Volcanoes have been actively participating in the formation of the earth's surface for millions of years, and the word itself came to us from the mythology of Ancient Rome. The god of fire of the Romans was called Vulcan, and he patronized, like the ancient Greek Hephaestus, blacksmiths and casters. Volcanoes vary in shape, frequency and type of eruptions, and at the bottom of the article you can see all these objects on an interactive world map. But in this article we will consider the largest, and find out what is the highest volcano in the world. We focus only on the continents, not taking into account the underwater volcanic formations.
1
Ojos del Salado (6,887m.)
In the Chilean Andes, at the very border between neighboring Chile and Argentina, there is the highest volcano on our planet, whose height is 6,887 m.
It is also unique in that on its eastern slope, at an altitude of 6,390 m, there is a mirror of the highest lake in the world. Among the Incas, the mountain was considered sacred, and many ancient shrines were explored on its slopes. It is considered extinct, since for the entire time since its discovery, scientists have not recorded a single eruption.
For the first time, the climber from Poland felt the joy of success in conquering the peak in 1937, and in 2007 the motorcyclist Gonzalo Bravo reached the 6688 m mark on the Japanese motorcycle of the Suzuki concern. Only 199 m remained to be reached.
2
Ljulyayljako (6 739m.)
On the beautiful plateau of Pune de Atacama, among the vast expanses of the Atacama Desert, the highest of the most active volcanoes rises.
It was formed during the Pleistocene, and its height is 6,739 m. The last time it scared the inhabitants with an eruption in 1877, and now the volcano of South America only releases gases from the surface, being in the solfatar stage. The most powerful volcano in the world is the Hawaiian Mauna Loa, and Lulhaillaco takes the second place of honor.
At the summit in 1999, archaeologists discovered and explored the unique Incan children's graves. Everything indicates the ritual nature of the ancient burial sites, as well as the fact that teenagers were sacrificed to the gods.
Please note that on our site most-beauty.ru there is a fascinating article about seven active supervolcanoes, the eruption of which can happen soon.
3
San Pedro (6 092m.)
In the heart of the Central Andes stands active San Pedro, whose height is 6,145 m above sea level. Very close is the twin brother of San Pablo volcano, 6,092 m high.
San Pedro bothered residents of the towns and cities of Calama in the county in 1960. Until today, no seismographs have recorded a single eruption. From the other peaks of the central part of the Andes is separated by a large saddle.
It was described back in the XVIII century, and the first ascent was made by the Frenchman George Corti, and the conductor was a local resident Filemon Morales in 1903. After their ascent, climbers paved new routes to the peak of the beautiful mountain of Chile.
4
Cotopaxi (5 897m.)
The list continues to Cotopaxi, towering over the expanses of Ecuador. Its height is 5,897 m, and the depth of the crater exceeds the mark of 450 m.
It is comfortably located on the western ridge of the Eastern Cordillera. The first time from recorded eruptions occurred in 1534, and the last time Kotopakhi shook the neighborhood in 2015. But the most destructive, according to historical sources, was the eruption of 1768.
The name of the volcano, translated from the Quechua Native American language, translates as "Shiny Mountain." According to another version - “Smoky Mountain”, but both names accurately convey the essence of the geological object of the planet.
5
Kilimanjaro (5,885 m.)
From Latin America, most-beauty.ru will take you to Africa to see a photo of the mountain, which rightfully takes its place of honor in the Top 10 largest volcanoes in the world.
The highest stratovolcano of the African continent is in Tanzania, and its height of 5,885 m, snow-capped peaks of the mountains were noted on the map of Ptolemy in the II century BC. e.
Scholars suggest that the name of the majestic Kilimanjaro in Swahili literally means a mountain that sparkles. Tourists are struck by the almost conical shape, as well as the flora and fauna at the foot and slopes of the volcano.
6
El Misti (5,882 m.)
In winter, the peak of the Peruvian Misty is covered with a snow-white hat, sparkling under the rays of the southern sun. The height of the volcano, which locals call El Misti, is 5,882 m.
At the foot of the river flows Chile. Misty belongs to active volcanoes, and the last time an eruption of small strength was recorded in 1985. Climbing to the peak, you can see that it has three craters.
In the nearest town of Arequipa, many buildings are built of white volcanic deposits, which is why the beautiful city is called the “White City”. The eruption in the middle of the XV century forced the residents of Arequipa to leave their beautiful white houses.
By the way, we advise you to admire amazing photographs of volcanic eruptions from Francisco Negroni, you can see them on most-beauty.ru in this article.
