Volcanoes are one of the most insidious and cruel natural phenomena. They hide for hundreds of years, creating the illusion of security, and then wake up and destroy all life around. A single volcano can engulf entire cities, turn summer into winter, and change the course of history forever. Scientists predict that these monsters are capable of destroying our civilization. The time has come to talk about the most terrible volcanic eruptions.
Vesuvius - the killer of ancient cities
The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. e. was not the most powerful in history, but definitely one of the most catastrophic. In two days he destroyed Big City The Roman Empire, which was inhabited by 20 thousand people - Pompeii. People were sure that the volcano fell asleep forever, so when a roar began to be heard from the side of the mountain, they continued to go about their business.
Source: ice-nut
When pieces of pumice and ash flakes fell from the sky, people began to leave Pompeii. Several thousand people remained in the city, who were doomed to death.
Scientists concluded that people who did not have time to leave the city were killed by a pyroclastic flow. This is a rapidly rushing avalanche, consisting of red-hot ash, pumice and volcanic gases. Six such streams descended from Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii and three more smaller settlements - Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae.
The video shows a reconstruction of this terrible event.
Tambora - the volcano that caused the "year without summer"
The eruption of the Tambora volcano in April 1815 on the island of Sumbawa, according to various sources, claimed the lives of from 70 to 170 thousand people. No other volcano in history has killed so many people.
source: storm news Tambora woke up with a deafening explosion. The islands that were in the vicinity of the volcano began to fall asleep volcanic ash. When pyroclastic flows began to descend from the slopes of the mountain, the people who got in their way had practically no chance of surviving - about 12 thousand people died. The volcano destroyed three kingdoms with a distinctive culture - Pekat, Sangar and Tambora. Tens of thousands more died after the eruption.
source: set-travel With his eruption, Tambora caused the so-called year without summer - from May to September 1816 in Europe and North America there were frosts, which led to crop failure and, as a result, the death of people from hunger and disease.
Krakatau - the volcano that gave rise to the most powerful explosion in history
The eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 affected the whole world. The catastrophe affected the planet's climate and for several months "repainted" the sun in green and blue hues. The volcano announced its awakening with a powerful roar, which was heard for five thousand kilometers. It is believed that this was the loudest sound in history. From the explosion, the deserted island of Krakatau was blown apart. From shock wave glass flew out in buildings located within a radius of 130 km from Krakatoa.
source: wulkano Volcanic precipitation blocked the sun, plunging the territories adjacent to the volcano into darkness. A hot pyroclastic flow swept through the water and reached the settlements.
A new test awaited those who survived - the volcano gave rise to a tsunami. Five giant waves hit the shore, flooding the islands of Sumatra and Java. About 300 villages and cities were destroyed. According to official figures, about 40 thousand people became victims of Krakatoa.
The catastrophe changed the climate on the planet for several years, causing a cooling. The release of a huge amount of ash into the atmosphere caused an unusual phenomenon - circles (halos) appeared around the Sun, and the very heavenly body for several months it turned green and blue.
See the destructive power of a pyroclastic flow.
Volcano Lucky - "Slow Killer"
The eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland began in 1783. Through the faults that appeared as a result of tremors, lava poured out for eight months.
source: esgeo The situation was aggravated by the awakening of Laki's neighbor, the Grimsvötn volcano. released into the atmosphere great amount poisonous gases - sulfur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride. These compounds provoked acid rain, which destroyed animals and vegetation. The eruption killed crops and most of livestock. As a result, more than 20% of the Icelandic population died of starvation and disease.
The poisonous fog spread to Europe as well. The effects of the Laki eruption were felt for another two years. Cooling was observed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, causing abnormally cold winters. Crop failure and the fall of livestock led to famine and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.
Pinatubo hit the planet's ozone layer
The powerful eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippine Islands in 1991 was one of the most destructive in the 20th century. The volcano was silent for 600 years. During this time, thousands of Filipinos settled on its slopes. The explosion thundered on June 12, and a column of smoke and ash rose over the volcano.
Do you know how many active volcanoes there are on our planet? About six hundred. This is relatively little, considering that more than a thousand no longer threaten humanity, since they have cooled down. More than ten thousand volcanoes hid under the surface of the sea and ocean waters. Yet the danger of a volcanic eruption exists in many countries. Near Indonesia there are more than a hundred of them, in the west of America there are about ten, there are "rumbling mountains" in Japan, in Kamchatka and the Kuriles. Today we will talk about the strongest volcanic eruptions that claimed many lives and left a noticeable imprint in the history of civilization. Let's get acquainted with the most dangerous representatives of these formidable mountains. We will find out whether it is worth being afraid of the Yellowstone volcano today, which worries scientists around the world. Perhaps we'll start with him.
