Today, September 14, 2013, marks exactly 5 years since the sudden activation of the Shiveluch volcano, which led to partial destruction of its foundation. On this day, we tried to select the 10 largest volcanic eruptions, which were recorded and assessed by a special scale - the Volcanic Explosiveness Index (VEI).
This scale was developed in the 80s, it includes many factors, such as the volume of the eruption, speed and others. The scale includes 8 levels, each of which is 10 times greater than the previous one, that is, a level 3 eruption is 10 times stronger than a level 2 eruption.
The last level 8 eruption took place on earth more than 10,000 years ago, but there have still been powerful eruptions throughout the history of mankind. We offer you the TOP of the 10 largest volcanic eruptions over the last 4000 years.
Huaynaputina, Peru, 1600, VEI 6
This volcano created the most major eruption V South America throughout the history of mankind. The instantaneous release instantly created several mudflows that headed towards the Pacific coast. Due to the ash thrown into the air, summers in South America were one of the coldest in half a millennium. The eruption destroyed nearby cities, which were rebuilt only a century later.
Krakatoa, Sunda Strait, Indonesia, 1883, VEI 6
All summer, a powerful roar inside the mountain foreshadowed the eruption that occurred on April 26-27. During the eruption, the volcano threw out tons of ash, rock and lava; the mountain was heard thousands of kilometers away. In addition, a sharp shock created a forty-meter wave; even on another continent, increases in waves were recorded. The eruption killed 34,000 people.
Volcano Santa Maria, Guatemala 1902, VEI 6
The eruption of this volcano was one of the largest in the 20th century. A sharp shock from a volcano that had been dormant for 500 years created a crater one and a half kilometers wide. The volcano claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
Novarupta Volcano, Alaska Peninsula, June 1912, VEI 6
This volcano is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and had the largest eruption of the 20th century. The powerful explosion sent 12.5 cubic kilometers of ash and magma into the air.
Volcano Pinatubo, Luzon, Philippines, 1991, VEI 6
The eruption released so much ash that the roofs of nearby houses collapsed under its weight. In addition to ash, the volcano released other substances into the air, which reduced the temperature of the planet by half a degree for a year.
Ambrym Island, Republic of Vanuatu, 50 AD, VEI 6 +
One of the largest eruptions in history occurred on this small island. To this day, this volcano remains one of the most active in the world. The eruption formed calderas 12 km wide.
Volcano Ilopango, El Salvador, 450 AD, VEI 6 +
Although this mountain is located only a few miles from the capital, San Salvador, it has created an incredible eruption in the past. It destroyed all Mayan settlements and covered a third of the country with ash. Trade routes were destroyed, and the entire civilization was forced to move to the lowlands. Now the crater contains one of the largest lakes in El Salvador.
Mount Thera, Greece, circa 1610 BC, VEI 7
Archaeologists believe that the force of the eruption of this volcano is comparable to several hundred nuclear bombs. If there were inhabitants here, they either fled or died under an irresistible force. The volcano not only raised huge Tsunamis and lowered the temperature of the planet with huge clouds of sulfur, but also changed the climate as a whole.
Changbai Volcano, China-Korea border, 1000 AD, VEI 7
The eruption was so strong that there was ash deposits even in northern Japan. Over the course of a thousand years, the huge craters have turned into lakes that are popular with tourists. Scientists suggest that still unexplored creatures live in the depths of the lakes.
Mount Tambora, Sumbawa Islands, Indonesia, 1815, VEI 7
The eruption of Mount Tambora is the most powerful in the history of mankind. The mountain roared so loudly that it was heard 1,200 miles away. In total, about 71,000 people died, and ash clouds covered many hundreds of kilometers around.
Review of the most significant volcanic eruptions of the 20th century.
1902 May 8, Martinique island, Mont Pele volcano
At 7 o'clock 50 min. The Mont Pele volcano exploded into pieces - 4 strong explosions were heard, similar to cannon shots. They threw out a black cloud from the main crater, which was pierced by flashes of lightning. But this was not the most dangerous release. It was the lateral emissions - those that from that time would be called "Peleian" - that sent fire and brimstone at hurricane speed along the mountainside directly to Saint-Pierre - one of the main ports of the island of Martinique.
