Photo 1 - uncontrollable volcanic eruptions

Volcano Krakatoa

The most catastrophic environmental impact was caused by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in the Malay Archipelago in 1883. For 200 years, the volcano was inactive, it consisted of three fused craters 798 m high and about 10 km² in area, it was considered extinct.

Photo 2 - view on the engraving of the Krakatoa volcano before the eruption of 1883

The prerequisites for a global catastrophe were the lunar eclipse on April 22 and the solar eclipse on May 6. On the morning of August 27, a giant explosion occurred, the power of which exceeded 100,000 times the Hiroshima atomic bomb, the shock wave instantly destroyed all life in vast spaces and circled the Earth several times.

Deaf peals were heard in Australia at a distance of 5000 km. An incandescent cloud of gases rushed up to 80 km, the ash scattered over an area of ​​more than 4 million square kilometers.

Photo 4 - tsunami on the coast of the islands of Java and Sumatra

Giant vibrations of sea waves created a tsunami up to 30 meters high, one of which went around the Earth. The death toll reached 40,000. The Krakatoa eruption formed a caldera (a rounded basin after the collapse of a volcanic cone) with a diameter of 7 km.

Photo 5 - the consequences of a global catastrophe. The line outlines the contour of the island of Krakatau, destroyed by the eruption of 1883, in the central part - the young volcano Anak Krakatau. Below is part of the Rakata crater. View from space

In place of the island, a part of the Rakata crater, the islets of Sertung and Panjang remained. Two other craters disappeared and changed the topography of the seabed.

In 1927, an underwater eruption of igneous matter caused the formation of a new volcanic cone, Anak Krakatoa (son of Krakatoa), projecting about nine meters above the sea surface.

Photo 6 - Anak Krakatoa eruption in 2010

Since the day of formation, there have been five major eruptions of the volcano and a continuous increase in mass by periodic ejections of rock. Currently, the "baby" has risen to a height of 813 meters and occupies a space with a diameter of 4 kilometers.

Volcano Tambora

The eruption of the Tambora volcano in 1815 led to the death of the nationality and culture of the inhabitants of the island of Sumbawa, and great loss of life on the nearby islands.

The average global temperature of the Earth has decreased by only 0.5°C. But the consequences were dire. A volcanic winter has come to the Indonesian archipelago. In the northern hemisphere, the echoes of the disaster turned into snowfall in the middle of the summer in the states of North America, frosts, and frequent floods in Europe. In 1816, crop failures led to famine, disease, and high mortality in vast areas. In Russia, this period is designated as "troubled times" of spontaneous food riots.

The volcanic eruption lasted several days, and began on April 5 with explosions in the crater and ash emissions over a distance of 600 km. Three pillars of fire with red-hot boulders shot up after them. Almost instantly, the fiery whirlwind destroyed all life in its path.

The top of the mountain split and collapsed, forming a giant caldera with an area of ​​more than 38 km² and a depth of about 700 m. The tremors of the earth's interior caused the formation of four meter tsunami waves.

Photo 10 - ashes

Ashes and smoke rose to a height of 43 km. Within a radius of 650 km, darkness fell for three days. It is estimated that the energy of the Tambora eruption is commensurate with the yield of 200,000 atomic bombs.

Photo 11 - view of the Tambora volcano caldera today

Emissions of rocks amounted to almost 150 km³. From the initial height of the cone of the volcano - 4000 m, as a result of the cataclysm, 2500 m remained. About 70,000 people died in the Malay Archipelago.

Volcano Pinatubo

Mount Pinatubo, 1,486 meters high, is located on the island of Luzon in the Philippine archipelago, 93 kilometers from Manila. For 600 years he was not active.

In April 1991, tremors and puffs of steam above the summit were noted to be growing in strength. June 12 and the next three days were marked by four powerful explosions, clouds of ash and gases rose to a height of 24 kilometers, no lava flows were observed.

