Volcanoes have been around on earth since the very beginning of earth's long, 4.5 billion year history. When it comes to extremes in nature, there's not much else that compares to the violent eruption of the blood and guts of the earth that is a volcano. With enough destructive force to level mountains, or build new ones, volcanoes are the undisputed champions of the extreme forces of nature.
We present you the six most incredible videos of volcanic eruptions:
6. Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, 2009
This eruption was in 2009 in Hawaii. On this screenshot you can see the explosion, a volcanic cloud with the vortex (looks like a tornado, but it's not) and lightning.
In a volcanic eruption cloud, there are small particles of volcanic material colliding with one another at high speeds, and these collisions can result in separation of charges in the volcanic cloud that result in lightning.
Tornadoes form over dry land, is not a true tornado, but their formation is similar. Basically, the air in the plume is very hot and buoyant. As it rises, it draws more air in from underneath, but because the wind is blowing the plume sideways, the air from below gets pulled in sideways too, forming a vortex.
5. Volcano Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland, 2010
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull are a timeline of volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption continued into May 2010. The eruption was declared officially over in October 2010, when snow on the glacier did not melt.
4. Anak Krakatau Volcano, Indonesia, 2010
Incredible Explosive Eruptions at Anak Krakatau (Krakatoa) Volcano, Indonesia 1st Nov. 2010. Responsible for one of the largest and most destructive eruptions in Indonesia’s history, Krakatau still erupts frequently.
3. Submarine Eruption, Tonga, 2009
On March 16, 2009, a submarine eruption near Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai began spewing steam, smoke, pumice, and ash thousands of feet into the sky above the ocean. By March 21, Tonga's chief geologist, Kelepi Mafi reported, lava and ash from two vents, one on the uninhabited island Hunga Haʻapai and another about 100 metres (330 feet) offshore, had filled the gap between the two vents, creating new land surface that measured hundreds of square metres. The eruption devastated Hunga Haʻapai, covering it in black ash and stripping it of vegetation and fauna. The volcanic eruption drew worldwide attention.
2.Volcano Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland, 2010 (another, better angle)
"Volcano tourism" quickly sprang up in the wake of the eruption, with local tour companies offering day trips to see the volcano. The Civil Protection Department of the Icelandic Police produced regular reports about access to the area, including a map of the Restricted Area around Eyjafjallajokull, from which the public was excluded.
1. Marum Volcano, Vanuatu, 2010
You will never see anyone closer to a volcano than this. Expert team in Vanuatu abseiled 500 vertical metres into the Marum Volcano on Ambrym Island to the very edge of a huge lake of violently boiling lava.
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