Volcanic activity is one of the forces of nature capable of changing the face of the Earth. And even now, these underground forces continue their titanic work. Formed from countless layers of lava of monstrous proportions, the largest volcanoes in the world lurk beneath the surface of the water or hang over nearby cities.
Which of these are considered the largest? Scientists still haven't reached a consensus. Some believe the ranking should be based on elevation above sea level. Others believe the area over which lava flows spread, forming new surface, should be taken into account. Still others believe the human factor is paramount: the danger to human settlements.
Therefore, for our ranking of the largest volcanoes on planet Earth, we selected representatives of all types – the largest in area, the tallest, and the most dangerous active and extinct volcanoes.
10. Etna – height 3,295 meters
Europe's tallest volcano is located on the island of Sicily and is still active. Its most recent eruption began on December 25, 2018. Due to frequent eruptions, its exact height is impossible to determine—it's constantly changing. For example, over the past 30 years, Etna has "lost" more than 20 meters in height. It currently towers over the island at 3,295 meters.
The mountain is renowned for its nasty character—its slopes are riddled with craters, from which lava steadily erupts every two or three months. Approximately once a century, larger eruptions occur, posing a direct threat to human settlements living on the slopes. However, this doesn't stop stubborn people—due to the frequent eruptions, the soil on the mountain slopes is rich in beneficial elements for plants, allowing for abundant harvests.
9. Erebus - 3,794 meters
While other volcanoes are located in populated areas of the world, Mount Erebus is located on the uninhabited continent of Antarctica. It is the largest active volcano in the southern polar region. Despite the lifeless ice fields surrounding it, Mount Erebus is very active. Its geographic location—right above several fault lines in the Earth's crust—makes this possible.
Even though no people live near Erebus, it still negatively impacts their lives. The volcano periodically releases streams of gases contained within the Earth, primarily methane and hydrogen, which deplete the ozone layer. It is believed that the ozone layer is at its thinnest right in the area of the volcano's activity.
8. Klyuchevskaya Sopka – 4,835 meters
Like Etna, Klyuchevskoy Volcano's elevation is constantly changing. Although it has lost about 15 meters since its eruption five years ago, it remains the tallest active volcano in Russia and Asia.
Although Klyuchevskoy volcano lacks in frequency compared to other Kamchatka peaks, it makes up for it in power. For example, the 1938 eruption lasted 13 months and created several craters up to 1,900 meters high. And the 1980 eruption tore off and threw a block of ice at least half a kilometer across into the air over 500 meters.
But the most spectacular and most terrifying eruption was in 1994, when an impressive column of ash more than 12 km high rose above the volcano, and a plume of volcanic ash extended from the site of the emission for many tens of kilometers and disappeared somewhere in the ocean.
7. Orizaba – 5,636 meters
«"The volcano's summit must touch the sky itself," the ancient Incas must have thought, giving it the name Citlaltépetl, or "Star Mountain." It is the highest active volcano in North and Central America, and the third-highest peak in the region. It is visible from afar—many miles from the coast, the cone of Orizaba can be seen from a ship crossing the Gulf of Mexico to the port of Veracruz.
Although the volcano is currently dormant, its calm is deceptive – it was very active from the time the conquistadors arrived in these parts until the 19th century, and in recent years, a station located at its foot has recorded constant internal activity.
6. Elbrus – 5,642 meters
The highest mountain is also the largest volcano in Russia and Europe. Glaciers descending from its snow-covered surface give rise to several significant rivers that feed the plains of the Caucasus region.
Beyond its beauty, the snow-white cone with its twin peaks and a small saddle between them is distinguished by its gentle and peaceful nature. Elbrus has been dormant for a long time, and its last eruption was over 5,000 years ago. Despite its rugged exterior, climbing Elbrus is easy and straightforward—the climbing routes to the summit of this sleeping patriarch are among the most straightforward.
5. Kilimanjaro - 5,885 meters
The magnificent beauty of Kilimanjaro is Africa's calling card, its largest volcano. This sleeping giant actually consists of three volcanic cones, visible from virtually anywhere in neighboring Tanzania and Kenya.