Supervolcano Yellowstone
To date, volcanologists have twenty supervolcanoes, in comparison with which the remaining 580 are nothing. They are located in Japan, New Zealand, California, New Mexico and elsewhere. But the most dangerous of the entire group is the Yellowstone volcano. Today, this monster causes concern for all scientists, as it is already ready to spew tons of lava onto the surface of the earth.
Dimensions of Yellowstone, where is located
This giant is located in the west of America, more precisely, in the northwest, in the region of Wyoming. The dangerous mountain was first discovered in 1960, it was noticed by a satellite. The dimensions of the whopper are about 72 x 55 kilometers, which is almost a third of the 900,000 hectares of the entire Yellowstone national park, more precisely, its park part.
Yellowstone Volcano today stores in its bowels a huge amount of red-hot magma, the temperature of which reaches 1000 degrees. It is to her that tourists owe many hot springs. The fire bubble is located at a depth of almost 8 kilometers.
Yellowstone eruptions
Many thousands of years ago, this giant already watered the earth with an abundant lava flow, and sprinkled tons of ash on top. The largest volcanic eruption, it was also the first, according to scientists, occurred about two million years ago. It is assumed that then Yellowstone threw out more than 2.5 thousand cubic kilometers of rock, which soared 50 kilometers up from the surface of the earth. Here is the power!
About 1.2 million years ago, a formidable volcano repeated the eruption. It was not as strong as the first one, and there were ten times fewer emissions.
The last, third unrest occurred about 640 years ago. The largest volcanic eruption at that time cannot be called, but it was during it that the walls of the crater collapsed, and today we can observe the caldera that appeared during that period.
Should we be afraid of a Yellowstone eruption in the near future?
With the beginning of the second millennium, scientists began to notice the ongoing changes in behavior yellowstone volcano. What alarmed them?
- From 2007 to 2013, that is, in six years, the earth covering the caldera rose by two meters. Compared to the last twenty years before, the rise was only a few centimeters.
- New hot geysers have appeared.
- The magnitude and frequency of earthquakes in the caldera region has increased since 2000.
- Underground gases began to find a way out directly from the ground.
- The temperature of the water in nearby reservoirs increased by several degrees at once.
Inhabitants North American continent excited by this news. Scientists around the world agreed: there will be an eruption. When? Most likely already in this century.
Why is an eruption dangerous?
The largest eruption of the Yellowstone volcano is expected in our time. Scientists suggest that its strength will be no less than during previous unrest. If we compare the power of the explosion, then it can be equated to the discharge of more than a thousand atomic bombs. Such an explosion is capable of destroying everything within a radius of 150-160 kilometers, and another 1600 kilometers around will fall into the "dead zone".
In addition, the eruption of Yellowstone can contribute to the start of eruptions of other volcanoes, and this will lead to the appearance of huge tsunamis. Rumor has it that the United States government is preparing with might and main for this event: strong shelters are being made, an evacuation plan is being created to other continents.
It is difficult to say whether this will be the largest volcanic eruption in history, and yet it is dangerous, and not only for the states, but for the whole world. If the height of the release is 50 kilometers, then in two days a dangerous cloud of smoke will begin to actively spread. Residents of Australia and India will be the first to fall into the disaster zone. For more than two years, you will have to get used to the cold, as the sun's rays will not be able to break through the thickness of the ash, and the winter will come off schedule. The temperature will drop to -25 degrees, and in some places to -50. In conditions of cold, absence normal air Only the strongest can survive the famine.
Etna
This is an active stratovolcano, one of the most powerful in the world and the largest in Italy. Interested in the coordinates of Mount Etna? It is located in Sicily (right coast), not far from Catania and Messina. Geographical coordinates Mount Etna - 37° 45’ 18" northern latitude, 14° 59’ 43" East.
Now the height of Etna is 3429 meters, but it varies from eruption to eruption. This volcano is the highest point in Europe outside the Alps, Caucasus mountains and the Pyrenees. This giant has a rival - the well-known Vesuvius, who at one time destroyed an entire civilization. But Etna is more than 2 times larger.
