One of the most violent but beautiful reminders that we live on a geologically restless planet are volcanic eruptions. Around 550 volcanoes have erupted at least once in historic times, and around 50 or 60 are active each year. On any given day, as many as 10 volcanoes may be spewing ash or lava somewhere on Earth.


Some volcanoes, such as Mount Etna in Italy, erupt almost constantly for years on end. Others, like Mount St. Helens, erupt rarely and sometimes extremely destructively. Like Etna and Mount St. Helens, many of the most dangerous and explosive erupters are stratovolcanoes, which are made of layers of ash and lava from previous eruptions. They tend to be steep-sided cone-shaped volcanoes and often rise strikingly above the surrounding landscape.


Many of the stunning images of eruptions captured from space are of violent stratovolcanoes, such as the one above of Kliuchevskoi, the most active volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. The image above was taken by astronauts on the space shuttle Endeavour in 1994, as an eruption was just getting underway. The ash plume reached as high as 50,000 feet.

Augustine Volcano is a 4,100-foot-tall, 7-mile-wide stratovolcano. This eruption was captured by NASA’s Terra satellite in 2006. Augustine’s dome collapsed in 1883, during its largest historical eruption. It has been erupting for at least 40,000 years. The island’s jagged edges were created by massive avalanches.

Augustine lies in the Cook Inlet at the eastern end of the Aleutian trench which marks the northernmost portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Volcanic activity here is caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the North American plate. As the wet ocean crust descends into the molten mantle below, superheated water is squeezed out and rises up to melt the bottom of the continental crust, creating magma that drives the volcanic eruptions.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station caught a lucky glimpse of the start of this eruption of Sarychev Volcano in the Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan, on June 12, 2009. This was the volcano’s first eruption in 30 years.

The smooth white cloud, known as a pileus cloud, topping the eruption column may be made of water condensation caused by rising and cooling of the air above. In contrast, a dark gray cloud of ash near the ground is probably an avalanche of hot ash and rock known as a pyroclastic flow.

This photo sparked a debate among scientists about what caused the hole in the clouds above the eruption. Three possible options came up:
It could have nothing to do with the eruption and simply be caused by the contrast in temperatures between the ocean and the island.
A shockwave from the eruption could have blown a hole in the cloud deck.
As the plume rose, air flowed downward along the sides and became warmer and evaporated the clouds.

Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano erupted five times in one night this year after almost three decades of relative quiet. It continued erupting on and off for weeks afterward. This image was taken by the commercial satellite GeoEye-1 on March 30 when the ash reached heights of 27,000 feet. The volcano’s alert level is still “advisory,” and the aviation color code is yellow.

Redoubt is a 10,200-foot tall stratovolcano 100 miles southwest of Anchorage in the Aleutian Range, west of the Cook Inlet.

Mount Etna is the second tallest volcano in Europe, at almost 11,000 feet. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is erupting nearly continuously. It is no surprise that there are many great photos of this volcano erupting, including this one captured by astronauts on the International Space Station in 2002. The lighter colored plumes of smoke on the slope of the volcano in this picture are from forest fires ignited by lava.

Etna is a stratovolcano located on the island of Sicily. It is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world and. at 500,000 years old, it may also be the oldest-known active volcano.

A NASA astronaut spotted this eruption of Cleveland Volcano from the International Space Station in 2006. The volcano is 5,700 feet high and claimed the only known eruption-related death in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands in 1944. Its symmetrical, cone shape is typical of stratovolcanoes.

Popocatépetl, which means “smoking mountain” in the Aztec language, is a very active volcano just 44 miles outside Mexico City. The second highest peak in Mexico at 17,800 feet, this glacier-covered stratovolcano has erupted at least 20 times in the last 500 years and has caused multiple evacuations of the city. This eruption in 2001 was caught by astronauts on the International Space Station, near the end of a seven-year period of frequent activity. The plume reached heights of around 30,000 feet.