The element reached its greatest strength on June 15. A column of hot magmatic substances rushed into the stratosphere to a height of 34 kilometers and covered 125,000 km² of the sky.

Within a few hours, the land in the volcano zone plunged into darkness. Singapore, located 2,400 kilometers from Pinatubo, was covered in ash. A powerful eruption ejected about 10 km³ of rocks, the top of the volcano dropped by 253 meters.

A lake formed in the crater, which was filled with water by monsoon rains. Human casualties reached 900 people. The US strategic and naval base located in the disaster zone was destroyed.

Photo 17 - villages under a layer of ash

The power of ash emissions into the atmosphere exceeded the eruption of Krakatau volcano. For several months, sulfuric acid fog was dispersed in the atmosphere. Meteorologists recorded a short decrease of 0.5 ° C in the average temperature of the globe.

Today we will talk about the most destructive volcanoes in the history of mankind.

The eruption attracts us, frightens and fascinates at the same time. Beauty, entertainment, spontaneity, a huge danger to humans and all living things - all this is inherent in this violent natural phenomenon.

So, let's look at volcanoes whose eruptions have caused the destruction of vast territories and mass extinctions.

The most famous active volcano is Vesuvius. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Naples, 15 km from Naples. With a relatively low altitude (1280 meters above sea level) and "youth" (12 thousand years), it is rightfully considered the most recognizable in the world.

Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European continent. It poses a great danger due to the dense population near the quiet giant. A huge number of people are daily at risk of being buried under a thick layer of lava.

The last eruption that managed to wipe out two Italian cities from the face of the Earth happened quite recently, in the midst of World War II. However, the eruption of 1944 cannot be compared with the events of August 24, 79 AD in terms of the scale of the catastrophe. The devastating consequences of that day stagger our imagination to this day. The eruption lasted more than a day, during which the ash and mud mercilessly destroyed the glorious city of Pompeii.

Until that moment, the locals were unaware of the impending danger, they were let down by a very familiar attitude to the formidable Vesuvius, as to an ordinary mountain. The volcano gave them fertile soil rich in minerals. Abundant harvests caused the city to quickly populate, develop, gain some prestige and even become a resting place for the then aristocracy. Soon a drama theater and one of the largest amphitheaters in Italy were built. Time later, the region gained fame as the most calm and prosperous place on the whole Earth. Could people have guessed that ruthless lava would cover this flowering area? That the rich potential of this region will never be realized? What will wipe off the face of the Earth all its beauty, accomplishment, cultural development?

The first push that should have alerted the inhabitants was a strong earthquake, as a result of which many buildings in Herculaneum and Pompeii were destroyed. However, people who arranged their life so well were in no hurry to leave their settled place. Instead, they restored buildings in an even more luxurious, new style. From time to time there were minor earthquakes, to which no one paid much attention. This then became their fatal mistake. Nature itself gave signs of the approaching danger. However, nothing disturbed the calm way of life of the inhabitants of Pompeii. And even when on August 24 a frightening roar was heard from the bowels of the earth, the townspeople decided to escape within the walls of their homes. At night, the volcano finally woke up. People fled to the sea, but the lava caught up with them near the shore. Soon their fate was decided - almost everyone ended his life under a thick layer of lava, mud and ash.

The next day, the elements ruthlessly attacked Pompeii. Most of the townspeople, whose number reached 20 thousand, managed to leave the city even before the start of the disaster, but about 2 thousand still died on the streets. Human. The exact number of victims has not yet been established, since the remains are found outside the city, in the surrounding area.

Let's try to feel the magnitude of the catastrophe by referring to the work of the Russian painter Karl Bryullov.

The next major eruption occurred in 1631. It should be noted that a large number of victims was not due to a powerful ejection of lava and ash, but because of the high population density. Just imagine, the sad historical experience did not impress people enough - they still densely settled and settled near Vesuvius!

