5 Things You Didn’t Know About Volcanoes And Why They’re So Cool

10 Cool Volcanoes of the World By Hayo Magazine If you like a bit of adventure, seeing a volcano up close would definitely get your blood pumping. Here are some of the coolest volcanoes from around the world—some of which are still active! Mauna Loa, USA By Hayo Magazine One of the most famous volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa is one of many volcanoes that formed the islands of Hawaii. Mauna Loa is actually taller than Mt. Everest, but is mostly submerged.

Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat By Hayo Magazine Soufrière Hills' eruption in 1995 blacked out the sky for 15 min & led to the abandonment of Montserrat's capital city. Today, tourists are able to view it from a safe distance in nearby towns.

Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand By Hayo Magazine If this volcano seems familiar, it's because you've likely seen it as Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings series. Mt. Ruapehu one of the world's most active volcanoes, with major eruptions every 50 yrs.

Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland By Hayo Magazine This name may seem familiar, as it stopped airspace over Europe for 6 days in 2010 with it's eruption. In 2011, a visitor center opened to provide tourists with information about the volcano.

Stromboli Volcano, Italy By Hayo Magazine Nicknamed 'Lighthouse of the Mediterranean', the Stromboli Volcano is known for its' bright emissions that can be observed by tourists who the trek up the mountain. Eruptions occur about every 15min.

Mount Fuji, Japan By Hayo Magazine Mt. Fuji is another famous volcano; selected by UNESCO as a cultural heritage site, Mt. Fuji is a Japanese national symbol, mostly due to its' symmetrical appearance and snow-capped peak.

Mount Killimanjaro, Tanzania By Hayo Magazine Made famous by Ernest Hemmingway's 'Snows of Killimanjaro', this volcano sits 19 000ft tall & is composed of 3 volcanic cones, 2 of which are extinct. It's one of few snow-capped equatorial mountains.

Yellowstone Caldera, USA By Hayo Magazine Calderas are cauldron-like volcanic features, often formed by collapses of land. Yellowstone National Park sits in this Caledera, & contain many natural features such as waterfalls, lakes & geysers.

Mayon Volcano, Phillipines By Hayo Magazine One of the most active volcanoes in the world, the Mayon Volcano still has frequent eruptions. Its' eruption in 1814 contributed to the Year Without a Summer, due to high amounts of atmospheric ash.

Krakatoa, Indonesia By Hayo Magazine Krakatoa's 1883 eruption is the largest in human history; it was heard over 4800km away, with ash found 800km away. A smaller volcano now sits in the caldera, which erupts lava, growing 20ft per year.

Have you ever wondered what makes a volcano what it is? Read these 5 interesting facts about volcanoes and you’ll see also why they are so cool. You might not want to be nearby one when it erupts, but visiting them when it’s safe or at least looking at some pictures definitely showcases the power of nature.

Fact #1

The biggest volcanic eruption ever recorded was in 1815 on Sumbawa Island, Indonesia. The volcano: Mount Tambora. It ranked a “super-colossal” on the VEI -Volcanic Explosivity Index-, the second-highest rating.

Fact #2

Volcanoes can grow quickly. Some might take thousands of years to develop, but others can appear overnight. For example, the cinder cone volcano Paricutin appeared in a Mexican cornfield on February 20, 1943. Within a week it was 5 stories tall, and by the end of a year it had grown to more than 336 meters tall. It ended its grown in 1952, at a height of 424 meters. By geology standards, that’s pretty quick.

Fact #3

The total amount of volcanoes on earth is unknown. Geologists estimate that around 1,300 volcanoes on land erupted in the last 10,000 years, but if you count in the underwater volcanoes you get an estimate of 6,000 erupting in the last 10,000 years. That’s a pretty big number right there!

Fact #4

More than 80% of the Earth’s surface above and below sea level is composed by volcanic materials.

Fact #5

Volcanoes are dangerous, but super-volcanoes are really dangerous. Some of the most deadly volcanoes include Krakatoa, Vesuvius, Mount Pelee and the mythical Toba, which is thought to have erupted 73,000 years ago and plunged the world into an ice age.

Bonus Track

The most dangerous aspect of volcanoes are the deadly pyroclastic flows that blast down the side of a volcano during an eruption. These contain ash, rock and water moving hundreds of kilometers an hour, and hotter than 1,000 degrees C. You definitely don’t want to be nearby this. Unless you are Frodo.

To learn more about the fascinating world of volcanoes, check Universe Today. Do you have a favorite volcano we didn’t include? Let us know in the comments.