Hundreds of active volcanoes are scattered across the Earth, but only a small number are currently experiencing a violent eruption event. Although it is difficult to predict when a volcano might erupt, geologists constantly monitor volcanoes that are in the process of erupting.
There are approximately 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, about 170 of which are located on U.S. territory, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports. The majority of these are located in the “Ring of Fire” region around the Pacific Rim, where the collision of tectonic plates leads to intense seismic activity.
The vast majority of these active volcanoes are not currently erupting. But the erupting minority is detailed in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, a joint project between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the USGS’s Volcano Hazards Program.
The latest report, published on November 14, 2023, shows that 19 volcanoes are actively erupting almost every day. Below is a list of these volcanoes:
- Reykjanes, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland
- Aira, Kyushu, Japan
- Dukono, Halmahera, Indonesia
- Ebeko, Paramushir Island, Russia
- Etna, Sicily
- Fuego, Guatemala
- Great Sitkin (Great Sitkin), Andreanof Islands, USA
- Lewotolok, Lembata Island, Indonesia
- Mayon, Luzon, Philippines
- Merapi, Central Java
- Popocatepetl, Mexico
- Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica
- Santa María, Southwestern Guatemala
- Semeru East Java
- Sheveluch, Central Kamchatka, Russia
- Shishaldin, Fox Islands, USA
- Suwanosejima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan
- Taal, Luzon, Philippines
- Villarrica, Central Chile
Of course, these constitute only a small part of the world’s volcanic eruptions. A further 46 volcanoes are considered to be in “ongoing eruption,” generally defined as eruption events occurring at least once every three months:
- Ulawun, Papua New Guinea
- Shishaldin, USA
- Ubinas, Peru
- Klyuchevskoy, Russia
- Mayon, Philippines
- Kikai, Japan
- Etna, Italy
- Nishinoshima, Japan
- Ebeko, Russia
- Kavachi, Solomon Islands
- Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica
- Krakatau, Indonesia
- Big Sitkin, USA
- Merapi, Indonesia
- Lewotolok, Indonesia
- Shanghai, Ecuador
- Tinakula, Solomon Islands
- Karangetang, Indonesia
- Nyamulagira, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Semeru, Indonesia
- Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania
- Aira, Japan
- Bezymianny, Russia
- Sabancaya, Peru
- Langila, Papua New Guinea
- Masaya, Nicaragua
- Tofua, Tonga
- Villarrica, Chile
- Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia
- Saunders, South Sandwich Islands (UK)
- Manam, Papua New Guinea
- Heard, Australia
- Reventador, Ecuador
- Ibu, Indonesia
- Popocatepetl, Mexico
- Suwanosejima, Japan
- Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Fuego, Guatemala
- Bagana, Papua New Guinea
- Sheveluch, Russia
- Erebus, Antarctica
- Erta Ale, Ethiopia
- Stromboli, Italy
- Dukono, Indonesia
- Santa María, Guatemala
- Yasur, Vanuatu
Some of them have been in this explosive state for decades, even centuries. Stromboli in Italy, for example, has been erupting almost continuously for the last 2000 years, although it has been in an official eruption state since February 1934. Likewise, Mount Yasur in Vanuatu has been erupting since the 13th century AD.
Of course, the majority of these explosions do not pose a danger to the human population. But examples such as the Reykjanes volcano in Iceland can also occur from time to time. As it is known, the country has been waiting for this volcano to erupt violently for some time and the surrounding settlements have been evacuated.
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