Superheated volcanic gas, due to its high density and at high speed, spreading over the very ground, it penetrated into all the cracks. A huge cloud covered the area of complete destruction. The second zone of destruction extended another 60 km2. This cloud, formed from super-hot steam and gases, weighed down by billions of particles of hot ash, moving at a speed sufficient to carry fragments of rocks and volcanic emissions, had a temperature of 700–980 ° C and was able to melt glass. Mont Pele erupted again on May 20, with almost the same force as on May 8.
The Mont Pele volcano, flying into pieces, destroyed Saint-Pierre along with its population. 36 thousand people died.
1902 October 24, Guatemala, Santa Maria Volcano
The Santa Maria volcano is located in the western part of Guatemala, height 3762 m; during its eruption, an area of 323.75 thousand km2 was covered with a layer of volcanic ash and debris 20 cm thick. An explosion of gigantic power was heard 800 km away - in Costa Rica, an entire mountainside flew up, taking with it everything that was on it, then giant boulders collapsed down the slope. 6 thousand people died.
The clouds that formed after the eruption hung for weeks. Before dissipating, they rose to a height of up to 20 km. This eruption is considered the largest in the entire history of volcanic emissions into the atmosphere.
1911 January 30, Philippines, Taal Volcano
The worst eruption of the 20th century at Taal, a permanently active volcano in the Philippines, killed 1,335 people. It was classic example eruptions of the "Peleian" type, when the eruption occurs not only from the summit crater, but also from craters on the slopes of the mountain, often with hurricane-force winds. In practice, the volcano does not emit lava, but masses of white hot ash and superheated steam.
In 10 min. all living things ceased to exist. A layer of mud up to 80 m thick, accompanied by a flow of toxic volcanic gases, destroyed people and houses at a distance of 10 km. Gradually, ash covered an area of almost 2 thousand km2.
The mountain exploded a second time with almost the same force as the first eruption. The roar was heard at a distance of almost 500 km. A black cloud of ash rose up, darkening the sky over Manila, located 65 km from the volcano. The cloud was seen from a distance of 400 km.
Taal remained calm until 1965, when it erupted again, killing 200 people. To this day it remains an active and dangerous volcano.
1931 December 13–28, Indonesia, o. Java, Merapi volcano
One of the most powerful volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. Both slopes of the volcano exploded, and erupted volcanic ash covered half the island. In two weeks, from December 13 to 28, the volcano erupted a lava flow about 7 km long, up to 180 m wide and up to 30 m deep. The white-hot flow scorched the earth and destroyed all the villages in its path. More than 1,300 people died.
1944 June, Mexico, Paricutin volcano
Paricutin is a volcano that was written about in many magazines in 1943 as “a volcano born in a cornfield before the eyes of its owner.”
He actually got up in the cornfield. For many years there was a small hole in this place; on February 5, 1943, a series of ever-increasing tremors began, as a result of which a crack appeared not far from the hole. On February 19, residents felt at least 300 tremors. On February 20, the crack on one side of the hole began to expand. Almost immediately there was a sound like thunder. Nearby trees shook and the ground swelled about a meter. Here and there smoke and fine ash-gray dust began to rise from the crack. On February 21, lava began to pour out of the growing cone. By the end of the first week, the height of the cone was 15 m, by the end of the first year it had grown to 300 m. In June 1944, a strong eruption occurred. A huge lava flow descended towards the village of Paricutin and the larger village of San Juan de Parangaricutiro. Dense ash partially covered both settlements, and there were several casualties.
1951 January 21, New Guinea, Lamington Volcano
The eruption of Mount Lamington killed 2,942 people. Many of them died from hurricane-force winds filled with steam, hot ash, debris and hot mud. These hurricane-force winds were called "new Ardente" and manifested themselves during the eruption of the Mont Pelé volcano in 1902.