Volcano Santorini

Today, the Greek island of Santorini is a tasty morsel for tourists: white-stone houses, cozy atmospheric streets, picturesque views. Only one thing overshadows the romance - the proximity to the most formidable volcano in the world.

Santorini is an active shield volcano located on the island of Thira in the Aegean Sea. Its strongest eruption of 1645-1600 BC. e. caused the death of the Aegean cities and settlements on the islands of Crete, Thira and the Mediterranean coast. The power of the eruption is impressive: it is three times stronger than the eruptions of Krakatoa, and is equal to seven points!

Of course, such a strong explosion managed not only to reshape the landscape, but also to change the climate. Huge cubes of ash thrown into the atmosphere prevented the sun's rays from touching the Earth, which led to global cooling. The fate of the Minoan civilization, whose center of culture was the island of Thira, is shrouded in mystery. The earthquake warned local residents about the impending disaster, they left their native land in time. When a huge amount of ash and pumice came out of the interior of the volcano, the volcanic cone collapsed under its own gravity. Sea water rushed into the abyss, which formed a huge tsunami that washed away nearby settlements. There was no more Mount Santorini. A huge oval abyss, the caldera of the volcano, was forever filled with the waters of the Aegean Sea.

Recently, researchers have found that the volcano has become more active. Almost 14 million cubic meters of magma has accumulated in it - it seems that Sentorin can reassert itself!

Volcano Unzen

For the Japanese, the Unzen volcanic complex, which consists of four domes, has become a real synonym for disaster. It is located on the Shimabara Peninsula, its height is 1500 m.

In 1792, one of the most destructive eruptions in human history occurred. At one point, a 55-meter tsunami arose, destroying more than 15 thousand inhabitants. Of these, 5 thousand died during the landslide, 5 thousand drowned during the tsunami that hit Higo, 5 thousand from the wave that returned to Shimabara. The tragedy is forever imprinted in the hearts of the Japanese people. Helplessness before the raging elements, the pain from the loss of a huge number of people was immortalized in numerous monuments that we can observe on the territory of Japan.

After this terrible event, Unzen calmed down for almost two centuries. But in 1991 there was another eruption. 43 scientists and journalists were buried under the pyroplastic flow. Since then, the volcano has erupted several times. Currently, although it is considered weakly active, it is under the close supervision of scientists.

Volcae Tambora

The Tambora Volcano is located on the island of Sumbawa. Its 1815 eruption is considered to be the most powerful eruption in human history. Perhaps, during the existence of the Earth, stronger eruptions occurred, but we have no information about this.

So, in 1815, nature raged in earnest: an eruption occurred with a magnitude of 7 on the intensity scale of the eruption (explosive force) of the volcano, the maximum value is 8. The disaster shook the entire Indonesian archipelago. Just think about it, the energy released during the eruption is equal to the energy of two hundred thousand atomic bombs! 92 thousand people were destroyed! Places with once fertile soil turned into a lifeless space, resulting in a terrible famine. Thus, 48 ​​thousand people died of starvation on the island of Sumbawa, 44 thousand on the island of Lambok, 5 thousand on the island of Bali.

However, the consequences were observed even far from the eruption - the climate of all of Europe underwent changes. The fateful year 1815 was called the "year without summer": the temperature became noticeably lower, and in a number of European countries it was not even possible to harvest.

Volcano Krakatoa

Krakatay is an active volcano in Indonesia, located between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Malay Archipelago in the Sunda Strait. Its height is 813 m.

The volcano before the eruption of 1883 was much higher and was one large island. However, the 1883 eruption destroyed the island and the volcano. On the morning of August 27, Krakatau fired four powerful shots, each of which caused a powerful tsunami. Huge masses of water poured into the settlements at such a speed that the inhabitants did not have time to climb the nearby hill. The water, sweeping away everything in its path, raked in crowds of frightened people and carried them away, turning the once flourishing lands into a lifeless space full of chaos and death. So, the tsunami caused the death of 90% of the dead! The rest fell under volcanic debris, ash and gas. The total number of victims was 36.5 thousand people.

