Volcanoes understand · Volcanoes tourist information
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Volcanoes tourist information
Volcanoes tourist information
Some of the largest volcanoes on earth are not recognisable as such. For example, Yellowstone in the United States, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand are known as super-volcanoes. They are generally in the form of large calderas, which are giant volcanic depressions formed either by large explosive eruptions or quiet long-term drainage of magma, and they often have associated lava flows or domes. Most supervolcanoes are explosive in origin and have undergone unimaginably huge eruptions in the geologic past. However, it is important to note that such volcanoes have erupted violently very infrequently, usually only once every 100,000-800,000 years. Hence, there is no reason to worry that Yellowstone, for example, will explode within your lifetime! Many are so big that, for many years, geologists did not appreciate that these features were volcanoes in their own rights. Compared to these, the currently active volcanoes on earth are relatively quite small!
Although there are literally hundreds of active volcanoes around the world, there are many more that are extinct. One can still appreciate the awesome power of nature from such places without the hazards that go with active volcanoes. A volcano is defined as active if it has erupted within the last 10,000 years (less than a second in geological time!), according to the , the major volcano monitoring organization based in Washington, DC. One that is active but not currently erupting is considered dormant. Any volcano that has not erupted for more than 10,000 years and often, but not always, lacking geothermal heat and activity, may be considered extinct. (But this is problematic when dealing with supervolcanoes because of their long and slow cycles of activity, and not to mention that some supposedly extinct volcanoes can come back to life).
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Volcanoes
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Volcanoes - updated Apr 2024
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Volcanoes Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.