The eruption of Lamington in New Guinea on January 21 was exactly the same type as Mont Pele - with "new ardentes" sweeping away everything in their path as they descended the slope of the volcano. A series of monstrous explosions tore apart the peak and slopes, throwing out a huge mushroom-shaped cloud of ash, which in 2 minutes. rose to a height of 12 km, and after 20 minutes. reached a height of 15 km. The explosion was so strong that it was heard on the coast of New Britain - 320 km from Lamington. Breaking out of the mountainside, the New Ardente rushed down, sweeping away the forests so that not even stumps remained.
After another catastrophic ejection at 20:00. 40 min. Mount Lamington ceased visible activity on 21 January. Within 15 years the vegetation returned to normal state, but the slopes are not inhabited to this day.
1956 March 30, USSR, Kamchatka, Bezymyanny volcano
The violent explosion of the Bezymianny volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula went largely unnoticed, as there were no fatalities. However, in terms of intensity it is on a par with the Peleian eruptions.
March 30 at 5 p.m. 10 min. A monstrous explosion split the top of the snow-covered Bezymyanny, which had previously risen to a height of 3048 m above sea level. In a matter of seconds, 183 m of the peak was cut off from the volcano, and volcanic dust rose from the crater to a height of 30–40 km.
Volcanologist G.O. Gorshkov, who was nearby in the village of Klyuchi, described this scene as follows: “The cloud swirled strongly and quickly changed its shape... It seemed very dense and almost palpably heavy. Along with the cloud, the roar of thunder arose and intensified, accompanied by incessant flashes of lightning. Around 17 hour 40 minutes, when the cloud had already passed its zenith, ash began to fall... and by 18 hours 20 minutes it became so dark that it was impossible to see own hand, even if you bring it close to your face. People returning from work wandered around the village in search of their homes. The thunder rumbled with deafening force and did not stop. The air was saturated with electricity, telephones were ringing spontaneously, loudspeakers on the radio network were burning out... It was felt strong smell sulfur".
A hot layer of ash, covering an area of 482 km2, melted the snow and formed rapid mud flows in the valley of the Sukhaya Khapitsa River and valleys located on the slopes of adjacent volcanoes. These streams washed away huge boulders weighing hundreds of tons and carried them through the valley, sweeping away everything in their path. Trees were uprooted or burned. 3 weeks after the eruption of G.O. Gorshkov discovered thousands of streams of fumarole gases rising from the surface of a 30-meter layer of ash over an area of 47 km2.
1980 May 18, USA, Washington state, Mount St. Helens
A cloud of ash, which shot up vertically from the cone in 10 minutes, rose to a height of 19.2 km. Day turned into night. In the city of Spokane (Washington State), 400 km from the volcano, visibility dropped to 3 m in broad daylight as soon as this cloud reached the city. In Yakima, 145 km from the volcano, a layer of ash up to 12 cm thick fell. Lesser amounts of ash fell in Idaho, in the central part of Montana and partially in Colorado. The ash cloud circled the globe in 11 days. For several weeks, the ash belt colored the sunsets and affected the atmosphere. As with most eruptions, a lava dome was formed with a height of 183 m and a diameter of 610 m. Lava began to pour out of it. Throughout 1982, Mount St. Helens erupted again, but with less force.
The energy released during the catastrophic explosion of the volcano corresponded to the energy of 500 atomic bombs of the type dropped on Hiroshima, or 10 million tons of TNT. An area of 600 km2 burned to the point of a lunar landscape.
Mount St. Helens shrunk like a broken tooth. The once symmetrical and well-formed peak has disappeared, and in its place 400m below there is an amphitheater with sheer 600m walls and barren terrain below.
1982 March 29, Mexico, El Chichon volcano
The eruption of the El Chichon volcano occurred in two stages: March 29 and April 3–4, 1982. Initially, volcanic ash filled the atmosphere to a height of approximately 30 km. Then what ended up in the stratosphere (about 10 Mt) began to be transferred to the west. The tropospheric part of the cloud (3–7 Mt) moved in the opposite direction and settled quite quickly on the Earth’s surface. The stratospheric cloud, expanding horizontally, made several distinct revolutions around the Earth. Observations on the Hawaiian Islands showed that by December (compared to June), due to dispersal, the concentration of ash at an altitude of 20 km decreased by 6 times. In temperate latitudes, volcanic ash appeared in November 1982. Signs of increasing turbidity in the Arctic stratosphere appeared only in March 1983. Thus, it took about a year for the pollution to be evenly distributed in the stratosphere of the Northern Hemisphere. Subsequently, it gradually decreased over the year by about 3 times.