Most of the island was submerged. The ashes captured the whole of Indonesia: the sun was not visible for several days, the islands of Java and Sumatra were covered in pitch darkness. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the sun turned blue due to the huge amount of ash released during the eruption. Ejected into the atmosphere, volcanic debris managed to change the color of sunsets around the world for three whole years. They turned bright red and it seemed as if nature itself symbolized human death with this unusual phenomenon.

30 thousand people died as a result of the powerful eruption of the Mont Pele volcano, which is located in Martinique, the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. The fire-breathing mountain spared nothing, everything was destroyed, including the nearby elegant, cozy city of Saint-Pierre - the West Indian Paris, in the construction of which the French invested all their knowledge and strength.

The volcano began its inactive activity in 1753. However, rare emissions of gases, flames and the absence of serious explosions gradually established the fame of Mont Pele as a capricious, but by no means formidable volcano. Subsequently, it became only a part of a beautiful natural landscape and served for the inhabitants rather as an ornament to their area. Despite this, when in the spring of 1902 Mont-Peleis began to broadcast danger with shocks and a column of smoke, the townspeople did not hesitate. Sensing trouble, they decided to flee in time: some sought refuge in the mountains, some in the water.

Their determination was seriously affected by the huge number of snakes that crawled down the slopes of Mont Pele and filled the entire city. Victims from bites, then from a boiled lake, which was not far from the crater, overflowed its banks and poured into the northern part of the city in a huge stream - all this confirmed the inhabitants in the need for urgent evacuation. However, the local government considered these precautions unnecessary. The mayor of the city, extremely concerned about the upcoming elections, was too interested in the turnout of the townspeople at such an important political event. He took the necessary measures to ensure that the population did not leave the territory of the city, he personally persuaded the residents to stay. As a result, most of them did not attempt to escape, the fugitives returned, resuming their usual way of life.

On the morning of May 8, a deafening roar was heard, a huge cloud of ash and gases flew out of the crater, instantly descended the slopes of Mont Pele and ... swept away everything in its path. In one minute, this amazing, flourishing town was completely destroyed. Factories, houses, trees, people - everything was melted, torn out, poisoned, burned, torn to pieces. It is believed that the death of the unfortunate came in the first three minutes. Of the 30 thousand inhabitants, only two were lucky enough to stay alive.

On May 20, the volcano exploded again with the same force, which led to the death of 2 thousand rescuers who were raking the ruins of the destroyed city at that moment. On August 30, a third explosion was heard, which led to the death of thousands of residents of nearby villages. Mont Pele erupted several more times until 1905, after which it fell into hibernation until 1929, when a rather powerful eruption occurred, however, without any victims.

Today, the volcano is considered inactive, Saint-Pierre is recovering, but after these terrible events, he has little chance of regaining the status of the most beautiful city of Martinique.

Volcano Nevado del Ruiz

Due to its impressive height (5400m.), Nevado del Ruiz is considered to be the highest active volcano in the Andes mountain range. Its top is shrouded in ice and snow - that is why its name is "Nevado", which means "snowy". It is located in the volcanic zone of Colombia - the areas of Caldas and Tolima.

Nevado del Ruiz ranks among the deadliest volcanoes in the world for a reason. The eruptions that led to mass death have already occurred three times. In 1595, over 600 people were buried under the ashes. In 1845, as a result of a strong earthquake, 1 thousand inhabitants died.

And, finally, in 1985, when the volcano was already considered dormant, 23 thousand people fell victims. It should be noted that the cause of the latest disaster was the outrageous negligence of the authorities, who did not consider it necessary to monitor volcanic activity. At the moment, 500 thousand inhabitants of nearby territories are daily at risk of becoming a victim of a new eruption.