Etna is a severe volcano. It has 200 to 400 craters located on its sides. Once every three months, hot lava flows from one of them, and about once every 150 years, really serious eruptions occur, which steadily destroy the villages. However, this fact does not upset or frighten local residents, they actively populate the slopes of a dangerous mountain.
List of eruptions: chronology of Etna's activity
Approximately six thousand years ago, Etna pretty fooled around. During the eruption, a huge piece of its eastern part was broken off and thrown into the sea. In 2006, volcanologists published the news that this fragment, having fallen into the water, created a huge tsunami.
The first eruption of this giant occurred, according to scientists, in 1226 BC.
In 44 BC there was a strong eruption. As far as Egypt, a cloud of ash extended, due to which there was no further harvest.
122 - A city called Catania is almost wiped off the face of the earth.
In 1669, the volcano eruption greatly altered the outlines of the coast. The castle of Ursino stood near the water, after the eruption it was 2.5 km from the coast. Lava penetrated the walls of Catania, swallowing the housing of 27 thousand people.
In 1928 it was destroyed by an eruption. Old city Mascali. This event was remembered by believers, they believe that a real miracle happened. The fact is that before the religious procession, the flow of red-hot lava stopped. A chapel was later built next to it. Lava solidified near the construction in 1980.
Between 1991 and one of the most terrible eruptions occurred, which practically destroyed the city of Zafferana.
The last major eruptions of the volcano occurred in 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2015. But these were not the most serious disasters. The locals call the mountain kind, as the lava quietly flows down the sides, and does not splash up in terrible fountains.
Should I be afraid of Etna?
Due to the fact that East End the volcano broke off, Etna is now erupting effusively, that is, without an explosion, lava flows down its sides in slow streams.
Scientists today are concerned that the behavior of the hulk is changing, and soon it will erupt explosively, that is, with an explosion. Thousands of people could be affected by such an eruption.
Guarapuava-Tamarana-Sarusas
The name of this volcano is difficult to pronounce even for the most professional announcer! But its name is not as scary as the way it erupted about 132 million years ago.
The nature of its eruption is explosive, such specimens accumulate lava for long millennia, and then pour it onto the earth in incredible quantities. This happened with this giant, which splashed out more than 8 thousand cubic kilometers of hot slurry.
This monster is located in the Trapp province of Parana Etendeka.
We offer you to get acquainted with the largest volcanic eruptions in history.
Sakurajima
This volcano is located in Japan and is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Since 1955, this giant has been in constant activity which scares the locals, and not only them.
Last eruption was in 2009, but not very serious when compared with what happened in 1924.
Signal the volcano became strong about its eruption tremors. Most of the inhabitants of the city managed to leave the danger zone.
After this eruption, "Sakura Island" cannot be called an island. So much lava erupted from the mouth of this giant that an isthmus was formed that connected the island with another - Kyushu.
After this eruption, Sakurajima quietly poured out lava for about a year, which made the bottom of the bay much higher.
Vesuvius
It is located in Napoli and is the only "living" volcano on the territory of continental Europe.
Its strongest eruption falls on the year 79. On August 24 woke up from hibernation and destroyed the city ancient rome: Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae.
The last major volcanic eruption occurred in 1944.
The height of this formidable giant is 1281 meters.
Colima
Located in Mexico. This is one of the most dangerous representatives of its kind. It has erupted over forty times since 1576.
The last strong eruption was noted in 2005, on June 8. The government urgently evacuated residents of nearby villages, as a huge cloud of ash rose over them - more than five kilometers in height. It threatened people's lives.
The highest point of this formidable monster is 4625 meters. Today, the volcano poses a danger not only to the inhabitants of Mexico.
Galeras
Located in Colombia. The height of this giant reaches 4276 meters. Over the past seven thousand years, there have been about six major eruptions.
In 1993, one of the eruptions began. Unfortunately, research work was carried out on the territory of the volcano, and six geologists never returned home.
In 2006, the volcano again threatened to flood the neighborhood with lava, so from local settlements people were evacuated.
mauna loa
This is a formidable guard Hawaiian Islands. It is considered the largest volcano in the entire Earth. The volume of this giant, taking into account the underwater part, is about 80 thousand cubic kilometers.
AT last time a strong eruption was noted in 1950. And the most recent, but not strong, happened in 1984.
Mauna Loa is on the list of the most powerful, dangerous and big volcanoes peace.
