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World's Most Deadly Volcanoes (PHOTOS)

World's Most Deadly Volcanoes (PHOTOS)
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Senior Culture Reporter, HuffPost

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Local scientists' concerns that Indonesia's Mount Merapi was gearing up for its most powerful eruption in years were all but confirmed when the volcano began spewing hot ash on Tuesday, less than a day after a tsunami left scores of villagers dead or missing.

Hence, 2010 has certainly been a particularly notable year for global seismic activity. In spring, Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull left thousands of European travelers stranded -- in some cases, for over a week -- when its eruption upset trans-Atlantic flights for what was reportedly the longest period since World War II. And few can forget the powerful 1980 eruption of Washington state's Mount St. Helens, while the legendary blast of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. is considered a benchmark of Italian history.

Check out some of the world's most dangerous volcanoes below:

World's Most Dangerous Volcanoes
Merapi, Indonesia(01 of12)
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Scientists fear that Merapi's 2010 eruption could be the start of one of the mountain's most powerful blasts in years. (credit:AP )
Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland (02 of12)
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Though relatively small for volcanic eruptions, Eyjafjallajökul's 2010 blast caused enormous disruption to European air travel over of six-day period. (credit:Getty )
Mount St. Helens, U.S.(03 of12)
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Mount St. Helens is most famous for its catastrophic 1980 eruption, which was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. (credit:Getty )
Galeras, Colombia(04 of12)
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Colombia's most active volcano killed nine people, including six scientists who had descended into the volcano's crater to sample gases, during a 1993 eruption. (credit:Getty )
Mount Etna, Italy (05 of12)
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Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, most recently spewing ash in late August. (credit:Getty )
Popocatepetl, Mexico (06 of12)
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In December 2000, tens of thousands of people living near Popocatepetl were evacuated by the government based on the warnings of scientists. (credit:Getty )
Nyiragongo, Congo (07 of12)
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When the volcano erupted in 2002, it was the most destructive effusive eruption in modern history, leaving 45 people dead and another 120,000 homeless. (credit:Getty )
Chaitén, Chile(08 of12)
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The Chaitén volcano entered a new eruptive phase for the first time in about 9,500 years in May 2008. (credit:Getty )
Taal, Philippines(09 of12)
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Although Taal has been quiet since 1977, It has shown signs of unrest since 1991, with strong seismic activity and ground fracturing events. (credit:Getty )
Mauna Loa, U.S. (10 of12)
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The largest volcano on Earth in terms of volume and area covered, Hawaii's Mauna Loa most recently erupted in 1984. (credit:Wikicommons )
Sakurajima, Japan(11 of12)
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Sakurajima erupted most recently in 2009, sending debris up to 2 kilometers away. (credit:AP )
Mount Vesuvius, Italy(12 of12)
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Best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the city of Pompeii, Vesuvius could pose danger to some 2 million people living in the vicinity if it erupted today. (credit:AP )

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