So, in 1985, the crater of the volcano threw out powerful gas-pyroclastic flows. Because of them, the ice on the summit melted, which led to the formation of lahars - volcanic flows that instantly moved down the slopes. This avalanche of water, clay, pumice crushed everything in its path. Destroying rocks, soil, plants and absorbing all this into themselves, the lahars quadrupled during the journey!

The thickness of the streams was 5 meters. One of them destroyed the city of Armero in an instant, out of 29 thousand inhabitants, 23 thousand died! Many of the survivors died in hospitals as a result of infection, epidemics of typhus and yellow fever. Among all the volcanic disasters known to us, Nevado del Ruiz ranks fourth in terms of the number of human deaths. Devastation, chaos, disfigured human bodies, screams and groans - that's what appeared before the eyes of the rescuers who arrived the next day.

To understand the full horror of the tragedy, let's take a look at the famous photograph of the journalist Frank Fournier. On it, 13-year-old Omaira Sanchez, who, being among the rubble of buildings and unable to get out, bravely fought for her life for three days, but could not win this unequal battle. You can imagine how many lives of such children, teenagers, women, old people were taken by the raging elements.

Toba is located on the island of Sumatra. Its height is 2157 m., it has the largest caldera in the world (area 1775 sq. km.), in which the largest lake of volcanic origin was formed.

Toba is interesting because it is a supervolcano, i.e. From the outside, it is almost imperceptible, you can see it only from space. We can be on the surface of this kind of volcano for thousands of years, and learn about its existence only at the time of the catastrophe. It is worth noting that if an ordinary fire-breathing mountain erupts, then a similar supervolcano has an explosion.

The eruption of Toba, which occurred during the last ice age, is considered one of the most powerful during the existence of our planet. 2800 km³ of magma came out of the volcano's caldera, and ash deposits that covered South Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian and South China Seas reached 800 km³. Thousands of years later, scientists discovered the smallest ash particles in 7 thousand km. from a volcano on the territory of the African lake Nyasa.

As a result of the fact that the volcano threw out a huge amount of ash, the sun was closed. It was a real volcanic winter that lasted for several years.

The number of people has sharply decreased - only a few thousand people managed to survive! It is with the explosion of Toba that the “bottleneck” effect is associated - a theory according to which in ancient times the human population was genetically diverse, but most of the people died out sharply as a result of a natural disaster, thus reducing the gene pool.

El Chichon is the southernmost volcano in Mexico, located in the state of Chiapas. Its age is 220 thousand years.

It is noteworthy that until recently, local residents were not at all worried about the proximity to the volcano. The issue of security was also not relevant because the territories adjacent to the volcano were rich in dense forests, which indicated that El Chichon had long hibernated. However, on March 28, 1982, after 12 hundred years of peaceful sleep, the fire-breathing mountain showed all its destructive power. The first stage of the eruption entailed a powerful explosion, as a result of which a huge ash column (height - 27 km) formed above the crater, which covered an area within a radius of 100 km in less than an hour.

A huge amount of tephra was thrown into the atmosphere, strong ashfalls took place around the volcano. About 2 thousand people died. It should be noted that the evacuation of the population was poorly organized, the process was slow. Many residents left the territory, but after a while they returned, which, of course, had terrible consequences for them.

In May of the same year, the next eruption occurred, which turned out to be even more powerful and destructive than the previous one. The convergence of the pyroclastic flow left a scorched strip of land and a thousand human deaths.

On this element was not going to stop. Two more Plinian eruptions fell to the lot of local residents, giving rise to a 29-kilometer column of ash. The number of victims again reached a thousand people.

The consequences of the eruption affected the climate of the country. A huge cloud of ash covered 240 square kilometers, in the capital, visibility was only a few meters. Due to the ash particles hanging in the layers of the stratosphere, a noticeable cooling set in.

In addition, the natural balance was disturbed. Many birds and animals were destroyed. Some species of insects began to grow rapidly, which led to the destruction of most of the crop.