7
Orizaba (5,675 m.)
The second name of the volcano of the Mexican highlands is Sittaltepetl, rooted in the ancient mythology of the Aztec tribes. The height of the mountain is 5 675 m, and it is the highest mountain peak in the Central American country.
The last time the eruption was recorded back in 1687, but it continues to be considered an active volcano that can wake up at any time.
In 1848, climbers and researchers F. Maynard and W. Reynolds made the first ascent of Orizaba, describing the structure, flora and fauna of its slopes.
8
Elbrus (5,621m.)
The highest point in the vastness of Russia lies among the amazing peaks of the North Caucasus. The peak is divided into two peaks, Vostochny with a height of 5 621 m, and Zapadniy - 5 642 m.
It is considered the highest in Europe, and the last time it erupted, according to geologists, in about 50 BC. e. A stratovolcano, formed about 2-3 million years ago, is used for mountaineering competitions.
At the foot and on the slopes of Elbrus there is a network of high-altitude shelters, tourist centers and hotels. For convenience, hiking trails and cable cars are available.
9
Popocatepetl (5 426 m.)
Steaming hill! This is how the name of the volcano is translated from the Nahuatl language, located in Mexico. This is the second highest mountain in this country, and its peak is 5,426 m above sea level.
The name of the mountain is one of the heroes of the Mexican epic, and the Aztecs worshiped it as a majestic deity. Around Popocatepetl, 20 million people live, making up a huge agglomeration of two Mexican states and the capital of Mexico City.
The Spanish conquistador Diego de Ordaz, after the first conquered the peak of Popocatepetl, ordered to place its contours on his patrimonial coat of arms.
10
Sangay (5,320m.)
Amazing Sangay, located in Ecuador, has three craters. Height is 5 320 m, and in form and type it is a stratovolcano.
Geologists, having studied the materials, determined its age at about 14 thousand years. Historical documents report that the first recorded eruption took place in 1628.
Sangay is located in the eponymous national park of Ecuador. The last time it erupted in 2016, as a result of which it was necessary to evacuate people from nearby settlements. In total, since 1937, more than 10 eruptions of different strength and power were recorded.
11
Nevado del Tolima (5 512m.)
In Colombia, above the green hills of Los Nevados National Park, a volcano rises with the romantic name of Tolima. Its height is 5 512 m, and it is the highest mountain of this Latin American state.
Finally formed over the past 40 thousand years. About 3,600 years ago, the largest eruption of Tolima occurred, and the last time the emission of lava and gases was recorded in 1943. Tourists begin their journey to the beautiful mountain from the town of Ibague, from which several hiking trails are laid.
Around the beautiful mountain peaks, at the very foot of the mountain, are several village villages and vast green pastures.
12
Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4 835 m.)
The highest active volcano of Eurasia, whose age is 7,000 years, is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula. But on the other peninsula of Russia, in Crimea, the oldest volcano Karadag is located.
Due to frequent eruptions, its height is constantly changing. After the last eruption, which occurred in August 2013, geologists recorded a height at around 4,835 m.
In the nearby village with the name Klyuchi, a volcanic scientific station was formed, the staff of which constantly monitor the amazing mountain object of Asia.
PS
Mauna Kea (4 205 m)
We could not fail to mention another record holder, which few people know about. Meanwhile, Mauna Kea is not only the highest among the volcanoes of the Earth, but also among all the mountain formations of the planet.
This shield volcano is located in Hawaii. Its age is estimated at 1 million years, and the last eruption occurred about 4.5 thousand years ago.
So why is it with a height of 4205 meters was the record holder? Let's try to figure it out. The fact is that at an altitude of 4205 m. It rises above sea level, but most of it is hidden under water. If you measure Mauna Kea from the foot to the top, then its height will be about 10 kilometers! This is more than the height of the highest mountain - Everest.
We also highly recommend that you watch the beautiful video of the eruption of the Hawaiian volcano Kilauea, filmed in 2018:
Want us to make a good report on the beauty of the Hawaiian mountains, write about it in the comments. Most-Beauty.ru often draws topic topics from comments!
Conclusion
So we found out where the largest volcano in the world is. Today, more than 1,500 volcanoes are spread on the planet’s surface in different parts of the world, and the question is which country has the most volcanoes, in the USA. There are 176 of them in the United States, but for some reason Iceland is called the “country of volcanoes”. Summing up, we note that any eruption is classified as a natural disaster, because boiling lava escaping to the surface carries a mortal danger to all living things.
But, as promised, an interactive map with plotted geographical features described in the article.
Article author: Valery Skiba