This eruption of Chaitén caldera in Chile was photographed from the International Space Station in May 2008. Volcanism along the west coast of South America is the result of subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.

Chaitén was last active more than 9,000 years ago. The violent 2008 eruption inundated the small coastal town of Chaitén with ash, pyroclastic flows and volcanic mudflows called lahars. The caldera is relatively small at less than two miles wide, and sits on the flank of the larger Michinmahuida volcano.

This image of the Sierra Negra volcano in the Galapagos Islands was taken by NASA’s Terra satellite in 2006. Sierra Negra is a shield volcano, which are made mostly of previous lava flows and tend to be broad and gently sloping. The Galapagos are part of an island chain formed by a hot spot where a plume of hot mantle rises up and melts the base of the ocean crust. As the Pacific plate moves over the relatively stationary hot spot, volcanoes are formed. The Hawaiian Islands were formed — and continue forming — the same way.

NASA’s Terra satellite snapped this image of Shiveluch volcano erupting on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula at the edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire in 2004. A lava dome had been growing in the volcano’s crater, followed by intermittent eruptions that lasted weeks. Shiveluch is a 10,400-foot-high stratovolcano that is at least 60,000 years old and has been erupting fairly often for the past 10 years. Its dome has collapsed multiple times, most recently in 1964, causing avalanches of debris into the crater.

1 Queenie of the mushrooms 

Mike Rotolo and Queenie showed off the large sponge mushrooms he found in September 1961. The one beneath his dog weighed 26 pounds.

2 On behalf of hot dogs

Chicago's Marion Todd, left, and Marge Kraus were ambassadors during National Hot Dog Month in July 1957 and toured the nation to promote the beloved frankfurter. Here, they posed with a plate of 60 hot dogs, which at the time represented what the average American ate in a year. Their lovely hats were accented with a band of hot dogs smothered with mustard.

3 Won't hurt a bit

Julia Baines sacrificed vanity in February 1938 to promote regular visits to the dentist by demonstrating the "Analgesia Aerator" for painless dentistry.

4 Iron outerwear

Sophia Jacewicz showed off an iron lung designed for people on the go in May 1942 at St. Anthony Hospital.

5 Sheep dog with field glasses

With hair already blocking some of his sight, "Joker" got a little help viewing ships moving near the Lake Michigan shoreline at Calvary Beach in Evanston in July 1959. The English sheep dog belonged to the Marshall family, Terry, 7, Shelia, 14, and their father, William.

6 Running on empty

While America lived under gas-rationing laws to help the war effort in December 1942, some didn't mind the sacrifice. The original caption for this photograph printed in the Chicago Herald-American read: "Out of gas, and out of breath, too, we bet, is this proud holder of an A card."

7 Cigarette shortage
Cigarettes were hard to come by during World War II when Congress mandated that every soldier, sailor and marine receive them as part of their rations. So more Americans, like this Chicago woman in 1939, accepted the sacrifice by turning to pipes.

8 Oiling her gun

A Chicago police woman oiling her gun in 1926. Women were first employed by the Chicago Police Department in the 1880s to care for women in jail. Later, they officially became officers to handle cases with women and children.

9 Alimony row

Inmates on "Alimony Row" at the Cook County Jail posed for a photographer with their stockings in December 1937, in hopes of an early Christmas gift from the judge.

10 Making a splash

Donna McCullogh and Harry Price (left), with Bev Stone and Ralph Steele, performed in the Wilson Junior College "Aquabatics" Show in May 1948.

11 Swede leap

A Swedish gymnastics team practiced their routine before a crowd in Grant Park to practice for the Swedish Pioneer Centennial Festival in June 1948.

12 Aldermen take on measure

As bathing suits got smaller and smaller, Chicago aldermen in 1929 studied the issue and gave approval to suits that reached within one foot of the knee.