Teide
This is a dormant monster, the awakening of which is feared by all the inhabitants of Spain. The last time the eruption occurred in 1909, today the formidable mountain does not show activity.
If this volcano decides to wake up, and it has been resting for more than a hundred years, then this will not be the most pleasant time for the inhabitants of the island of Tenerife, as well as for the whole of Spain.
We have named far from all the latest major volcanic eruptions. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are about six hundred active. People living in areas of active volcanoes are in fear every day, because an eruption is a terrible natural disaster that claims thousands of lives.
In the new millennium, the most terrible reports of disasters come from countries with high tectonic activity. Earthquakes cause huge destruction, provoke tsunamis that wash away entire cities:
- tsunami in Japan in 2011 (16,000 victims);
- earthquake in Nepal in 2015 (8,000 victims);
- earthquake in Haiti in 2010 (100-500 thousand dead);
- tsunami of 2004 in the Indian Ocean (according to confirmed data 184 thousand in 4 countries).
Volcanoes in the new century bring only minor inconveniences. Emissions of volcanic ash interrupt air traffic, cause discomfort associated with evacuation and bad smell sulfur.
But this has not always been (and will not always be) the case. In the past, the largest eruptions caused much more serious consequences. Scientists believe that the longer the volcano sleeps, the stronger its next eruption will be. Today in the world there are 1500 volcanoes up to 100 thousand years old. 500 million people live in the immediate vicinity of the fire-breathing mountains. Each of them lives on a powder keg, because people have not learned how to accurately predict the time and place of a probable disaster.
Most terrible eruptions associated not only with magma escaping from the depths in the form of lava, but also with explosions, fragments of flying rock, and changes in relief; smoke and ash covering vast areas, carrying chemical compounds deadly to humans.
Consider the 10 most deadly phenomena of the past, which led to a volcanic eruption.
Kelud (about 5,000 dead)
The active Indonesian volcano is located 90 kilometers from the second most populous city in the country - Surabaya, on the island of Java. The strongest of the officially recorded eruptions of Kelud is considered a catastrophe that claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people in 1919. A feature of the volcano is a lake located inside the crater. On May 19 of that year, the reservoir, boiled under the influence of magma, brought down about 38 million cubic meters of water on the inhabitants of nearby villages. Along the way, silt, mud, stones mixed with water. The population has suffered the most from debris flow than from explosion and lava.
After the incident in 1919, the authorities took measures to reduce the area of the lake. The last eruption of the volcano is dated 2014. As a result, 2 people died.
Santa Maria (5,000 - 6,000 victims)
The volcano, located in the central part of the American continent (in Guatemala), slept until the first eruption in the twentieth century for about 500 years. Having lulled the vigilance of the locals, the earthquake that began in the autumn of 1902 was not given much importance. The most terrible force the explosion that sounded on October 24 destroyed one of the mountain slopes. In three days, 5,000 residents were killed by 5.5 thousand cubic meters of magma and ruptured rock. A column of smoke and ash from the smoking mountain spread 4,000 km to the American San Francisco. Another 1,000 residents suffered from epidemics triggered by the eruption.
Lucky (over 9,000 dead)
8 months lasted the most powerful of known eruptions Icelandic volcanoes. In July 1783, Lucky woke up quite unhappy. Lava from its mouth filled about 600 square kilometers of the island. But the most dangerous consequences had clouds of poisonous smoke, which could be observed even in China. Fluorine and sulfur dioxide killed the entire crop and most of the livestock on the island. Slow death from hunger and toxic gas overtook more than 9,000 (20% of the population) inhabitants of Iceland.
Other parts of the planet also suffered. Decreased air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere as a result of the catastrophe led to crop failure throughout the United States, Canada and parts of Eurasia.
Vesuvius (6,000 - 25,000 victims)
One of the most famous natural disasters happened in 79 new era. Vesuvius, according to various sources, killed from 6 to 25 thousand ancient Romans. Long time this catastrophe was considered a fiction and a hoax by Pliny the Younger. But in 1763, the excavations of archaeologists finally convinced the world of existence and death, under a layer of ash, ancient city Pompeii. The smoke screen reached Egypt and Syria. It is authentically known that Vesuvius destroyed as many as three cities (also Stabiae and Herculaneum).
The Russian artist Karl Bryullov, who was present at the excavations, was so impressed with the history of Pompeii that he dedicated the most famous of the paintings to the city. domestic painting. Vesuvius still poses a great danger, it’s not for nothing that our site has an article about the planet itself, in which Vesuvius is given special attention.