1985 November 14–16, Colombia, Nevado del Ruiz volcano
The largest eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano occurred in terms of the number of victims and material damage. A column of ash and rock debris rose into the sky to a height of 8 km. Hot gases ejected from the crater of the volcano and gushing lava melted the snow and ice on its top. The resulting mudflow completely destroyed the city of Amero, located 50 km from the volcano. The layer of mud reached 8 m in places. The volcano practically destroyed everything around within a radius of 150 km. About 25 thousand people died, total number victims exceeded 200 thousand.
1991 June 10–15, Philippines, Luzon island, Pinatubo volcano
Approximately 200 people died and 100 thousand were left homeless as a result of numerous eruptions.
On June 10, there was a moderate eruption of Mount Pinatubo, located on the island of Luzon, 88 km from Manila. June 12 at 8 o'clock. 41 min. The volcano exploded, sending a mushroom cloud into the sky. Streams of gas, ash and rocks melted to a temperature of 980°C rushed down the slopes at speeds of up to 100 km/h. For many kilometers around, all the way to Manila, day turned into night. And the cloud and the ash falling from it reached Singapore, which is 2.4 thousand km away from the volcano.
On the night of June 12 and the morning of June 13, the volcano erupted again. And even with greater strength than before. It threw ash and flames 24 km into the air.
On the morning of June 14, a typhoon hit the east coast of Luzon with wind speeds of 130 km/h, which flooded the area, soaked a layer of ash and turned it into white mud.
The volcano continued to erupt on June 15 and 16. Mud flows and water washed away houses. A layer of ash 20 cm thick, turning into mud, destroyed buildings before our eyes. The slopes of Mount Pinatubo resembled a lunar landscape. In Zambales province, the worst-hit region, everything was covered in 90 centimeters of ash and volcanic debris.
The smallest particles of ejected ash formed a huge cloud that encircled the entire globe along the equator. Its central part contained little ozone, and at its edges there was a lot of sulfur dioxide. The eruption released more than 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The ash cloud of Mount Pinatubo, like that of Krakatoa in 1883, led to some general decrease in temperature, since the ash particles formed a screen that sunlight. Space satellites have detected the presence of chlorine compounds and some other harmful gases in the atmosphere in concentrations greater than usual.
1997 June 30, Mexico, Popocatepetl volcano
There was a strong eruption of the Popocatepetl volcano, located 60 km from the capital of Mexico. The column of flame from the volcano's crater reached 18 km in height, and ash rained down on the streets of Mexico City. Almost 40 thousand people were taken from the villages located near the mountain.
2000 March 14, Russia, Kamchatka, Bezymianny volcano
During the volcanic eruption, ash was thrown out with enormous force to a height of up to 5 km above sea level, and the plume of ash clouds stretched in a northwest direction for at least 100 km. The village of Kozyrevsk, located at the foot of the volcano, was almost completely covered with ash, and the smell of sulfur was felt. The last time Bezymyanny erupted was on February 24, 1999, when ash emissions reached a height of 8 km. A similar ashfall was recorded on this volcano only in 1956. The awakened volcano did not pose a danger to the population.
December 2000, Mexico, Popocatepetl volcano
On December 14, the Popocatepetl volcano began to erupt; it spewed hot stones and ash to a height of up to 1 km, the radius of their fall was about 10 km. 14 thousand people were evacuated. According to authorities, the evacuation was announced mainly out of precaution - the wind carried the ash from the volcanic eruption, which locals call El Popo, over a radius of more than 80 km.
On the night of December 18-19, a strong volcanic eruption occurred. Rocks, gas and a column of hot lava flying out of the crater located at an altitude of 5.5 km could be observed from anywhere in Mexico City, located 60 km away. 40 thousand people were urgently evacuated from the vicinity of the volcano.
Volcanoes have always been dangerous. Some of them are located on the seabed and when lava erupts, they do not cause much damage to the surrounding world. Much more dangerous are similar geological formations on land, near which large settlements and cities are located. We offer for review a list of the deadliest volcanic eruptions.
