Important Volcanoes of the World
Geography is having a greater percentage of questions in the general awareness section of government exams like SSC, Railways, State PSCs, etc. In this section one of the important topics from geography i.e “Important Volcanoes of the World” , we are going to discuss. Many questions has been asked in the previous years from this sect and there is a greater possibility of coming of questions from this section in the upcoming exams.
Volcanoes: An Introduction
- Volcanoes are openings in the earth’s crust that allow molten rock, gas, and debris to come out to the surface. The gases present in volcanoes are sulfur compounds, nitrogen compounds, and traces of argon, hydrogen, and chlorine.
- The phenomenon of molten lava coming out from the interior of the earth is called volcanism.
- Vents are fissures in the earth’s surface caused by eruptions of lava, pyroclastic gases, and volcanic gases. Thermal convection combined with the gravitational effects of changes in the Earth’s surface cause lava movement within the Earth’s mantle. Volcanoes exist on the rims between the tectonic plates, the massive bedrocks that form the Earth’s surface. 90% of the volcanoes are present within the Ring of Fire at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Factors responsible for Volcanism:
1. Plate Tectonics
2. Ocean floor spreading
3. Weak Earth Surface
4. Faults
5. Magma crystallization
6. A decrease in external pressure
Types of Volcanoes:
Volcanoes are classified according to the type of eruption and the shape of the surface.
1. Shield volcano
- These volcanoes are the largest of all non-steep volcanoes on Earth.
- The main constituent of these types of volcanoes is basalt
- It explodes if water somehow gets into the vents, but is otherwise characterized by low explosiveness.
- The upwardly moving lava does so in the form of a fountain, exiting the cone at the top of the vent and developing into a cinder cone.
- Example: Hawaii’s shield volcanoes
2. Compound volcano
- Compound volcanoes are characterized by lava eruptions that are cooler and more viscous than basalt.
- They consist of numerous explosive eruptions.
- A large amount of pyroclastic material and volcanic ash falls on the ground along with lava. This material collects near vents and causes stratification.
- The Mayon volcano in the Philippines, Mount Fuji in Japan, and Mount Rainier in Washington are the largest compound volcanoes in the world. The largest complex volcanic chain is the Pacific Rim, known as the “Fire Rim”.
3. Caldera
- Calderas are known to be the most explosive volcanoes on Earth.
- They are generally explosive.
- When erupted, they tend to collapse on their own rather than building structures.
- Collapsed depressions are known as calderas.
4. Flood Basalt State
- Flood Basalt Province’s volcanoes spew highly flowing lava that flows over long distances.
- Many parts of the world are covered by thick basaltic lava flows.
5. Mid-oceanic ridge volcanoes
- These volcanoes are located in oceanic regions.
- There is a system of mid-ocean ridges that stretch for 70000 km across the ocean basin.
- The central part of this ridge is a frequently torn lava dome. Such volcanoes are called lava domes when the erupted lava is too thick to flow, and the lava piles up near the crater to form steep-sided hills.
- They are formed by slow eruptions of highly viscous lava.
- Sometimes they also form in craters from previous volcanic eruptions.
Important Volcanoes of the World:
Name of the Volcano |
Location |
Mauna Loa | Hawaii |
Piton des Neiges | Reunion, France |
Ojos del Salado | Argentina-Chile |
Llullaillaco | Argentina-Chile |
Nevado Sajama | Bolivia |
Chimborazo | Ecuador |
Cotopaxi | Ecuador |
Kilimanjaro | Tanzania |
Cayambe | Ecuador |
Mount Elbrus | Russia |
Pico de Orizaba | Mexico |
Mount Damavand | Iran |
Popocatépetl | Mexico |
Iztaccihuatl | Mexico |
Mount Kenya | Kenya |
Mount Ararat | Turkey/Armenia |
Mount Kazbek | Georgia |
Mount Bona | Alaska |
Klyuchevskaya Sopka | Russia |
Mount Karisimbi | Rwanda/Democratic Republic of Congo |
Mount Rainier | Washington, United States |
Mount Giluwe | Papua New Guinea |
Volcán Tajumulco | Guatemala |
Mauna Kea | Hawaii, United States |
Mount Sidley | Antarctica |
Mount Cameroon | Cameroon |
Mount Aragats | Armenia |
Mount Kerinci | Sumatra, Indonesia |
Mount Fuji | Honshū, Japan |
Mount Rinjani | Lombok, Indonesia |
Mount Teide | Canary Islands, Spain |
Semeru | Java, Indonesia |
Emi Koussi | Chad |
Mount Etna | Sicily, Italy |
Haleakalā Maui | Hawaii |
Mount Agung | Bali, Indonesia |
Pico Basilé | Equatorial Guinea |
Mount Zuqualla | Oromia Region, Ethiopia |
Mount Apo | Mindanao, Philippines |
Mount Shishaldin | Unimak Island, Alaska |
Mount Ruapehu | North Island, New Zealand |
Mawson Peak | Heard Island, Australia |
Pali-Aike volcanic field | Azores, Portugal |
Mount Pico | Argentina–Chile |
Beerenberg Jan Mayen | Norway |
Taal Volcano | Batangas, Philippines |
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