The shield volcano Laki is located in the south of Iceland in the Skaftafell Park (since 2008 it has been part of the Vatnajökull National Park). The volcano is also called the Laki crater, because. it is part of a mountain system consisting of 115 craters.

In 1783, one of the most powerful eruptions occurred, which set a world record in terms of the number of human casualties! In Iceland alone, almost 20,000 lives were cut short - that's one-third of the population. However, the volcano carried its destructive impact beyond the borders of its country - death even reached Africa. There are many destructive, deadly volcanoes on Earth, but Lucky is the only one of his kind who killed slowly, gradually, in various ways.

The most interesting thing is that the volcano warned the inhabitants of the impending danger as best he could. Seismic shifts, uplifting of the land, raging geysers, explosions of pillars up, whirlpools, boiling of the sea - there were plenty of signs of an imminent eruption. For several weeks in a row, the land literally shook under the feet of the Icelanders, which, of course, frightened them, but no one attempted to escape. People were sure that their dwellings were strong enough to protect them from the eruption. They sat at home, tightly locking the windows and doors.

In January, the formidable neighbor made itself felt. He raged flesh until June. During these six months of eruptions, Mount Skaptar-Yekul split and a huge 24-meter crevice formed. Harmful gases came out and formed a powerful lava flow. Imagine how many such streams there were - hundreds of craters erupted! When the streams reached the sea, the lava solidified, but the water boiled, all the fish within a radius of several kilometers from the coast died.

Sulfur dioxide covered the entire territory of Iceland, which led to acid rain, the destruction of vegetation. As a result, agriculture suffered greatly, hunger and disease fell upon the surviving inhabitants.

Soon the "Hungry Haze" reached all of Europe, and a few years later to China. The climate has changed, the dust particles do not let the rays of the sun through, the summer has not come. Temperatures dropped by 1.3 ºC, leading to cold-related deaths, crop failures and famine in many European countries. The eruption left its mark even on Africa. Due to abnormal cold weather, the temperature contrast was minimal, which led to a decrease in monsoon activity, drought, shallowing of the Nile, and crop failure. Africans were starving en masse.

Mount Etna

Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and one of the largest volcanoes in the world. It is located on the east coast of Sicily, not far from the cities of Messina and Catania. Its circumference is 140 km and covers an area of ​​approximately 1.4 thousand square meters. km.

Approximately 140 powerful eruptions of this volcano have been counted in modern times. In 1669 Catania was destroyed. In 1893, the Silvestri crater arose. In 1911 the northeast crater formed. In 1992 a huge lava flow stopped near Zafferana Etnea. The last time the volcano splashed out lava in 2001, destroying the cable car leading to the crater.

Currently, the volcano is a popular place for hiking and skiing. Several half-empty towns are located at the foot of the fire-breathing mountain, but few dare to risk living there. Here and there gases escape from the bowels of the earth, it is impossible to predict when, where and with what power the next eruption will occur.

Volcano Merapi

Marapi is the most active active volcano in Indonesia. It is located on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. Its height is 2914 meters. This is a relatively young but rather restless volcano: it has erupted 68 times since 1548!

Close proximity to such an active fire-breathing mountain is very dangerous. But, as is usually the case in economically underdeveloped countries, the locals, without thinking about the risk, appreciate the benefit that mineral-rich soil gives them - abundant harvests. So, about 1.5 million people currently live near Marapi.

Strong eruptions occur every 7 years, smaller ones every couple of years, the volcano smokes almost daily. Catastrophe of 1006 the Javanese-Indian kingdom of Mataram was completely destroyed. In 1673 one of the most powerful eruptions occurred, as a result of which several cities and villages were wiped off the face of the Earth. There were nine eruptions in the 19th century, 13 in the last century.

