoes in the world, most of which are located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and about 50 of them erupt each year. Almost 500 million people live near active volcanoes.
What a volcanic eruption looks like from space.

Chaiten is an active volcano in Chile

The height above sea level is 1122 m. The volcano's caldera is about 3 km in diameter, and there are several crater lakes at its bottom. The volcano was inactive for 9400–9500 years, until a major eruption began on May 2, 2008, with ejecta reaching 30 km in height. On May 6, the lava reached the village, and almost the entire population within a radius of 50 km was evacuated. (NASA Photo):

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Volcano Sarycheva, Russia

Sarychev Volcano is an active stratovolcano on the island of Matua in the Great Kuril Ridge; one of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands. The early stages of the 2009 eruption were recorded on June 12 from the International Space Station. (NASA Photo):

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Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Russia

Klyuchevskaya Sopka (Klyuchevskoy volcano) is an active stratovolcano in the east of Kamchatka. With a height of 4,850 m, it is the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent. The volcano is approximately 7,000 years old. (NASA Photo):

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Volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka. (NASA Photo):

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Pavlova Volcano, Alaska

Pavlova Volcano is an active stratovolcano near the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula. The diameter of the volcano is approximately 7 km. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Alaska, with more than 40 historical eruptions. The last major volcanic eruption occurred in 2013. (NASA Photo | ISS Crew Earth Observations):

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Puyehue, Chile

Puyehue is an active volcano in southern Chile. The height above sea level of the peak is 2,236 m. On June 4, 2011, several small tremors occurred in the area of ​​the volcano, and in the evening an eruption began. A huge column of smoke and ash rose above the Puyehue volcano. A cloud of volcanic ash moves with the wind towards Argentina. According to the country's National Geology and Mining Service, the volcano emitted an ash column up to 10 km high. (NASA Photo | GSFC | Jeff Schmaltz | MODIS Land Rapid Response Team):

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Eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland

The eruption of a volcano near the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland began on the night of March 20/21, 2010. The main consequence of the eruption was the release of a cloud of volcanic ash, which disrupted air traffic in Northern Europe. (NASA Photo | GSFC | Jeff Schmaltz | MODIS Land Rapid Response Team):

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Volcano Nyiragongo, Congo

Since 1882, 34 eruptions have been recorded; At the same time, it also happened that volcanic activity continued continuously for many years. The main crater of the volcano is 250 meters deep and 2 km wide; a lava lake sometimes forms in it. One of Nyiragongo's most powerful eruptions occurred in 1977; then several hundred people died from the fiery streams. (NASA Photo):

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Shin-Moedake Volcano, Japan

Following a powerful earthquake, the Shin-Moedake volcano awoke in Japan. It is located in the southwest of the country - on the island of Kyushu. The volcano threw piles of stones into the sky, and a giant ash cloud formed over the mountain. (NASA Photo | Jeff Schmaltz | MODIS Rapid Response Team):

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Volcano Merapi, Indonesia

Merapi is the largest active volcano in Indonesia, located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. Height 2914 meters. Major eruptions occur on average every 7 years. One of the most destructive eruptions was recorded in 1673, when several cities and many villages at the foot of the volcano were destroyed. (NASA Photo):

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Volcano Api, Indonesia

Api is one of the most active active volcanoes in Indonesia on the island of Sangeang. The height of the volcano is 1,949 meters. (NASA Photo):

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Volcano Etna, Italy

Etna is an active stratovolcano located on east coast Sicily. This is the highest active volcano in Europe. Now the height of Etna is 3,329 m above sea level. Etna is the largest active volcano in Italy, more than 2.5 times larger than its closest “rival” Vesuvius. According to various sources, Etna has from 200 to 400 lateral volcanic craters. On average, once every three months, lava erupts from one or another crater. (NASA Photo):

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Manam Volcano, Papua New Guinea

A large eruption of the Manam volcano occurred on the morning of January 12, north of New Guinea. Volcanologists report that in satellite images the height of ash emissions reaches 14 kilometers. (NASA Photo | Jesse Allen):

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They say that Prometheus was chained to one of the rocks of this particular mountain because he gave fire to people. It was here, according to Homer, that Jason went for the Golden Fleece. There are also legends that it was Elbrus that was the first piece of Earth that Noah encountered after the Flood, and his ship literally hit the peak and split it.

