Volcanoes are one of the most powerful natural wonders in existence. Some of the world’s most devastating disasters have been caused by volcano eruptions but at the same time they have also created a large number of volcanic islands which are now lived on by millions of people. A volcano can lie completely dormant for thousands of years or even longer and then erupt once again with little or no prior warning thus making them extremely unpredictable. The exact number of volcanoes in existence is not known either.
Roughly between 50 and 60 volcanoes usually erupt each year and at any one time throughout the year there is normally around 20 erupting. Some volcanoes continue to erupt for years at a time such is the case with Mt Kilauea in Hawaii which has been erupting for some 29 years now. Some volcanoes erupt extremely frequently too.
Some of the most popular holiday locations in the world were caused by volcanoes and more are being created even now which could eventually be inhabited. The Hawaiian Islands are a group of eight islands caused by volcanic activity while the Canary Islands have seven major islands and a further six small islands created by volcanoes. There is currently another eruption occurring off the coast of Canary Island of El Hierro which many believe will eventually form a new island or join with El Hierro.
Earth has some large volcanoes but it comes nowhere near being able to claim the largest in our solar system. For a long time scientists believed that title went to the 13 mile high and 373 mile wide Olympus Mons. There are suggestions now though that Olympus Mons is only part of a larger volcano which actually stretches 4,350 metres in width.
Many lives have been claimed by volcanoes because they are so very unpredictable. Mt. Tambora in Indonesia holds the highest recorded death toll at 92,000 but it is believed mankind was almost wiped out entirely when Tuba erupted and caused a volcanic winter some 75,000 years ago.
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