1. Vesuvius, 79 AD, at least 16,000 people died.

Historians learned about this eruption from the letters of an eyewitness, the poet Pliny the Younger, to the ancient Roman historian Tatsiatus. During the eruption, Vesuvius threw a deadly cloud of ash and smoke to a height of 20.5 km, and every second erupted about 1.5 million tons of molten rock and crushed pumice. At the same time, a huge amount of thermal energy was released, which many times exceeded the amount released during the explosion of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

So, within 28 hours after the start of the eruption, the first series of pyroclastic flows descended (a mixture of hot volcanic gases, ash and stones). The streams covered a huge distance, almost reaching the Roman city of Miseno. And then another series came down, and two pyroclastic flows destroyed the city of Pompeii. Subsequently, the cities of Oplontis and Herculaneum, located near Pompeii, were buried under volcanic deposits. Ashes also flew to Egypt and Syria.

The famous eruption was preceded by an earthquake that began on February 5, 62. According to researchers, the earthquake was a magnitude of 5 to 6. It led to widespread destruction around the Gulf of Naples, where in particular the city of Pompeii was located. The damage to the city was so severe that they could not be repaired even by the beginning of the eruption itself.

It is important to note that the Romans, according to Pliny the Younger, were accustomed to periodic tremors in this region, so they were not particularly alarmed by this earthquake. However, since August 20, 79, earthquakes have become more and more frequent, but still they were not perceived by people as warnings of an impending catastrophe.

Interestingly, after 1944, Vesuvius is in a rather calm state. However, scientists suggest that the longer the volcano is inactive, the stronger its next eruption will be.

2. Unzen, 1792, about 15 thousand people died.

In the photo - the dome of the Fujin-dik of the Unzen volcano. After it erupted in 1792, it remained dormant for 198 years, until it erupted in November 1990. Currently, the volcano is considered weakly active.

This volcano is part of Japan's Shimabara Peninsula, which is characterized by frequent volcanic activity. The oldest volcanic deposits in this region are over 6 million years old, and extensive eruptions occurred between 2.5 million and 500,000 years ago.

However, the deadliest eruption occurred in 1792, when lava began to erupt from the volcanic dome of Fujin Dyke. An earthquake followed the eruption, causing the edge of the Mayu-yama volcanic dome to collapse, creating a landslide. In turn, the landslide triggered a tsunami, during which waves reached 100 meters in height. The tsunami killed about 15,000 people.

According to the results of 2011, Japan Times magazine called this eruption the most terrible of all that has ever occurred in Japan. Also, the Unzen eruption in 1792 is one of the five most destructive eruptions in human history in terms of the number of human casualties.

3. Tambora, 1815, at least 92 thousand people died.

An aerial view of the Tambora volcano caldera, which was formed during a colossal eruption in 1815. Photo credit: Jialiang Gao.

On April 5, 1815, the Tambora volcano, located on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, erupted. It was accompanied by rumbling sounds that could be heard even 1400 km from the island. And in the morning of the next day, volcanic ash began to fall from the sky and there were sounds resembling the noise of cannons firing in the distance. By the way, because of this similarity, a detachment of troops from Yogyakarta, an ancient city on the island of Java, thought that an attack had been made on a neighboring post.

The eruption intensified on the evening of April 10: lava began to flow out, completely covering the volcano, and it began to “rain” from pumice with a diameter of up to 20 cm. All this was accompanied by the flow of pyroclastic flows from the volcano to the sea, which destroyed all the villages on their way.

This eruption is considered one of the largest in human history. During it, explosions were heard 2600 km from the island, and the ash flew at least 1300 km away. In addition, the eruption of the Tambora volcano triggered a tsunami, during which waves reached 4 meters in height. After the disaster, tens of thousands of inhabitants and animals of the island died, and all vegetation was destroyed.

It is important to note that during the eruption a huge amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) entered the stratosphere, which subsequently led to a global climate anomaly. In the summer of 1816, extreme weather conditions were observed in the countries of the northern hemisphere, which is why 1816 was called the "Year without a summer." At that time, the average global temperature dropped by about 0.4-0.7`C, which is enough to cause significant problems in agriculture around the world.