The Elbrus stratovolcano is located at some distance from the Greater Caucasus Range (20 km to the north) and is highest point Russia. Since there is no clearly defined border between Asia and Europe, many believe that it is the highest mountain peak of the European continent, whose height is 5642 meters.

Elbrus was formed somewhat differently than the others Caucasus Mountains, of which it is a part: they appeared earlier, about 5 million years ago, and are folded in nature. And the volcano was formed later, about 1 million years ago, as a result of complex and long-term geological processes: first the western peak appeared, and then, on the eastern side of the side crater, a second cone began to form. Nowadays, the volcano is not active, but it cannot be called extinct either: manifestations of volcanic activity are still observed here.

What Elbrus looks like

The nature here is diverse: mountain meadows, rare plants and animals, coniferous forests, stormy rivers leave no one indifferent, and some time ago a volcano was created in the area national park“Elbrus region”, and therefore you can’t hunt, cut down forests, or do construction here.

At the foot of Elbrus there is a huge number of extremely beautiful gorges, and on the northern side there is the famous Dzhyly-Su tract with mineral thermal springs and the most beautiful waterfalls height from 20 to 40 meters, among which the Sultan waterfall located in the upper reaches of the Malki River stands out.




On the slope of the mountain, at an altitude of about three hundred meters, there is a huge ice lake, Jikaugenköz. In its middle part rises a reminiscent medieval castle Kalitsky Peak, whose height exceeds 3.5 km, where there is a site with religious sanctuaries, which were created from large stones.

The volcano itself looks like this:

  • Elbrus has two peaks, each of which represents two independent volcanoes, connected by a saddle, the height of which is 5.3 km. The distance between the peaks is about three kilometers;
  • The eastern, younger cone is slightly lower than the western one, and its height is 5621 m. It has a clearly defined crater with a diameter of 200 meters and a depth of about 80 m;
  • The height of the western peak is almost extinct volcano– 5642 meters, crater diameter – 600 meters, depth – 300 m, and the upper part of the volcano is partially destroyed;
  • The slopes of the mountain are mostly gentle, but closer to the top, starting at 4 thousand km, the angle of inclination increases to 35 degrees;
  • On the northern and western side of Elbrus there is a huge number of sheer cliffs about 700 meters high;
  • Starting from a height of 3.5 km, the volcano is covered with rocks and glaciers; in total, there are about 70 glaciers on Elbrus, the area of ​​which exceeds 130 km². The water flowing from the glaciers of Elbrus creates three main streams that feed the main rivers of this region - Baksan, Kuban and Malka;
  • The surface of the volcano, free of glaciers, is covered with loose rocks;
  • Snow cover remains on the top of Elbrus throughout the whole year.


On the northern slope of the mountain, at an altitude of about 3 km, there is a Birjal lava tract with a huge number of remains of melted sand, which, under the influence of precipitation, weathering, and soil erosion, collapsed and created numerous piles of bizarre shapes, forming grottoes and caves. They hang over each other, forming bridges, arches, consoles and, diverging in different directions, taking on various bizarre shapes.

Volcano activity

It is believed that over the entire period of its existence, the active volcano has exhibited volcanic activity about four times, and the age of the oldest volcanic rocks of this mountain is about three million years.

The volcano showed its greatest volcanic activity about 225 thousand years ago, then its activity gradually subsided, and in last time it erupted about two thousand years ago (according to scientists, it was around 50 AD). Despite the fact that this eruption was not recorded anywhere, lava flows up to 24 km and 260 km long dating back to this period were discovered on the mountain. sq. volcanic debris, indicating that the emissions were quite strong.


Although the volcano has not been reminiscent of itself for an extremely long time, volcanologists consider it not extinct, but dormant (active), since it demonstrates active external and internal activity - primarily this is manifested in the release of sulfuric acid and chloride gases on the eastern slopes, as well as in the presence world famous minerals thermal springs“Hot Narzan”, the temperature of which reaches +52° C and +60º C (apparently, the magma chamber of the volcano is located at a depth of 6-7 km from the earth’s surface).

Many scientists agree that the volcano is unlikely to awaken in the next two or three centuries.