79 AD. Volcano Vesuvius. 16,000 dead.
During the eruption, a deadly column of ash, dirt and smoke rose from the volcano to a height of 20 kilometers. The spewing ash even reached Egypt and Syria. Every second, millions of tons of molten rock and pumice came out of the Vesuvius vent. A day after the start of the eruption, streams of hot mud mixed with stones and ash began to flow. Pyroclastic flows completely buried the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. In some places the thickness of the avalanche exceeded 8 meters. The death toll is calculated according to at least at 16,000 people.
Painting "The Last Day of Pompeii". Karl Bryulov
The eruption was preceded by a series of tremors with a magnitude of 5.0, but no one responded to natural warnings, since earthquakes are a frequent occurrence in this place.
Last eruption Vesuvius recorded in 1944, after which it died down. Scientists suggest that the longer the volcano’s “hibernation” lasts, the stronger its next eruption will be.
1792 Volcano Unzen. About 15,000 dead.
The volcano is located on the Japanese Shimabara Peninsula. Activity Unzen has been recorded since 1663, but the most powerful eruption was in 1792. After the volcanic eruption, a series of tremors followed, which caused a powerful tsunami. A deadly 23-meter wave hit the coastal zone of the Japanese islands. The number of victims exceeded 15,000 people.
In 1991, at the foot of Unzen, 43 journalists and scientists were killed by lava as it rolled down the slope.
1815 Volcano Tambora. 71,000 victims.
This eruption is considered the most powerful in the history of mankind. On April 5, 1815, the geological activity of the volcano, located on the Indonesian island, began Sumbawa. The total volume of erupted material is estimated at 160-180 cubic kilometers. A powerful avalanche of hot rocks, mud and ash rushed to the sea, covering the island and sweeping away everything in its path - trees, houses, people and animals.
All that remains of the Tambora volcano is a huge caledera.
The roar of the explosion was so strong that it was heard on the island of Sumatra, which was located 2000 kilometers from the epicenter; the ashes reached the islands of Java, Kilimantan, and Moluccas.
An artist's impression of the eruption of Mount Tambora. Unfortunately, the author could not be found
Blowout huge amount sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere caused global climate changes, including the phenomenon of “volcanic winter”. The following year, 1816, also known as the “year without summer,” turned out to be abnormally cold, unusually low temperatures established in North America and Europe, catastrophic crop failures led to great famines and epidemics.
1883, Krakatoa volcano. 36,000 deaths.
The volcano woke up on May 20, 1883, it began to release huge clouds of steam, ash and smoke. This continued almost until the end of the eruption; on August 27, 4 powerful explosions occurred, which completely destroyed the island where the volcano was located. The fragments of the volcano scattered over a distance of 500 km, the gas-ash column rose to a height of more than 70 km. The explosions were so powerful that they were heard 4,800 kilometers away on Rodrigues Island. The blast wave was so powerful that it circled the Earth 7 times; they were felt after five days. In addition, it raised a tsunami 30 meters high, which led to the death of about 36,000 people on nearby islands (some sources indicate 120,000 victims), 295 cities and villages were washed into the sea by a powerful wave. The air wave tore off the roofs and walls of houses and uprooted trees within a radius of 150 kilometers.
Lithograph of the Krakatoa eruption, 1888
The eruption of Krakatoa, like Tambora, affected the planet's climate. Global temperatures dropped by 1.2 degrees Celsius during the year and only recovered by 1888.
The force of the blast wave was enough to lift such a large piece of coral reef from the bottom of the sea and throw it several kilometers away.
1902, Mont Pele volcano. 30,000 people died.
The volcano is located in the north of the island of Martinique (Lesser Antilles). He woke up in April 1902. A month later, the eruption itself began, suddenly a mixture of smoke and ash began to burst out of the crevices at the foot of the mountain, and lava began to flow in a hot wave. The city was completely destroyed by an avalanche Saint Pierre, which was located 8 kilometers from the volcano. Of the entire city, only two people survived - a prisoner who was sitting in an underground solitary confinement cell, and a shoemaker who lived on the outskirts of the city; the rest of the city's population, more than 30,000 people, died.