13 Introducing the sniper bike

Chicago police officers Frank Folsom (left) and Robert Williams rehearse an act on a 15-gun "sniper bike" for the Police and Fire Thrill Show in July 1941.

14 Elephant mascot

Kippy, a standard poodle, posed with Kae, a standard young elephant, in temporary quarters at Navy Pier in February 1962. Kae and five other young elephants were part of the Medinah Shrine Circus and Kippy was the traveling elephant mascot.

15 Living history

A re-enactment of the first Thanksgiving played out on State Street in November 1938. Did not report whether the turkey would make a return engagement.

16 On Boxer!

A noble boxer maintains some dignity while adorned with foil antlers to look like a reindeer in December 1963. Cheryl Ann Sella, 2, and My-R's Wizard were among those attending a Christmas party for the Mid West Boxer Club.

17 Poll cat

Minnie II, Engine Company 14's mascot in 1938, showed she could scurry down a poll just as fast as her firefighting friends.

18 Parking was a bear

Parking enforcement would have had a bear of time trying to ticket Carrol, a 700-pound Alaskan black bear, who was illegally parked while waiting to model Bear brand Hosiery during a photo shoot on West Monroe in February 1969. Carrol was to appear with a nude model for the shoot.

19 Decorated ham

Linda Badent, 13, admired a decorated ham during a Christmas party for hotel chefs at the Congress Hotel in December 1950. The wings of the butterfly on top of the ham were made from lobster tails.

20 Dough boys

Carbs were not a concern in June 1930 when these boys participated in a bread-eating contest during a military show at Soldier Field. Cheering on the "dough boys" was Lance Cpl. Charles Houk.

21 Best bellies

Chicago has had its share of champions over the years and Bill Rosenbergh (from left), Tom Curley and Jim Dowling were the toast of the town as beer belly champions at a competition in October 1975.

22 On the ball

The Harris, Upham & Co. women's bowling team looked tournament tough in January 1962, prior to the start of league play at Bowling Lanes on Broadway. Bea Altman (from left), Dorothy Mistari, Hope Anderson, team captain Grace Reschke and Jane Christensen were champs the previous season.

23 Hair pins

Mary Hubert showed off the new "bowling coiffure" in November 1939 at a convention of the Chicago and Illinois Hairdressers Association. The style is designed to keep the hair out of the face of the serious bowler.

24 Slobber puss

Terrel Jacobs was in danger of being slobbered on by a lion as they practiced their routine in April 1942, prior to a performance of the Olympia Circus at Chicago Stadium.

25 Clothes make the man

For a fashion shoot in April 1972, this man modeled "spirited put-togethers." For under $50, the discriminating man could purchase a print shirt with rounded collar points and a yellow cotton sweater with brown "underwear" stitching that could be cinched with a brown suede belt from France.

26 Pajamas and pillow fights

Telling fortunes and pillow fights were two of the amusements at "newcomers' parties" at the University of Chicago dorms one night in September 1940. Pictured are Rosemary McCarthy (from left), Ruth Pollack and Shirley Smith.

27 On the menu

Jill Riccardo, second from left, showed off a mountain lion she killed on a hunt in Utah in 1946. Riccardo planned to "serve him in a roast to special guests" at a restaurant on Rush Street in November 1946.

28 Roller derby's Toughie

Marjorie Clare Brasuhn was roller derby's most recognized celebrity known to fans as Toughie. Brasuhn played for teams in New York and New Jersey during the 1940s and '50s.

29 Comiskey Park promotion

White Sox players take the field wearing sombreros for "Salute to Mexico" Day at Comiskey in June 1976

30 Scars to prove it

Sam De Stefano was often playful with the press and police whenever he was arrested or appeared in court. Here, he shows off a scar after his arrest for illegal voting in April 1964. Though cavalier and colorful in public, mob observers dubbed him the " Marquis de Sade of the syndicate" for the violence he brought to his work.