Some scientists believe that Elbrus may well become active as early as this century (although not earlier than in fifty years), arguing their conclusions not only by the manifestation of fumarolic activity by the volcano, but also because of the colony of green mosses discovered on the western peak of the mountain. The ground temperature in this place was +21ºС, while ambient temperature indicators showed sub-zero temperatures (-20ºС).

Elbrus weather

Not everyone who starts climbing Elbrus will be able to conquer it, especially if he decides to do it in the off-season - in spring or autumn. Closer to the top, even well-prepared climbers can be stopped not only by the severe cold, but also by the terrifying strength of the wind, which knocks them down, gusts reaching 100 km/h.

The most stubborn can, despite the bad weather, reach a height of 4 thousand km, but such weather will stop anyone - snow, storm and temperature of minus thirty degrees; in these conditions, going up is extremely dangerous for life.


Since warm and humid Mediterranean and Black Sea cyclones meet cold Antarctic ones near Elbrus, the climate of Elbrus is extremely changeable: summer heat quickly gives way to bitter cold, and clouds in a few minutes can cover an entire mountain, hiding absolutely all landmarks - and the traveler will have to rely only on his instincts .

Moist air currents coming from the Black Sea cause numerous precipitation on Elbrus, mainly in the form of snow, which at high altitudes can fall at both sub-zero and positive temperatures.

The most precipitation falls here in summer and winter, which is why the most favorable time for climbing is November, when a constant dense snow cover is established, and winter.

The most dangerous period for climbing the volcano is the spring or autumn months: the weather at this time is bad and unstable, and the temperature at the peaks even in May can drop to -50 degrees Celsius. So, several years ago, a group of twelve climbers attempted to climb the volcano at the end of spring. But due to a sharp deterioration in the weather and loss of visibility, the climbers got lost, and then completely froze to death - only one person was able to go down.

Elbrus rescue station


To avoid such situations, it was decided to create a rescue shelter on Elbrus - work began in 2007 and was completed five years later. Construction was not easy, since materials and fastening systems had to be delivered to great heights, which was done using a helicopter. The shelter was first opened in 2010, but a month later a hurricane completely destroyed the building.

Considering the need for such a structure, it was decided to restore the shelter, but make it smaller and more wind-resistant - and by August 2012, the highest rescue shelter on the European continent was built on the saddle of Elbrus (5300 above sea level).

On August 24, 79, people looked at their patron in horror and could not understand why they had angered the gods so much. How did it happen that their protector suddenly began to spew out flames that spread across the ground and destroyed everything in its path? The residents of Pompeii already knew: unexpectedly for everyone, the volcano woke up. What it is, what volcanoes are like and why they suddenly wake up, we will look at today in this article.

What is a volcano?

A volcano is a kind of formation on the surface of the earth's crust, which from time to time is capable of erupting pyroclastic flows (a mixture of ash, gas and stones), volcanic gases, and lava. It is in zones of volcanic activity that opportunities for using geothermal energy open up.

Types of volcanoes

  1. Active volcanoes are those that erupt during a historical period of time. It is thanks to them that one can understand what a volcano is and the mechanisms that make it act, because direct observation of the process provides much more information than the most thorough excavations.
  2. Dormant volcanoes are called dormant volcanoes that are currently inactive, however, there is a high probability of their awakening.
  3. Extinct volcanoes include those that were active in the past, but today the probability of their eruption is zero.

What shapes do volcanoes come in?

If you ask a schoolchild what shape a volcano has, he will undoubtedly say that it looks like a mountain. And he will be right. The volcano actually has the shape of a cone, which was formed during its eruption.

The volcanic cone has a vent - this is a kind of outlet channel through which lava rises during an eruption. Quite often there is more than one such channel. It may have several branches that serve to bring volcanic gases to the surface. The vent always ends in a crater. It is into this that all materials are thrown out during an eruption. A curious fact is that the vent is open only during the period of volcanic activity. The rest of the time it is closed, until the next manifestation of activity.

The time during which the volcanic cone formed varies individually. It mainly depends on how much material the volcano releases during its eruption. Some require 10 thousand years to do this, others can form it in one eruption.

Sometimes the opposite processes occur. During an eruption, the volcanic cone collapses, and in its place a large depression is formed - a caldera. The depth of such a depression is at least one kilometer, and the diameter can reach 16 km.