Unzen (15,000 dead)
No disaster rating is complete without a country rising sun. The most powerful eruption in the history of Japan took place in 1792. The Unzen volcano (actually a complex consisting of four volcanic domes), located on the Shimabara Peninsula, is responsible for the death of 15 thousand inhabitants, he played the role of an intermediary. Unzen, which had been erupting for several months, gradually, as a result of tremors, displaced one of the flanks of the Mayu-Yama dome. A landslide caused by rock movement buried 5,000 residents of Kyushu under it. Twenty-meter tsunami waves provoked by Unzen brought great sacrifices (10,000 dead).
Nevado del Ruiz (23,000 - 26,000 victims)
Located in the Colombian Andes, the Ruiz stratovolcano is infamous for its lahars (a stream of mud made from volcanic ash, rock and water). The biggest convergence occurred in 1985 and is better known as "The Tragedy of Armero". Why did people remain so dangerously close to the volcano, because even until the year 85, lahars were the scourge of the region?
It's all about fertile soils, generously fertilized by volcanic ash. Prerequisites for future catastrophe became noticeable a year before the incident. A small mudflow blocked the local river, and magma rose to the surface, but the evacuation never took place.
When a column of smoke rose from the crater on November 13, local authorities advised not to panic. But a small eruption led to the melting of the glacier. Three mud flows, the largest of which reached a width of thirty meters, destroyed the city in a matter of hours (23 thousand dead and 3 thousand missing).
Montagne Pele (30,000 - 40,000 dead)
1902 brought another deadly eruption in our ranking. The resort island of Martinique was hit by the awakened stratovolcano Mont Pele. And again, the carelessness of the authorities played a decisive role. Explosions in the crater, which brought stones down on the heads of the inhabitants of St. Pierre; volcanic mud and lava that destroyed the sugar factory on May 2 did not convince local governor in the gravity of the situation. He personally persuaded the workers who had fled the city to return.
And on May 8, there was an explosion. One of the schooners that entered the harbor decided to leave the port of Saint-Pierre in time. It was the captain of this ship ("Roddam") who informed the authorities about the tragedy. Powerful pyroclastic flow great speed covered the city, and reaching the water raised a wave that washed away most of the ships in the harbor. In 3 minutes, 28,000 residents were either burned alive or died due to gas poisoning. Many died later from their burns and wounds.
An amazing rescue was given by the local prison. The criminal imprisoned in the dungeon passed both the lava flow and the poisonous smoke.
Krakatoa (36,000 casualties)
The most famous a wide range volcanic eruptions are led by Krakatoa, which brought down all its fury in 1883. The destructive power of the Indonesian volcano impressed contemporaries. And today the catastrophe of the end of the 19th century is included in all encyclopedias and reference books.
An explosion with a capacity of 200 megatons of TNT (10 thousand times more powerful than during the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima) destroyed the 800-meter mountain and the island on which it was located. blast wave rounded more than 7 times Earth. The sound from Krakatoa (perhaps the loudest on the planet) was heard at a distance of more than 4,000 km from the eruption site, in Australia and Sri Lanka.
86% of the dead (about 30 thousand people) suffered from a powerful tsunami caused by a raging fiery mountain. The rest was littered with the rubble of Krakatoa and volcanic debris. The eruption caused global climate change on the planet. The average annual temperature, due to the negative impact of emitted smoke and ash, fell by more than 1 degree Celsius and recovered by the same level only after 5 years. Big sacrifices was avoided due to the low population density of the region.
Since 1950, a new volcano has been erupting on the site of the old Krakatoa.
Tambora (50,000 - 92,000 dead)
The diameter of the crater of another Indonesian (that's who lives on a powder keg) volcano reaches 7,000 meters. This supervolcano (a semi-official term for a volcano capable of causing global climate change) is one of 20 recognized by scientists as such.
The eruption began according to the usual scenario in such cases - with an explosion. But then an out of the ordinary event happened: a huge fiery whirlwind formed, sweeping away everything in its path. The elements of fire and wind completely destroyed the village 40 km from the volcano.
Like Krakatoa, Tambora destroyed not only the civilization around, but also itself. The tsunami, which happened 5 days after the start of activity, claimed the lives of 4.5 thousand inhabitants. A column of smoke blocked the sun for 650 km within a radius of the volcano for three days. electrical discharges over the volcano accompanied the entire period of the eruption, which lasted three months. It claimed the lives of 12 thousand people.
