Volcanoes alert: what are the 10 most dangerous in the world

The world is once again witnessing the surprising force of destruction of an active volcano, in this case before the impressive progress in Spain from the volcano La Palma: lava has reached more than 570 buildings and threatens 1,600 others.

In just over 30 hours, destroying everything in its path, the magma traveled more than 3 kilometers towards the sea and covered 100 hectares of land. By the power of natural disasters, Todoque Cathedral collapses.

More than 6,000 people were evacuated, the volume of ash emission has intensified and in the last hours one of the crater’s cones collapsed and local airport operations were brought to a halt.

Science cannot answer with certainty questions such as the duration of the eruption of the new volcano La Palma, or whether more eruptive mouths will open or not, acknowledged the press agency EFE the volcanologist from the Spanish Higher Scientific Research Center (CSIC) Vicente Soler.

Faced with this geological phenomenon which surprised locals and tourists, despite the fact that geologists volcanoes experts assure that there are no “dead” volcanoes, but that all present a latent danger at different intensities. What are the 10 most dangerous volcanoes in the world?

The Mount Vesuvius It is located on the Italian coast near the city of Naples. In the 1st century AD, he buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Although it is “at rest”, scientists warn of its danger, because after a long period of inactivity, they present an even greater potential destructive risk. With a height of 1281 meters, it is one of the most famous in the world. Its last eruption was in March 1944.

Still in Italy, the volcano Etna It is located on the island of Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1669 it erupted, reaching the city of Catania. It rises to 3,322 meters, making it the highest on the Eurasian plate. Its last eruption dates back to March 16, 2017. In June 2013, UNESCO granted it the title of World Heritage Site.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the Nyiragongo, one of the most active volcanoes today. During 1977 it caused several dozen deaths when it erupted, surprisingly, as is now the case with the Whakaari in New Zealand. In 2002, the last time it erupted, there were a total of 45 deaths, in addition to the damage caused by the destruction of a large number of buildings in neighboring towns.

Located in Central Java, Indonesia, the Merapi it is one of the busiest on the whole planet. According to geologists who are experts in volcanoes, its activity causes it to erupt every ten years or so. It is 2,911 meters high and the last eruption it recorded was on October 26, 2010, when it triggered a 7.7 earthquake and a large tsunami that killed 272 people.

The Grand Mont It is a stratovolcano located on the island of Bali in Indonesia. At 3,142 meters high, it is far from resembling a conical rock structure. It has a deep crater with a diameter of 800 meters at its top which occasionally expels smoke and ash. Its last eruption dates back to 2017, precisely on November 21, when around 100,000 people had to be evacuated. According to local beliefs, it is a replica of Mount Meru, the central axis of the universe.

The Mount St. Helena It is located in Skamania County, Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It has an altitude close to 2550 meters above sea level. Its last eruption dates back to July 10, 2008. We remember the catastrophic eruption of May 18, 1980, the deadliest and most destructive in American history: it left 57 dead, destroyed 47 bridges, 25 houses, 24 kilometers of railroad tracks. and 300 kilometers of highway.

Also in the United States, the Novarupta This is a brand new volcano that formed in 1912, located on the Alaska Peninsula, in Katmai National Park and Preserve. Its eruption in November 1912 was the most important of the 20th century. It is just 841 meters tall and is surrounded by snow most of the year.

The Mount Rainier It is a stratovolcano located in Pierce, a county southeast of Seattle, Washington, United States. It has an impressive height of 4392 meters. The last time it erupted was in 1894. It has 26 major glaciers and 93 square kilometers of snow and permanent glaciers.

Located in Mexico, the Popocatepetl It is located only 70 kilometers from the Federal District, which makes it a real threat since Mexico City is home to more than 8.85 million inhabitants, the fourth most populous in the world. In fact, it is only one of more than 20 volcanoes distributed throughout the geography of the Aztec country, which is distinguished by the strong presence of seismic phenomena because it is located between several very active tectonic plates.

It became, this Sunday, in the news when recorded 221 exhalations, 100 minutes of quake and two volcanotectonic earthquakes in the last 24 hours.

At 3776 meters above sea level, the Mount Fuji It is the highest peak on the island of Honshu and all of Japan. It is located between the prefectures of Shizuoka and Yamanashi, in the center of this country and west of Tokyo, from where it can be observed on a clear day. Fuji is a compound volcano and is the symbol of Japan. Its last eruption, fortunately for the inhabitants of this megalopolis, dates from December 16, 1707.

Interactive map: Marcelo Regalado / Photos: Getty Images

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