13 "explosive" moments of volcanoes around the world.

Since 1841, when the first volcanic observatory – the Vesuvius Observatory – was established in the Kingdom of Two Sicily, modern volcanology has made many new discoveries. Active volcanoes are found all over the world, both on land and far offshore, and they can erupt unexpectedly on any given day. Remarkably, these eruptions, reaching temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius, have contributed to shaping the Earth's surface, forming new craters, and the cooled lava flows have created countless rocky landscapes...

Each eruption draws nutrients from deep within the earth and pushes them to the surface, forming fertile soil to nourish life. But these "shuddering" eruptions also serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of life, and that nature is so powerful that its destructive force can obliterate entire landscapes with a single volcanic eruption.

No two volcanoes are exactly alike, and each eruption is a unique and spectacular display. Thanks to modern equipment and technology, we have recorded countless lava flows and volcanic disasters. Below are 13 impressive moments of nature's explosive eruptions from around the planet.

The Sinabung volcano in western Indonesia had been dormant for about 400 years before erupting violently in August 2010. Since then, powerful eruptions – like the one pictured here in April 2015 – have been seen by scientists as a defiant statement of Sinabung's location right on the Pacific Ring of Fire. This tectonic plate region surrounding the Pacific Ocean is home to about 75% of the world's active volcanoes.

Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano is a unique, continuously active volcano, erupting every few years. It was formed from a crater left behind by the Krakatoa explosion – one of the worst natural disasters in history. Anak Krakatau also caused a catastrophe in the middle of a six-month eruption in 2018, when its volcanic flank collapsed, creating a tsunami in the Sunda Strait.

Also located in Indonesia, the Kawah Ijen crater has a stunning "light show" thanks to the large amount of sulfur released during eruptions. The sulfur seeps through cracks in the volcano, encounters extremely high temperatures, ignites upon contact with air, and bursts into a mysterious blue flame.

Mount Etna in Italy is part of Europe's largest active volcano, frequently drawing attention for its spectacular eruptions: from molten rock flying into the air to ring-shaped trails of ash. This image was captured in December 2018, when Mount Etna erupted again. It is one of the earliest documented volcanoes on Earth, with records of its frequent eruptions dating back to 1500 BC. Mount Etna is also slowly sliding into the Ionian Sea, raising concerns that large chunks of rock could break off during eruptions and create massive tsunamis on the Mediterranean coast.

The Bárðarbunga volcano in Iceland is a dangerous area: its central crater is buried under ice, but lava-filled volcanic tubes rise to the surface as a network of fissures. These fissures, extending from deep within the earth, can erupt with massive chunks of molten rock, contributing to the largest known lava flow on Earth in the last 11,000 years.

In 2018, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano brought an end to more than three decades of nearly continuous eruptions with a fiery eruption. It spewed enough lava to fill at least 320,000 standard Olympic swimming pools, creating a fiery river that engulfed everything in its path, including the Leilani Estates residential area pictured.

The image shows a stream of bright red lava flowing down the slopes of Mount Sinabung in Karo, North Utara, in 2018. Although these eruptions are dangerous, the nutrient-rich soil and rocks from the summit have created a vast area of ​​fertile land, attracting many people to settle in the region.

Volcanoes not only create blazing lava flows and countless spectacular "hail showers," but also produce unusual lightning strikes. This is the result of the frictional buildup of colliding particles within the swirling volcanic cloud. When friction accumulates to a certain level, the dust cloud discharges electricity, creating a lightning strike, as shown in this 2016 photograph of the Sakurajima volcano in Japan.

For a long time, a lake of molten lava had formed in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater of the Kilauea volcano. When the volcano erupted in 2018, the lava lake began to dry up, until the lava completely disappeared. About a year later, something special suddenly appeared in its place: a small pond. Scientists believe the pond may have formed from groundwater seeping up from beneath the surface.

One of the world's most active volcanoes is Piton de la Fournaise – also known as the "peak of the furnace" – located on the French island of Réunion. Since the 17th century, more than 150 eruptions have rocked the volcano and the surrounding area. Pictured is an eruption of Piton de la Fournaise, taken in September 2016.

On June 22, 2019, the Raikokoe volcano erupted, creating a towering column of gas and ash in the North Pacific sky. The eruption was so massive that astronauts detected it from the International Space Station and captured images of the spreading cloud. Particles from the eruption spread into the stratosphere, causing light scattering that gives sunsets and sunrises a purple hue.

Besides the countless volcanoes scattered across the land, many others are hidden beneath the ocean. A photographer captured this volcano off the coast of Tonga while it was erupting in March 2009. It is one of 36 underwater volcanoes recorded in the region.

In the photo, pigeons take flight as Indonesia's Merapi volcano dies down on June 4, 2018. This volcano is known for producing pyroclastic flows – fast-moving avalanches of hot rock, gas, and ash. Because it is located near the densely populated city of Yogyakarta, eruptions of Merapi have had a serious impact on the local population.

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