The crew of the ship that arrived on the island with humanitarian aid was horrified by the picture of destruction they saw: the mountain was leveled with a plateau, the entire Sumbawa was covered with debris and ashes.
But the worst began later. As a result of the “nuclear winter”, more than 50 thousand people died from hunger and epidemics. In the United States, climate changes caused by the volcano provoked June snow, and a typhus epidemic broke out in Europe. Crop failure and famine followed many places on the planet for three years.
Santorini (death of civilization)
Once a large mountain and an island near Greece, in a picture from space, it appears as a volcanic crater flooded by the waters of the Aegean Sea. It is impossible to establish, even approximately, the number of deaths from the eruption of 3.5 thousand years ago. It is only known for certain that as a result of the eruption of Santorini, the Minoan civilization was completely destroyed. According to various sources, the tsunami formed reached from 15 to 100 meters in height, overcoming space at a speed of 200 km / h.
By the way, Santorini is on our list in the world.
There is an assumption that the legendary Atlantis was destroyed by the volcano, which is indirectly confirmed by many sources of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Egypt. Some Old Testament stories are also associated with the eruption.
And although these versions are still just legends, one should not forget that Pompeii, at one time, was also considered a hoax.
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 the volcanoes whose eruptions caused the destruction vast territories and mass extinctions.
VESUVIUS.
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 European continent. It poses a great danger due to the dense population near the hushed 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 whole Italian cities, happened quite recently, in the midst of the Second World War. 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 locals they were not aware 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 is what became them 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 last day of Pompeii
The next major eruption occurred in 1631. It should be noted that a large number of the victims were not due to a powerful ejection of lava and ash, but due to high density population. Just imagine sad historical experience did not impress people enough - they still densely settled and settled near Vesuvius!
Santorini
Today, the Greek island of Santorini is a tidbit for tourists: white-stone houses, cozy atmospheric streets, picturesque views ... Only one thing darkens 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 coast mediterranean sea. 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 did not give sunbeams touch 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 of the impending disaster, they left in time native land. 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. Did not have more mountains 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!
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 the history of mankind. 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.
TAMBOR
The Tambora Volcano is located on the island of Sumbawa. Its 1815 eruption is considered to be the most powerful eruption in human history. It is possible that stronger eruptions occurred during the existence of the Earth, 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.
KRAKATAU
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 big Island. However, the 1883 eruption destroyed the island and the volcano. On the morning of August 27, Krakatau fired four strong shots, each of which entailed 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. Total number victims amounted to 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 Pacific Ocean the sun turned blue due to the huge amount of ash ejected 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 this an unusual phenomenon human death.
MON PELE
30 thousand people died as a result of the most powerful eruption of the Mont Pele volcano, which is located on Martinique, the most beautiful island 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, he became only part of the 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 located near 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 himself beautiful city Martinique.
NEVADO DEL RUIS
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 reason last disaster became outrageous negligence of the authorities, which did not consider it necessary to monitor volcanic activity. On the this 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 cataclysms 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
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 largest lake volcanic origin.
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 the deposits of ash that covered South Asia, Indian Ocean, Arabian and South China Sea 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's real volcanic winter, which lasted for several years.
The number of people was sharply reduced - only a few thousand people managed to survive! It is with the explosion of Toba that the “bottleneck” effect is associated - the theory according to which in ancient times the human population was different genetic diversity, however, most of the people died out sharply as a result natural disaster Thus, there was a reduction in the gene pool.
EL CHICHON
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 safety was not relevant also because the territories adjacent to the volcano were rich dense forests, which testified to the long hibernation of El Chichon. 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 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.
LUCKY
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. he is part of mountain system, consisting of 115 craters.
In 1783 one of the most powerful eruptions, which by quantity human casualties set a world record! Nearly 20,000 lives were lost in Iceland alone – 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 displacements, uplifting of land, raging geysers, explosions of pillars upwards, whirlpools, boiling of the sea - signs of early eruption there was plenty. 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 significantly affected, hunger and disease hit the surviving residents.
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.
ETNA
Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and one of the most major volcanoes in the world. It is located on east coast Sicily, near 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.
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 very dangerous. But, as is usually the case in economically underdeveloped countries, the locals, without thinking about the risk, appreciate the boon 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.