Left: Photograph of ash plumes erupting from the Mont Pelee volcano. Right: a surviving prisoner, and the completely destroyed city of Saint-Pierre.
1985, Nevado del Ruiz volcano. More than 23,000 victims.
Located Nevado del Ruiz in the Andes, Colombia. In 1984, seismic activity was recorded in these places, clouds of sulfur gases were released from the summit and there were several minor ash emissions. On November 13, 1985, the volcano exploded, releasing a column of ash and smoke more than 30 kilometers high. The erupting hot streams melted the glaciers on the top of the mountain, creating four lahars. Lahars, consisting of water, pieces of pumice, rock fragments, ash and dirt, swept away everything in their path at a speed of 60 km/h. City Armero was completely washed away by the flood, of the 29,000 inhabitants of the city, only 5,000 survived. The second lahar hit the city of Chinchina, killing 1,800 people.
Lahar descent from the summit of Nevado del Ruiz
The consequences of the lahar are the city of Armero razed to the ground.
August 24‑25, 79 AD an eruption occurred that was considered extinct Vesuvius volcano, located on the shores of the Gulf of Naples, 16 kilometers east of Naples (Italy). The eruption led to the destruction of four Roman cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontium, Stabia - and several small villages and villas. Pompeii, located 9.5 kilometers from the crater of Vesuvius and 4.5 kilometers from the base of the volcano, was covered with a layer of very small pieces of pumice about 5-7 meters thick and covered with a layer of volcanic ash. With the onset of night, lava flowed from the side of Vesuvius, everywhere fires started, and the ashes made it difficult to breathe. On August 25, along with an earthquake, a tsunami began, the sea retreated from the shores, and a black thundercloud hung over Pompeii and surrounding cities, hiding the Misensky cape and the island of Capri. Most of The population of Pompeii was able to escape, but about two thousand people died on the streets and in the houses of the city from poisonous sulfur dioxide gases. Among the victims was the Roman writer and scientist Pliny the Elder. Herculaneum, located seven kilometers from the crater of the volcano and about two kilometers from its base, was covered with a layer of volcanic ash, the temperature of which was so high that all wooden objects were completely charred. The ruins of Pompeii were accidentally discovered at the end of the 16th century, but systematic Excavations began only in 1748 and are still ongoing, along with reconstruction and restoration.
March 11, 1669 an eruption occurred Mount Etna in Sicily, which lasted until July of the same year (according to other sources, until November 1669). The eruption was accompanied by numerous earthquakes. Lava fountains along this fissure gradually moved downwards, and the largest cone formed near the city of Nikolosi. This cone is known as Monti Rossi (Red Mountain) and is still clearly visible on the slope of the volcano. Nikolosi and two nearby villages were destroyed on the first day of the eruption. In another three days, lava flowing south down the slope destroyed four more villages. At the end of March, two more major cities, and in early April lava flows reached the outskirts of Catania. Lava began to accumulate under the fortress walls. Some of it flowed into the harbor and filled it. On April 30, 1669, lava flowed through top part fortress walls. The townspeople built additional walls across the main roads. This stopped the advance of the lava, but the western part of the city was destroyed. The total volume of this eruption is estimated at 830 million cubic meters. Lava flows burned 15 villages and part of the city of Catania, completely changing the configuration of the coast. According to some sources, 20 thousand people, according to others - from 60 to 100 thousand.
October 23, 1766 on the island of Luzon (Philippines) began to erupt Mayon volcano. Dozens of villages were swept away and incinerated by a huge lava flow (30 meters wide), which went down the eastern slopes for two days. Following the initial explosion and flow of lava, Mayon Volcano continued to erupt for four more days, releasing large amounts of steam and watery mud. Grayish-brown rivers ranging from 25 to 60 meters wide fell down the slopes of the mountain within a radius of up to 30 kilometers. They completely swept away roads, animals, villages with people on their way (Daraga, Kamalig, Tobaco). More than 2,000 residents died during the eruption. Basically, they were swallowed up by the first lava flow or secondary mud avalanches. For two months, the mountain spewed ash and poured lava onto the surrounding area.