Why do volcanoes erupt?

We figured out what a volcano is, but why does it erupt?

As you know, our planet does not consist of a single piece of rock. It has its own structure. On top is a thin, hard “shell” that scientists call the lithosphere. Its thickness is only 1% of the radius globe. In practice, this means from 80 to 20 kilometers, depending on whether it is land or the bottom of the oceans.

Beneath the lithosphere is a layer of mantle. Its temperature is so high that the mantle is constantly in a liquid, or rather viscous, state. At the center is the solid core of the earth.

As a result of the fact that lithospheric plates are in constant motion, magma chambers can arise. When they break out to the surface of the earth's crust, a volcanic eruption begins.

What is magma?

Here, it is probably necessary to explain what magma is and what chambers it can form.

Being in constant motion (albeit invisible to the naked human eye), lithospheric plates can collide or creep onto each other. Most often, slabs whose dimensions are larger “win” those whose thickness is smaller. Therefore, the latter are forced to plunge into the boiling mantle, the temperature of which can reach several thousand degrees. Naturally, at this temperature the plate begins to melt. This molten rock with gases and water vapor is called magma. Its structure is more fluid than the mantle, and also lighter.

How does a volcano erupt?

Thanks to these structural features of magma, it begins to slowly rise and accumulate in places called foci. Most often, such centers become places where the earth's crust breaks.

Gradually, magma occupies all the free space of the source and, for lack of any other way out, begins to rise through cracks in the earth’s crust. If magma finds a weak spot, it does not miss the opportunity to break out to the surface. In this case, thin sections of the earth's crust are broken through. This is how a volcano erupts.

Places of volcanic activity

So what places on the planet, given volcanic activity, can be considered the most dangerous? Where are the most dangerous volcanoes peace? Let's find out...

  1. Merapi (Indonesia). This is the largest volcano in Indonesia, and also the most active. It does not allow local residents to forget about itself, even for one day, constantly releasing smoke from its crater. At the same time, small eruptions occur every two years. But you don’t have to wait long for big ones either: they happen once every 7-8 years.
  2. If you want to know where volcanoes are, you should probably take a trip to Japan. This is truly a “paradise” of volcanic activity. Take, for example, Sakurajima. Since 1955, this volcano has been constantly disturbing local residents. Its activity shows no sign of decreasing, and the last major eruption occurred not so long ago - in 2009. A hundred years ago, the volcano had its own island, but thanks to the lava that it erupted from itself, it was able to connect with the Osumi Peninsula.
  3. Aso. And again Japan. This country is constantly suffering from volcanic activity, and the Aso volcano is proof of this. In 2011, an ash cloud appeared above it, the area of ​​which was more than 100 kilometers. Since that time, scientists have constantly recorded tremors, which can indicate only one thing: the Aso volcano is ready for a new eruption.
  4. Etna. This is the most big volcano Italy, which is interesting because it has not only a main crater, but also many small ones located along its slope. In addition, Etna is distinguished by enviable activity - small eruptions occur every two to three months. It must be said that the Sicilians have long been accustomed to such a neighborhood, and are not afraid to populate the slopes.
  5. Vesuvius. The legendary volcano is almost half the size of its Italian brother, but this does not prevent it from setting many of its own records. For example, Vesuvius is exactly the volcano that destroyed Pompeii. However this is not the only city, who suffered from his activity. According to scientists, Vesuvius more than 80 times destroyed cities that were not lucky enough to be close to its slopes. The last major eruption occurred in 1944.

Which volcano on the planet can be called the highest?

Among the named volcanoes there are quite a lot of record holders. But which one can bear the title “The highest volcano on the planet”?

It is necessary to take into account: when we say “the highest,” we do not mean the height of the volcano above the surrounding area. We are talking about the absolute altitude above sea level.

Yes, the highest active volcano In the world, scientists call the Chilean Ojos del Salado. For a long time he was classified as sleeping. This status of the Chilean allowed the Argentinean Llullaillaco to bear the title “The highest volcano in the world.” However, in 1993, Ojos del Salado produced an ash release. After that, it was carefully examined by scientists who managed to find fumaroles (steam and gas outlets) in its crater. Thus, the Chilean changed his status, and, without knowing it, brought relief to many schoolchildren and teachers, for whom pronouncing the name Llullaillaco is not always easy.

