There are around 1,500 active volcanoes in the world. They’re found throughout the world, mainly around the “Ring of Fire” that spans the Pacific Ocean.
When volcanoes erupt, they can spew hot gases, ash, lava and rock that can cause massive damage to lives and property. It’s why scientists have been working to better monitor these giants.
1. Mount Erebus
There are three types of volcanoes: active, dormant and extinct. An active volcano has erupted in the past and is likely to erupt again.
Dormant volcanoes haven’t erupted for a long time but may erupt at some point in the future.
There are more than 1,350 potentially active volcanoes on Earth. Many of them are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the Ring of Fire.
2. Mauna Loa
A volcano is a feature in the Earth’s crust where molten rock pushes out onto the surface. This releases lava, gasses, ash and rocks.
Mauna Loa is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where hot magma rises from deep within the Earth. The movement of the Pacific Plate over this hotspot causes volcanoes to erupt.
3. Veniaminof
Geologists classify volcanoes into three different groups: dormant, extinct and active. Dormant volcanoes haven’t erupted in a long time, but they could potentially do so again; extinct volcanoes haven’t erupted for thousands of years and probably won’t erupt again in the near future.
Mount Veniaminof is an 8,225-foot stratovolcano located about 25 miles southwest of Chignik Lake on the Alaska Peninsula. It consists of an intracaldera cone inside a 10-km summit caldera and is one of the most active volcanoes on the Pacific Coast.
4. Kamchatka
The volcano-rich peninsula of Kamchatka is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is home to hundreds of conical volcanoes, crater lakes and natural hot springs.
The region’s diverse landscape is also home to a wide range of wildlife including salmonoid fish, sea otter and Stellar’s sea eagle. These animals have turned the harsh volcanic environment into a valuable resource.
5. Vanuatu
Vanuatu is a South Pacific island nation that offers plenty to see and do. It has a rich and diverse Melanesian culture and features a variety of stunning beaches, lush rainforests and thriving coral sanctuaries.
The country is also home to a number of active volcanoes, including Mount Yasur on the island of Tanna. It was spotted by Captain Cook in 1774 and is still erupting today.
6. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is located in the South Pacific and contains several active volcanoes. It has a tropical climate and a monsoon season.
The country is home to hundreds of unusual creatures that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. It is also a paradise for scuba divers.
Papua New Guinea is one of the world’s most diverse nations, with dozens of different ethnic groups. There are hundreds of fascinating customs and traditions to explore.
7. Soufriere Hills
Soufriere Hills is a complex stratovolcano with alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash and rocks ejected by previous eruptions. Aside from a seventeenth century eruption, the volcano was relatively quiet during historical times.
Since 1995, Soufriere Hills has gone through a sequence of dome building followed by collapse and pyroclastic flows. It also has significant explosions sending columns of ash over 12 km into the atmosphere.
8. Mount St. Helens
About 160 volcanoes erupted in historical time. Most of these are located along the Pacific Rim in what is called the Ring of Fire.
Mount St. Helens is one of these, and it’s been erupting for many years. It’s known as a stratovolcano and is considered to be more dangerous than shield volcanoes.
9. Toba
Toba, on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It is a caldera created by a supervolcanic explosion 74,000 years ago.
The eruption produced a large volume of ash, and it may have caused a global volcanic winter lasting for 10 years. This could have decimated populations of early humans in the Southern Hemisphere.
10. Mount Agung
Located on the Indonesian island of Bali, Mount Agung is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. It’s also a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful temples and photogenic rice terraces.
The last major eruption occurred in 1963, which killed more than 1,000 people. But recent tremors have made some local residents fear that another eruption could happen soon.