Active volcano

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World map of active volcanoes and plate boundaries
Kīlauea's lava entering the sea
Lava flows at Holuhraun, Iceland, September 2014

An active volcano is a volcano that is currently erupting, or has the potential to erupt in the future.[1] Conventionally it is applied to any that have erupted during the Holocene (the current geologic epoch that began approximately 11,700 years ago). A volcano that is not currently erupting but could erupt in the future is also known as a dormant volcano.[1] Volcanoes that will not erupt again, or is thought to never erupt again, are known as extinct volcanoes.[1]

Overview

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There are 1,350 potentially active volcanoes around the world, 500 of which have erupted in historical time.[2] Many active volcanoes are located along the Pacific Rim, also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.[2][3] An estimated 500 million people live near active volcanoes.[3]

Historical time (or recorded history) is another timeframe for active.[4][5] The span of recorded history differs from region to region. In China and the Mediterranean, it reaches back nearly 3,000 years, but in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada, it reaches back less than 300 years, and in Hawaii and New Zealand it is only around 200 years.[4] The incomplete Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World, published in parts between 1951 and 1975 by the International Association of Volcanology, uses this definition, by which there are more than 500 active volcanoes.[4][6] As of March 2021, the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program recognizes 560 volcanoes with confirmed historical eruptions.[7]

Countries with the most Holocene volcanoes, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program (as of 2023):[8]

  1. United States: 165
  2. Japan: 122
  3. Russia: 117
  4. Indonesia 117
  5. Chile: 91

Countries with the most volcanoes active since 1960 (as of 2023):[9]

  1. Indonesia: 55
  2. Japan: 40
  3. US: 39 (mostly volcanic areas in and around Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington State and Pacific territories)
  4. Russia: 27
  5. Chile: 19
  6. Papua New Guinea: 13
  7. Ecuador: 12

As of 2025, the following are considered Earth's most active volcanoes:[10]

Other highly active volcanoes include:

Holocene volcanoes with large populations within 5 km (3.1 mi):

Michoacan-Guanajuato volcano in Mexico and Tatun Volcanic Group in Taiwan both have more than 5 million people living within 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) of the volcano. Campi Flegrei in Italy and Ilopango in El Salvador both have populations of over 2 million people living within 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) of the volcanoes. Hainan Volcanic Field in China, San Pablo Volcanic Field in the Philippines, Ghegham Volcanic Ridge in Armenia, Dieng Volcanic Complex, in Indonesia, and Auckland Volcanic Field in New Zealand all have over 1 million people living within 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) of each volcano.[12]

By country

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Argentina

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Argentina is part of the Andes Mountains volcanic belt along the western South American Pacific coast. These volcanoes are a result of subduction, where the Nazca Plate is subducting below the South American Plate. The following list are active/dormant volcanoes in Argentina:

Bolivia

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Chile

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The venting lava dome taken in 2008 during Chaitens' eruption.

Colombia

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Costa Rica

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Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Ecuador

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The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

Greece

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El Salvador

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Guatemala

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Source:[13]

Honduras

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Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano
Hekla, stratovolcano in Iceland

Iceland

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Source:[14]

A fissure eruption of the Svartsengi system on March 16, 2024 in Iceland.
View of Mount Kerinci from the Kayu Aro plateau, Kerinci Regency, Jambi, Indonesia
Mount Rinjani on the Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia
Mount Semeru and Bromo Tengger Semeru Park, East Java, Indonesia

Indonesia

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Source:[15][16][circular reference]

Sumatera Island

Sunda Strait and Java

Lesser Sunda Islands

Sumbawa

  • Mount Tambora, a stratovolcano, the 1815 eruption was the largest in recorded history.

Sulawesi and Sangihe Islands

Banda Sea

Halmahera


Aerial image of Stromboli (view from the northeast)
Mount Etna in Italy

Italy

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Source:[17]

Nantai volcano, Tochigi-Nikko, Japan in 2013
Yotei Volcano on Hokkaido in Japan

Japan

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See list of volcanoes in Japan for more information

Hokkaido

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Honshū

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Izu Islands

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Kyūshū

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Ryūkyū Islands

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Colima volcano in Mexico
Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico

Mexico

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Source:[18]

Mayon volcano in the Philippines
Taal volcano, Philippines

Nicaragua

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New Zealand

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Peru

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Philippines

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Further information: List of active volcanoes in the Philippines

Source:[19]

Turkey

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United States

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Kilauea Fissure 8 cone erupting in Hawaii

Arizona

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Colorado

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Hawaii

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Source:[20]

Mount Hood in Oregon
Mount Bachelor, Oregon

Idaho

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Oregon

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Mount St. Helens, Washington
Mount Rainier, Washington

New Mexico

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Washington

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Mount Shasta, California

California

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Wyoming

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Poland, Michael (2022-10-10). "Active, dormant, and extinct: Clarifying confusing classifications | U.S. Geological Survey". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  2. ^ a b "How many active volcanoes are there on Earth? | U.S. Geological Survey". United States Geological Survey. November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. ^ a b "Volcanoes". European Space Agency. 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Decker, Robert Wayne; Decker, Barbara (1991). Mountains of Fire: The Nature of Volcanoes. Cambridge University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-521-31290-5.
  5. ^ Tilling, Robert I. (1997). "Volcano environment". Volcanoes. Denver, Colorado: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved August 16, 2012. There are more than 500 active volcanoes (those that have erupted at least once within recorded history) in the world
  6. ^ DeFelice, B.; Spydell, D.R.; Stoiber, R.E. (14 November 1997). "Catalogs of Active Volcanoes". The Electronic Volcano. Dartmouth College. Archived from the original on 2020-01-19. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  7. ^ Venzke, E., ed. (2013). "How many active volcanoes are there?". Global Volcanism Program Volcanoes of the World (version 4.9.4). Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Which countries have the most volcanoes?". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  9. ^ "Infographic: The Countries With the Most Active Volcanos". Statista Daily Data. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  10. ^ "The most active volcanoes in the world". VolcanoDiscovery.com. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  11. ^ "Where is the largest active volcano in the world? | U.S. Geological Survey". United States Geological Survey. 9 January 1985. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  12. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | What volcanoes have the most people living nearby?". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  13. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Guatemala Volcanoes". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
  14. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Iceland Volcanoes". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  15. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Indonesia Volcanoes". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
  16. ^ List of volcanoes in Indonesia. "List of volcanoes in Indonesia - Wikipedia".
  17. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Italy Volcanoes". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  18. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Mexico Volcanoes". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  19. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Philippines Volcanoes". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  20. ^ "Active Volcanoes of Hawaii | U.S. Geological Survey". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2023-11-14.