To be fair, Ojos del Salado does not have a high volcanic cone. It rises above the surface only 2000 meters. While the relative height of the Llullaillaco volcano is almost 2.5 kilometers. However, it is not for us to argue with scientists.

The whole truth about the Yellowstone volcano

You cannot boast that you know what a volcano is if you have never heard of Yellowstone, which is located in the USA. What do we know about him?

First of all, Yellowstone is not a tall volcano, but for some reason it is called a supervolcano. What's the matter here? And why was Yellowstone discovered only in the 60s of the last century, and even then with the help of satellites?

The fact is that the Yellowstone cone collapsed after its eruption, resulting in the formation of a caldera. Considering its gigantic size (150 km), it is no wonder that people could not see it from Earth. But the collapse of the crater does not mean that the volcano can be reclassified as dormant.

There is still a huge chamber of magma under the Yellowstone crater. According to scientists' calculations, its temperature exceeds 800 °C. Thanks to this, many thermal springs were formed in Yellowstone, and, in addition, jets of steam, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide constantly come to the surface of the earth.

Not much is known about the eruptions of this volcano. Scientists believe that there were only three of them: 2.1 million, 1.27 million and 640 thousand years ago. Considering the frequency of eruptions, we can conclude that we may witness the following. It must be said that if this really happens, the Earth will face the next Ice Age.

What troubles do volcanoes bring?

Even if we do not take into account the fact that Yellowstone can suddenly wake up, the eruptions that other volcanoes in the world can prepare for us also cannot be called harmless. They cause enormous destruction, especially if the eruption happened suddenly and there was no time to warn or evacuate the population.

The danger is not only lava, which can destroy everything in its path and cause fires. Don’t forget about toxic gases that spread over vast areas. In addition, the eruption is accompanied by emissions of ash, which can cover vast areas.

What to do if the volcano “comes to life”?

So, if you find yourself at the wrong time and in the wrong place when a volcano suddenly wakes up, what should you do in such a situation?

First of all, you need to know that the speed of the lava is not that high, only 40 km/h, so it is quite possible to escape, or rather, drive away from it. This must be done in the shortest way, that is, perpendicular to its movement. If this is not possible for some reason, you need to look for shelter on a hill. It is also necessary to take into account the likelihood of a fire, therefore, if possible, it is necessary to clear the shelter of ash and hot debris.

In open areas, a body of water can save you, although much depends on its depth and the force with which the volcano erupts. Photos taken after the eruption show that people often find themselves defenseless before such a powerful force.

If you are one of the lucky ones and your house survived the eruption, be prepared to spend at least a week there.

And most importantly, do not trust those who say that “this volcano has been sleeping for thousands of years.” As practice shows, any volcano can wake up (photos of destruction confirm this), but there is not always someone to tell about it.

Volcanic eruptions are an interesting but dangerous phenomenon. Rarely does anyone dare to come close to them. And most of the photographs are from the air, which is no less dangerous. Have you seen what eruptions look like from space?

1. Stratovolcano Sarychev

Eruption of the 1,446-meter Sarychev stratovolcano on Kuril Islands, taken by NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The shock wave dispersed the clouds, which is why the astronauts were able to take such a detailed and detailed shot.

2. Wolf

Eruption of Wolf, the tallest volcano in the world Galapagos Islands. The height of the volcano is 1,710 meters, and a lake with several fragile islands has formed directly in its crater. The last eruption began on May 25, 2015.

3. Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano

Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano, also known as Klyuchevskoy Volcano, is an active stratovolcano in eastern Kamchatka. This is the highest (4,835 m) active volcano on the Eurasian continent, which is over 7,000 years old.

4. Etna

Etna is the largest European stratovolcano, located on the east coast of Sicily, near the cities of Messina and Catania. Now the height of Etna is 3,329 m above sea level, and it often changes from eruption to eruption.

5. Volcano Merapi

A DigitalGlobe satellite image shows the powerful eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia. Behind Lately A volcanic eruption on the outskirts of the city of Yogyakarta in the central part of the island of Java killed 194 people, 320 thousand residents lost their homes.