The world is blooming with beautiful spring flowers on one side, but also erupting under the oceans and over the mountains on the other side.
The Irony of Beauty!
Volcanoes are highly powerful and can cause severe damage to people residing there, agriculture, and also houses.
Some volcanoes are dormant and some are active. Apart from these two types, some volcanoes are super-active and deadly. They tend to create a major effect on livelihood for many years. Many such volcanoes still exist on Earth.
Let Us See Some Of The Most Destructive Volcanoes On Earth:
- Mt. Vesuvius – Italy
- Mount Rainier – U.S
- Novarupta volcano – Alaska
- Mount Pinatubo – Philippines
- Mount St. Helens – Washington
- Mount Agung – Indonesia
- Mount Fuji – Japan
- Mount Merapi – Indonesia
- Krakatoa – Indonesia
- Laki – Iceland
- Mt. Vesuvius:
Mt. Vesuvius is one of the most popular and scary volcanoes on Earth. The major eruption was during 79 CE. In the past 17000 years, the Mt. Vesuvius volcano has erupted eight times, all eight major ones!
It had large pyroclastic flows too. The Vesuvius volcano last erupted in 1944.
According to the survey, nearly 6 million people are living in the Vesuvius region. So, the Italian Government has been making plans to make sure the volcano does not erupt in the future!
- Mount Rainier:
There are many reasons why Mount Rainier is listed under the most destructive volcanoes on Earth.
The USGS points to the volcano’s high elevation, it’s chemical composition, the ability to produce intense pyroclastic flows; lava flows and volcanic ash are some of them!
It is reported that the heat from the volcano can even meltdown the snow and ice on the volcano!
Scaring, right?
This meltdown will end up causing a downstream flow of mud, rocks, and debris called a lahar.
According to the Global Volcanism Program, it is surveyed that more than two million people were affected by the eruption.
- Novarupta Volcano:
Located in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, the Novarupta volcano is another destructive volcano.
Formed in 1912, the volcano is said to have been listed as the world’s largest volcano in the 20th century. The volcano has sent almost 30 cubic kilometers of ash into the clouds.
It is said that the eruption affected the people residing in the region with eye soreness and other respiratory problems.
Still, there are many active volcanoes in the Katmai region but are believed to prevent them from affecting people in the future.
- Mount Pinatubo:
Located in the Philippines, Mount Pinatubo started losing its calmness and busted out in 1991.
It is said to have created a record and been placed as the second-largest eruption in the 20th century.
The eruption killed 722 people by the pyroclastic flows. According to the Global Volcanism Program, there are more than 100 million people who reside within the 10 kilometers region of the volcano.
- Mount St. Helens:
Washington’s Mount St. Helens volcano is the most deadly in U.S history. The 1980 eruption killed 57 people and thousands of animals and their habitats were destroyed in a stretch.
According to the USGS, Mount St. Helens may explode in a higher density in the future.
Hence, the volcano is under complete monitor to prevent the explosion and the large release of ash fall across the Pacific Northwest.
- Mount Agung:
Indonesia has the most powerful and horrifying volcano – Mount Agung. The major eruption of the volcano occurred in 1963. The eruption lasted for 11 months.
Can You Believe It?
It is said that the dangerous ash fall and the pyroclastic flows ended up killing thousands of people. Ash plumes above the volcano were observed until 2018, following the 2017 eruption!
There are more than four million people in the volcanic region.
- Mount Fuji:
Mount Fuji in Japan has not erupted since 1707. A major earthquake that happened seemed to set the volcano to erupt.
In the year 2014, volcanic specialists advised Fuji people that an enormous eruption may come by. As said, the eruption occurred, following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan in 2011. It was said that the earthquake was the eruption’s explanation. The 1707 volcanic eruption sent ash and debris into the air that reached Tokyo.
One more eruption from Fuji, more than 25 million people in the surrounding area could be affected, according to the Global Volcanism Program.
- Mount Merapi:
Mount Merapi is one of the effective volcanoes in Indonesia. And by being active, it not only erupts often but also the results of the eruption are quite disturbing and scary.
According to NASA, Merapi’s biggest risk is the volcano’s pyroclastic flows. It can spread over a large area and affect human lives.
On May 11, Merapi erupted again. It resulted in the evacuation of people from the region.
The eruption killed over 24 million people residing in the area nearby.
- Krakatoa:
Another most destructive volcano in Indonesia is the Krakatoa. The eruption destroyed the island completely. On August 27 mornings, destroying the island on which it resides. On the morning of 27 August, a massive eruption took place. Krakatoa volcano’s final eruption was noted to be four times more powerful than the largest bomb that humans have experienced.
The eruption’s dust was said to travel seven times around the globe.
It resulted in Tsunamis also, which killed 36,000 people, and the whole life dwelling was devastated.
- Laki Volcano:
History still speaks about the Laki volcano eruption!
Iceland’s Laki volcano eruption lasted for almost 8 months and emitted about 14.7km3 of lava. The poisonous gas released through the volcano destroyed agriculture. It is said that 60% of the place’s livestock was damaged.
How Cruel!
The volcano released a large amount of SO2 which paved the way to the beginning of acid rain in that region.
The eruption destroyed more than 10,000 people’s lives, which was a quarter of the whole population in that region.
When Laki’s toxic eruption traveled south, it killed around 23,000 people in the Britain region. It also caused a famine in Egypt.
Some environmental historians analyzed and reported that the famine caused in Europe would have caused the French Revolution.