Photo of Pastorius. Since ancient times, men have been fascinated, intrigued and at the same time frightened by volcanoes. For this reason, many scholars, throughout history, have formulated theories about the origins of these marvelous giants with enormous destructive capabilities .
Some peoples believed that volcanic eruptions were nothing more than divine manifestations and in the past several civilizations have been wiped out by the devastating power of volcanoes. There are many historical testimonies of exceptional eruptions that have contributed to increasing the terror that these enormous geological structures cause in us.
Today hundreds of expert scientists constantly monitor the few remaining active volcanoes to try to prevent, as far as possible, environmental disasters that could even end the existence of our planet ; Here is a ranking of the 10 most dangerous volcanoes in the world based on the volcanic explosivity index (VEI) and the frequency of eruptions!
10 – Soufriere Hills, Montserrat
Photo of CommonismNow. This 914-meter-high stratovolcano is located on the paradisiacal Caribbean island of Monserrat , once an important tourist destination. In 1995 the volcano literally devastated Playmouth, the island’s capital,remained submerged by several meters of debris.
Most of the population managed to escape, however about two thirds were forced to leave their land permanently.
- periodicity of eruptions: monthly
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 3/8
- classification: Vulcan eruption, catastrophic
9 – Vesuvio, Italy
Photo of Pastorius. The historic volcano that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD ranks ninth in the ranking.
The last recorded activity dates back to 1944, however it remains among the most dangerous considering also the fact that the one defined as “red zone”, highly dangerous for pyroclastic phenomena, affects about 25 municipalities and 800 thousand people .
- periodicity of eruptions: between 10 and 100 years
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 5/8
- classification: Plinian eruption, paroxysmal
8 – Pinatubo, Philippines
This volcano has only recently come to the attention of the media. In fact, before the very violent eruption of 1991 very few were aware of its existence. On that occasion , 600 people lost their lives , but the victims could have been many more if the area had not been cleared in time .
- periodicity of eruptions: between 100 and 1,000 years
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 6/8
- classification: krakatoian eruption, colossal
7 – Unzen, Japan
Unzen rises in Nagasaki prefecture , and is known as the deadliest volcano in Japan . Today his business seems to be downsizing; however in 1792 a mammoth tsunami caused by one of its eruptions took the lives of 15,000 people . It was a cataclysm of epochal proportions , so great that it earned him entry into this top ten .
- periodicity of eruptions: weekly
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 2/8
- classification: Strombolian eruption, explosive
6 – Etna, Italy
The Etna volcano is certainly among the most famous in Italy . It boasts two primates : the largest active volcano in Europe and the volcano with the longest eruption of the twentieth century : we are talking about the eruption that began in 1991 and lasted even 473 days .
One of the most devastating is that of 1669 which buried the city of Catania under the debris .
- periodicity of eruptions: daily
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 2/8
- classification: Strombolian eruption, explosive
Below is the video of one of the latest eruptions:
5 – Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia
The closer we get to the top positions , the more the destructive capacity of the volcanoes in the rankings grows.
The Navado del Ruiz submerged the city of Armero within 24 hours with the 1985 eruption after more than a century of quiescence . Then Pope John Paul II celebrated a commemorative mass for the 26,000 souls who perished.
- periodicity of eruptions: monthly
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 3/8
- classification: Vulcan eruption, catastrophic
4 – La Pelee, Martinique
The volcano of Martinique is famous for the eruption of 1902 , during which 30,000 people died . The last period of activity dates back to 1929.
In that year, the well-known volcanologist Frank A. Perret was the protagonist of a dangerous story: during the advance of a burning cloud , he was locked in a hut; fortunately he managed to escape by tightening every crack and his experience of him was fundamental for his subsequent research .
- periodicity of eruptions: between 1 year and 10 years
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 4/8
- classification: sub-plinian eruption, cataclysm
3 – Krakatoa, Indonesia
On the lowest step of the podium , Krakatoa still holds a truly singular record : during the eruption of 1883 , which caused the destruction of 165 villages (36,000 victims), a deafening roar was recorded , felt beyond 5,000 km away : this is the loudest noise ever heard by man .
- periodicity of eruptions: between 100 and 1,000 years
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 6/8
- classification: krakatoian eruption, colossal
2 – Tambora, Indonesia
Photo of Jialiang Gao. In second place we find the Tambora volcano , known for its very high explosiveness index . In 1815 , the eruption of the volcano caused the death of about 60,000 people , mainly due to the famine that followed the explosion. In fact, that year was called by historians “the year without summer”: the serious climatic anomalies caused by the excessive presence of dust in the atmosphere definitively compromised the crops.
- periodicity of eruptions: between 1,000 and 10,000 years
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 7/8
- classification: ultra-plinian eruption, super-colossal
1 – Yellowstone, United States
And the winner is … the Yellowstone Caldera . It is a real supervolcano that, with an eruption, could wipe humanity off the face of the earth .
In April 2014 a herd of bison escaped from the well-known National Yellowstone Park , located exactly above the caldera, following an earthquake; this caused further alarmism about a hypothetical future cataclysm .
- periodicity of eruptions: over 10,000 years
- Volcanic Explosion Index (VEI): 8/8
- classification: mega-colossal eruption, with over 1,000 cubic meters of emitted material, a continuous emission of over 12 hours and an eruptive column height of over 20 km.
Interesting fact: Marsili wakes up, the largest active volcano in Europe
Well yes, gentlemen, recent studies have shown that the Marsili Volcano, located in the Tyrrhenian sea bed, has resumed its eruptive activity. This is certainly a disconcerting discovery since it rightfully crowns the Marsili as the largest volcano in Europe still in activity , thanks to its incredible size (70 km long, 30 km wide).
