A volcano is a crack in the crust of a planetary-mass object, for example, Earth, that enables volcanic ash, gasses and hot lava to break out from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are almost always found where tectonic plates are converging or diverging.
Ever wondered how are volcanoes formed? Volcanoes are formed when one tectonic plate moves under another. Generally, a thin, huge oceanic plate moves under a bigger continental plate. When this occurs, the ocean plate sinks into the mantle.
As deadly as it looks during an eruption, the consequences are even more disturbing. Many people have lost their lives because of volcanic eruptions. These eruptions can result in more threats to health, such as drinking water contamination, food loss, floods, wildfires, mudslides, and power outages.
- Sakurajima
Mount Sakurajima, the most active volcano in Japan, is a significant landmark in the Kagoshima area. It often produces volcanic smoke all the time due to minor eruptions several times a day.
Sakurajima was formed approximately 13,000 years ago. This volcano existed peacefully for most of its long life. That all altered in 962 when it went through its first recorded eruption.
Due to its explosive potential, it is considered an extremely dangerous volcano. Over the years, it erupted numerous times. The biggest historical eruptions of Sakurajima occurred during 1471-76 and in 1914. In 1914, it almost emitted 10 billion tons of lava.
- Mount Fagradalsfjal
Fagradalsfjall is a tuya volcano placed in the Last Glacial Period on the Reykjanes Peninsula which is approximately 40 kilometers from Reykjavík, Iceland.
After many earthquakes, the most recent volcano eruption is near Mount Fagradalsfjal. This long-dormant volcano was awakened with an eruption on 10th March 2021. This is now known as Geldingadalsgos on 19th March 2021.
Fagradalsfjall is furthermore the name for the wider volcanic system encircling an area 5 kilometers wide and 15 kilometers long between the Krýsuvík systems and Svartsengi.
The lava busted out of a small fissure in the ground. There was a moderate fountain with the entire eruption area acquiring less than 1km2. Relying on how much magma it is left beneath, the lava has been fountaining for many days. This might go on for weeks.
According to the lava flow patterns and available historical data, when identical seismic activity had occurred on the peninsula, intermittent eruptions kept going for over 100 years. Since the volcano is still active, you need to stay away. Nevertheless, you can have a chance to go on a guided tour and see it yourself!
- Vesuvius
Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe. It is situated in the Gulf of Naples, Italy. The city of Naples is just about 20 km away from the volcano.
Vesuvius is a stratovolcano at the convergent boundary. Here the African Plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate. It has generated the continent’s biggest volcanic eruptions. Placed on Italy’s west coast, it rests in the crater of the ancient Somma volcano.
Mount Vesuvius is considered to be an active volcano. Therefore, it could very well erupt again. It is settled on the tip of a deep layer of magma that goes 154 miles deep into the earth. Therefore, the next Mount Vesuvius eruption will happen very soon.
The last eruption of Vesuvius took place in 1944. The volcano is technically active, but there are secure warnings before an eruption. For instance, an earthquake is the biggest triggering factor for any volcanic event.
- Kayla
Kayla, Iceland’s most destructive volcano, explodes when it erupts. It is set in Mýrdalsjokull glacier (which stands next to Eyjafjallajokull). It mostly erupts every 13-95 years. Nevertheless, it has not exploded so that we can have a look at it in these 100 years. There must have been a few minor eruptions that did not crack the glacier’s surface though.
The Kayla exploded last in 1918. It was bigger than the Eyjafjallajokull eruption of 2010. The southern coast of Iceland was expanded by 5 kilometers because of the laharic flood deposits. The floods that follow Katla’s huge eruptions are enormous.
In the 1755 explosion, the peak had an estimated 200,000 – 400,000 m3/s which is the collective average release of the Nile, Yangtze, Amazon Rivers and Mississippi that is just about 266,000m3/s.
This active volcano is one of the biggest volcanic sources of carbon dioxide on earth. It is thought to be accountable for up to 4% of entire global volcanic carbon dioxide emissions. Yet, it has shifted more into minor eruptions in recent times. From its settlement in 1918, only 16-20 eruptions have occurred, but only small ones.
- Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is one of the Earth’s most active volcanoes. It has had more than 33 well-documented eruptions in historic times since 1843. In 1984, it had its last eruption. However, Mauna Loa has been exhibiting signs of an apparent awakening since 2004.
Mauna Loa started as a submarine volcano. It slowly built itself up through underwater eruptions of alkali basalt before arising from the sea via a series of surtseyan eruptions about 400,000 years ago. Since then, the Mauna Loa has stayed active.
Dominating the terrain of Hawaii and active for the last 700,000 years, Mauna Loa is the biggest shield volcano on Earth (above water). New data have indicated more about what might be sufficient to set off eruptions in future.
Investigators have been able to exhibit the progression of magma on the interior of the volcano. They have concluded what would and wouldn’t be likely to stimulate the next bigger eruption from Mauna Loa.
An earthquake could trigger an eruption. The scientists inferred that 0.11 square kilometers of new magma streamed into a new spot in the chamber of the volcano between 2014 and 2020, shifting path according to the pressures being placed on it.
These kinds of magma body changes haven’t been estimated before. Jointly with ground shifts and surface lava flows along the fault the volcano is sitting on, magma intrusions alter the structure of the volcano – and the probability of it erupting.