April 5-7, 1815 an eruption occurred Tambora volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. Ash, sand and volcanic dust were thrown into the air to a height of 43 kilometers. Stones weighing up to five kilograms were scattered over a distance of up to 40 kilometers. The Tambora eruption affected the islands of Sumbawa, Lombok, Bali, Madura and Java. Subsequently, under a three-meter layer of ash, scientists found traces of the dead kingdoms of Pecat, Sangar and Tambora. Simultaneously with the volcanic eruption, huge tsunami 3.5‑9 meters high. Having flown away from the island, the water fell on neighboring islands and drowned hundreds of people. About 10 thousand people died directly during the eruption. At least 82 thousand more people died from the consequences of the disaster - hunger or disease. The ash that shrouded Sumbawa destroyed crops and buried the irrigation system; acid rain poisoned the water. For three years after Tambora's eruption, the entire globe was enveloped in a shroud of dust and ash particles, reflecting some of the sun's rays and cooling the planet. The next year, 1816, Europeans felt the consequences of a volcanic eruption. It entered the annals of history as “the year without summer.” The average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere fell by about one degree, and in some areas even by 3-5 degrees. Large areas of crops suffered from spring and summer frosts on the soil, and famine began in many areas.
August 26-27, 1883 an eruption occurred Krakatoa volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Houses on nearby islands collapsed due to tremors. On August 27, at about 10 o'clock in the morning, a gigantic explosion occurred, an hour later - a second explosion of the same force. More than 18 cubic kilometers of rock debris and ash shot up into the atmosphere. The waves of the tsunami caused by the explosions instantly swallowed up cities, villages, and forests on the coasts of Java and Sumatra. Many islands disappeared under water along with the population. The tsunami was so powerful that it went around almost the entire planet. In total, 295 cities and villages were wiped off the face of the earth on the coasts of Java and Sumatra, over 36 thousand people died, and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. The coasts of Sumatra and Java have changed beyond recognition. On the coast of the Sunda Strait, fertile soil was washed away down to the rocky base. Only a third of the island of Krakatoa survived. In terms of the amount of water and rock moved, the energy of the Krakatoa eruption is equivalent to the explosion of several hydrogen bombs. The strange glow and optical phenomena persisted for several months after the eruption. In some places above the Earth, the sun appeared blue and the moon appeared bright green. And the movement of dust particles ejected by the eruption in the atmosphere allowed scientists to establish the presence of a “jet” stream.
May 8, 1902 Mont Pele volcano, located on Martinique, one of the islands Caribbean Sea, literally exploded into pieces - four strong explosions sounded, similar to cannon shots. They threw out a black cloud from the main crater, which was pierced by flashes of lightning. Since the emissions did not come through the top of the volcano, but through side craters, all volcanic eruptions of this type have since been called “Peleian”. Superheated volcanic gas, due to its high density and high speed of movement, spread above the ground itself, penetrated into all the cracks. A huge cloud covered the area of complete destruction. The second zone of destruction stretches another 60 square kilometers. This cloud, formed from super-hot steam and gases, weighed down by billions of particles of hot ash, moving at a speed sufficient to carry fragments of rocks and volcanic emissions, had a temperature of 700-980 ° C and was able to melt glass. Mont Pele erupted again on May 20, 1902, with almost the same force as on May 8. The Mont Pelee volcano, breaking into pieces, destroyed one of the main ports of Martinique, Saint-Pierre, along with its population. 36 thousand people died instantly, hundreds of people died from side effects. The two survivors became celebrities. Shoemaker Leon Comper Leander managed to escape within the walls of his own house. He miraculously survived, although he received severe burns to his legs. Louis Auguste Cypress, nicknamed Samson, was in a prison cell during the eruption and remained there for four days, despite serious burns. After being rescued, he was pardoned, soon he was hired by the circus and during performances he was shown as the only surviving resident of Saint-Pierre.
