Volcanoes are one of the most marvelous natural wonders of the world, and one of the most terrifying. We wanted to see just how scary these lava-filled land masses can get so we put together a list of the seven most terrifying volcano facts we could find.
7 Frightening Volcano Facts:
- The deadliest hazard of a volcanic eruption is Pyroclastic Flows.(source) They are made up of hot volcanic gases and large pieces of debris that can reach temperatures of 600ºC and move at more than 190 mph down the side of a volcano.
- 800 million people live within 100 km of an active volcano, a distance close enough to have lethal consequences. (source)
- More than 450 volcanoes, many of which are active, are located on the “Ring of Fire”. (source) This 24,900-mile-long path along the Pacific Ocean is where 90% of the Earth’s earthquakes occur.
- The sound waves created by a volcano erupting are so loud they can travel hundreds of miles and cause a huge amount of damage. (source) Damage can include breaking glass and causing permanent hearing loss.
- Some volcanoes can grow quickly. (source) Paricutín is a volcano located near Mexico City that quickly erupted and grew out of a cornfield, reaching a height of 50 meters in just 24 hours. It continued to grow for 9 years and reached a height of 424 meters tall.
- Volcanic ash is the most widespread hazard from a volcano erupting and can travel thousands of miles. (source) Volcanic ash can damage crops, contaminate water sources, and is a health risk to those with respiratory issues.
- The deadliest volcanic eruption in history was when Mount Tambora erupted in 1815 and killed 100,000 people in the direct impact. (source)
Let us know your own terrifying facts about volcanoes and maybe we’ll add it to the list!
