but that was never a complete list. Today we will give you 30 more interesting fact about these deadly weapons of Nature. Volcanoes are synonymous to destruction and death. They will burn and destroy anything and everything that comes their way. Volcanic ash, gases, lava bombs and lava flows are all very destructive on their own but Mother Nature appears to be never satisfied when unleashing these messengers of death. Any eruption of category 6 or beyond on VEI scale will also invite Tsunamis and shockwaves that will amplify the magnitude of destruction. So, let us today learn 30 more interesting facts about volcanoes and find out more about their uniquely hellish qualities.
Volcano Facts: 1-15
1. Anything that humans cannot control or are afraid of has been associated with gods and divinity. Volcanoes
are no different. Ancient cultures had their own versions of volcano gods. Ancient Greeks had Hepaistos – the
god of craftsmanship and fire. Hepaistos of Greeks inspired god Vulcan for the Romans. For Romans Vulcan
was blacksmith of gods. It is being said that Vulcan’s forge was on Vulcano, a volcanic island from which the
volcanoes derived their names.
2. Similar to Vulcan, we have Pele among Hawaiians. Pele is the goddess of volcanoes. According to stories
and legends, Pele once fought with her sister Namakaokahai and this resulted in the creation of volcanoes
and that Pele became the supreme commander of the volcanoes.
3. Native Americans are not far behind and their concept of gods of volcanoes is somewhat similar to that of
Hawaiians. Native American legends say that volcanoes were created by a duel between gods named Skell
and Llao. Interestingly different tribes of Native Americans have their own version of legends.
4. The Aztec Empire gives the most interesting version of volcano gods. They humanized the twin volcanoes
Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. People actually went as far as building statues with human faces and
worshiped those statues. Of these two volcanic mountains, the bigger one is represented by Gregorio – a
person with wavy, blond and long hair.
5. Did you know that volcanoes can appear all of a sudden from the middle of nowhere? Paricutin, the Mexican volcano is a perfect example. Farmers, back in 1943, heard rumbling noises and noticed a long crack on the
ground. They did not really pay attention because it was only shin-deep. Moments later, the crack started
widening with the rumbling noises deepening. They noticed that the earth gradually started rising. Within
hours they noticed ash and sulfur coming out of the ground. Yes, Paricutin was born literally from the middle
of nowhere. After initial phase, the volcano was merely 6 meters tall. 24 hours later it was 165 meters tall and
in 6 days it was 230 meters tall. The lava flow the Paricutin gradually consumed a town named San Juan. The
volcano kept erupting for 9 years and eventually died out but before it died, it had covered 10 sq. mi. of fertile
and cultivable land trapped under lava.
6. The Paricutin volcano is a cinder cone volcano which rose up to the height of 424 meters or 1,391 feet before
it eventually died in 1952. This volcano is a monogenetic volcano. A monogenetic volcano is a type of volcano
that never erupts again once it dies. So, Paricutin will never erupt again.
7. Volcanoes can dramatically impact global climate. A volcanic eruption releases huge amounts ash that gets
trapped in atmosphere and prevents sun rays from reaching the earth. This results in a temperature drop and
the climate cools down. This is a long term effect. In case you are wondering about immediate short term
effects, the acid that is released by volcanic eruptions destroys the ozone layer, letting in harmful UV rays of
sun. Apart from that, these eruptions also release enormous amounts of carbon dioxide which is responsible
for greenhouse effect and immediately increase the temperature. The Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883 led
to a temperature drop of 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit in Northern Hemisphere.
8. Stratovolcanoes or composite volcanoes are usually found in areas where one of the tectonic plates moves
beneath another tectonic plate and produces magma.
9. Shield volcanoes are world’s largest volcanoes. They have gentle and broad slopes which are made of fluid
basalt lavas.
10. World’s largest active volcano is located in Hawaii. Known as Mauna Loa, it rises 4,170 meters or 13,677
feet above the sea level. If measured from deep ocean floor, it measures a total of 8,534 meters or 28,000
feet. The total volume of Mauna Lao is 19,000 cubic miles, which is equivalent to 80,000 cubic kilometers.
11. Indonesia ranks first in terms of number of active volcanoes throughout history. Second position is taken by
Japan while U.S. ranks third in the list.
12. Almost 80% of earth’s surface below or above sea level has volcanic origins.
13. Over last 10,000 years, a total of 1,500 or more volcanoes have erupted.
14. Of all volcanoes present on Earth, majority are located on seafloor. They are mostly located in mid-ocean
ridge. The ridge is actually a chain of volcanoes that ring or encircle our planet Earth.
15. Mount Erebus is world’s southernmost active volcano. Located in Antarctica, Mount Erebus houses world’s
longest-living lava lakes.