June 1, 1912 eruption began Katmai volcano in Alaska, for a long time was at rest. On June 4, ash material was ejected, which, mixed with water, formed mud flows; on June 6, an explosion of colossal force occurred, the sound of which was heard in Juneau 1,200 kilometers away and in Dawson 1,040 kilometers from the volcano. Two hours later there was a second explosion of enormous force, and in the evening a third. Then, for several days, there was an almost continuous eruption of colossal amounts of gases and solid products. During the eruption, about 20 cubic kilometers of ash and debris burst out of the volcano. The deposition of this material formed a layer of ash ranging from 25 centimeters to 3 meters thick, and much more near the volcano. The amount of ash was so great that for 60 hours there was complete darkness around the volcano at a distance of 160 kilometers. On June 11, volcanic dust fell in Vancouver and Victoria at a distance of 2200 km from the volcano. IN upper layers atmosphere it spread throughout the entire territory North America and fell into large quantities V Pacific Ocean. For a whole year, small ash particles moved in the atmosphere. Summer across the planet turned out to be much colder than usual, since more than a quarter of the sun's rays falling on the planet were retained in the ash curtain. In addition, in 1912, amazingly beautiful scarlet dawns were celebrated everywhere. At the site of the crater, a lake with a diameter of 1.5 kilometers formed - the main attraction of the lake formed in 1980. National Park and Katmai Nature Reserve.
December 13-28, 1931 an eruption occurred volcano Merapi on the island of Java in Indonesia. Over two weeks, from December 13 to 28, the volcano erupted a stream of lava about seven kilometers long, up to 180 meters wide and up to 30 meters deep. The white-hot stream scorched the earth, burned the trees and destroyed all the villages in its path. In addition, both slopes of the volcano exploded, and erupted volcanic ash covered half the island with same name. During this eruption, 1,300 people died. The eruption of Mount Merapi in 1931 was the most destructive, but far from the last.
In 1976, a volcanic eruption killed 28 people and destroyed 300 houses. Significant morphological changes occurring in the volcano caused another disaster. In 1994, the dome that had formed in previous years collapsed, and the resulting massive release of pyroclastic material forced the local population to leave their villages. 43 people died.
In 2010, the number of victims from the central part of the Indonesian island of Java was 304 people. The list of dead included those who died from exacerbations of lung and heart diseases caused by ash emissions and other chronic diseases, as well as those who died from injuries.
November 12, 1985 eruption began Ruiz Volcano in Colombia, considered extinct. On November 13, several explosions were heard one after another. The power of the strongest explosion, according to experts, was about 10 megatons. A column of ash and rock debris rose into the sky to a height of eight kilometers. The eruption that began caused the instant melting of the vast glaciers and eternal snows lying on the top of the volcano. The main blow fell on the city of Armero, located 50 kilometers from the mountain, which was destroyed in 10 minutes. Of the 28.7 thousand residents of the city, 21 thousand died. Not only Armero was destroyed, but also a number of villages. The following were severely damaged by the eruption: settlements, like Chinchino, Libano, Murillo, Casabianca and others. Mudflows damaged oil pipelines and cut off fuel supplies to the southern and western parts of the country. As a result of the sudden melting of the snow lying in the Nevado Ruiz Mountains, nearby rivers overflowed their banks. Powerful flows of water washed away roads, demolished power and telephone poles, and destroyed bridges. According to the official statement of the Colombian government, as a result of the eruption of the Ruiz volcano, 23 thousand people died or went missing, and about five thousand were seriously injured and maimed. About 4,500 residential buildings and administrative buildings were completely destroyed. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless and without any means of subsistence. Colombia's economy suffered significant damage.
June 10-15, 1991 an eruption occurred Volcano Pinatubo on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The eruption began quite quickly and was unexpected, since the volcano became active after more than six centuries of hibernation. On June 12, the volcano exploded, throwing a mushroom cloud into the sky. Streams of gas, ash and rocks melted to a temperature of 980°C rushed down the slopes at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. For many kilometers around, all the way to Manila, day turned into night. And the cloud and the ash falling from it reached Singapore, which is 2.4 thousand kilometers away from the volcano. On the night of June 12 and the morning of June 13, the volcano erupted again, throwing ash and flames 24 kilometers into the air. The volcano continued to erupt on June 15 and 16. Mud flows and water washed away houses. As a result of numerous eruptions, approximately 200 people died and 100 thousand were left homeless
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
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