Unlike many of the volcanoes on the list, Kilimanjaro is the most famous volcano in the world, a typical stratovolcano. If asked to draw it, a child would likely draw a conical mountain with ash, burning gases, and highly viscous lava spewing from its summit, quickly hardening, building the cone ever higher. This is a stratovolcano. Kilimanjaro covers 4,800 km³ and is 5,885 m high. The volcano was last active at the dawn of humankind, 360,000 years ago.
4. Ojos del Salado – 6,893 meters
While the second and third-placed volcanoes in the ranking are the world's largest volcanoes measured from the seafloor, Ojos del Salado is the world's tallest volcano located above sea level. It rises 6,893 meters above sea level. This gigantic mountain straddles the border between Argentina and Chile.
Although the volcano's last active eruption occurred before the invention of writing—no records of it survive—Ojos del Salado cannot be considered dormant in the true sense of the word. It seems mysterious, hidden work is taking place within the depths of the enormous mountain, echoes of which reach the surface dwellers in the form of clouds of steam and ash. The last such activity occurred quite recently, in 1993.
3. Mauna Loa – 9,800 meters
Mauna Loa is an underwater volcano whose summit (along with five others) gave rise to the Big Island of Hawaii. Mauna Loa measures 40,000 km³, covers an area of 75,000 m², and rises a whopping 9,800 m (32,500 ft) from the seafloor. It is also the tallest active volcano in the world—its last eruption was just 34 years ago, in 1984. In just the past 170 years, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times, spewing lava.
2. Mauna Kea - 10,058 meters
«Mauna Loa's "sister" rises nearly 4,267 meters above sea level. Doesn't seem like much, right? However, Mauna Kea holds more potential than meets the eye—its base lies deep beneath the ocean at a depth of over 6,000 meters. This makes Mauna Kea the tallest mountain in the world. If it were located entirely on land, it would break the record for the world's tallest volcanoes, surpassing the "land-based" favorite, Ojos del Salado, by almost 3,000 meters.
Mauna Kea's summit has very low humidity and is virtually cloud-free, making it home to one of the world's largest observatories.
Mauna Kea arose above a hot spot—a place where hot, molten magma rises from the Earth's mantle. Over millions of years, this molten rock shaped the surface of the entire Hawaiian archipelago. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano, meaning it has been inactive for over 4,000 years, and the hot spot where magma erupts has shifted. However, inactivity doesn't mean it will remain dormant forever.
1. The largest volcano in the world: Tamu Massif – 4,000 meters
«"What, only 4,000 meters—and the largest volcano in the world?" a reader might protest. True, Tamu's height isn't particularly impressive. But let's take a closer look at it from all angles.
Humanity discovered most of the world's largest natural features long ago, at the dawn of its existence. But Tamu Massif—the largest volcano on planet Earth—managed to hide from humanity for many years.
It's astonishing that humanity knew more about the enormous volcanoes on Mars than about the gigantic mountain right under our noses. This is due to both its remote location (it's located over 1,600 km east of Japan) and its depth. Its summit is 2,000 km below the ocean floor. It was only in 2013 that scientists discovered that the astonishing mountain of lava on the ocean floor is actually a single volcano.
Its volume is approximately 2.5 million km³, and its area is more than 311 km². Fortunately, it has long been dormant – Tamu's last eruption was approximately 144 million years ago.
The most dangerous volcano in the world
The Yellowstone supervolcano is considered the most active and dangerous volcano in the world today. Located in a U.S. national park, it poses a significant threat not only to the state of Wyoming but to the entire planet. It is believed that an eruption of Yellowstone could lead to climate change across the globe.
The disaster would destroy more than 701 TP3T of US territory. Magma and dust would cover the area in a 3-meter layer. The loss of life would amount to more than 10 million people, and the area would become uninhabitable due to high radiation levels.
Visits to the park are currently restricted, with some areas completely off-limits. Scientists are carefully studying the caldera; an eruption could begin in the coming decades.