So, on June 4, 1816, frosts were recorded in Connecticut, and the next day most of New England (a region in the northeastern United States) was covered by cold. Snow fell two days later in Albany, New York, and Dennisville, Maine. Moreover, such conditions lasted at least three months, due to which most crops in North America died. Also, low temperatures and heavy rains led to crop losses in the UK and Ireland.

Against the backdrop of a famine from 1816 to 1819, there was a serious epidemic of typhus in Ireland. Several tens of thousands of its inhabitants perished.

4. Krakatoa, 1883, about 36 thousand people died.

Before the catastrophic eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau in 1883 on May 20, the volcano began to release a large amount of smoke and ash. This lasted until the end of the summer, when on August 27 a series of four explosions completely destroyed the island.

The explosions were so strong that they were heard 4800 km from the volcano on the island of Rodrigues (Mauritius). According to the researchers, the shock wave from the latest explosion reverberated around the world seven times! The ash rose to a height of up to 80 km, and the sound of the eruption was so loud that if someone were 16 km from the volcano, he would certainly become deaf.

A coral block thrown ashore by a tsunami on the island of Java after the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883.

The occurrence of pyroclastic flows and tsunamis had catastrophic consequences both in the region and throughout the world. The death toll was 36,417, according to government figures, although some sources claim that at least 120,000 people died.

Interestingly, the average global temperature during the year after the eruption of Krakatoa decreased by 1.2 `C. The temperature returned to its previous level only in 1888.

5. Mont Pele, 1902, about 33 thousand people died.

Eruption of Mont Pele volcano in 1902.

In April 1902, the awakening of the Mont Pele volcano located in the northern part of the island of Martinique (France) began. And on the evening of May 8, the eruption began quite suddenly. A cloud of gas and ash began to rise from a crack at the foot of Mont Pele.

Soon, a hurricane of hot gases and ash reached the city of Saint-Pierre, located 8 km from the volcano, and in a few minutes destroyed it and 17 ships in its harbor. "Roddam", which suffered multiple destruction and "powdered" with ash, was the only steamer that managed to get out of the bay. The strength of the hurricane can also be judged by the fact that the monument, which weighed several tons, was thrown several meters from its place in the city.

Visitors, almost the entire population and animals died during the eruption. Miraculously, only two people survived: August Sibarus, a prisoner in the local prison, who was in an underground solitary confinement cell, and a shoemaker who lived on the outskirts of the city.

6. Nevado del Ruiz, 1985, more than 23 thousand people.

Volcano Nevado del Ruiz before its deadly eruption in 1985.

Since November 1984, geologists have observed an increase in the level of seismic activity near the Andes volcano Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia). And on the afternoon of November 13, 1985, this highest active volcano in the Andean volcanic belt began to erupt, throwing ash into the atmosphere to a height of more than 30 km. The volcano produced pyroclastic flows, under which ice and snow melted in the mountains - large lahars (mud volcanic flows) arose. They descended down the slopes of the volcano, eroding the soil and destroying vegetation, and eventually flowed into six river valleys leading from the volcano.

One of these lahars practically washed away the small town of Armero, which lay in the valley of the Lagunilla River. Only a quarter of its inhabitants (there were a total of 28,700 people) survived. The second stream, which descended along the valley of the Chinchina River, killed about 1800 people and destroyed about 400 houses in the city of the same name. In total, more than 23,000 people died and about 5,000 were injured.

Mudflow that washed away the town of Armero after the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz.

The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in 1902 is considered the worst natural disaster to have occurred in Colombia. The death of people during it was partly due to the fact that scientists did not know exactly when the eruption would occur, because the last time it happened was 140 years ago. And because the impending danger was not known, the government did not take costly measures.

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 hibernation, 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 located 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".