How many active volcanoes are there on Earth?
There are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belt of volcanoes on the ocean floor. About 500 of these have erupted in historical time. Many of these are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the 'Ring of Fire.' In the United States, volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska (Aleutian volcanic chain) are part of the Ring, while Hawaiian volcanoes form over a 'hot spot' near the center of the Ring.
There are 169 potentially active volcanoes in the United States.
Good sources for information about volcanoes outside the United States include Oregon State University's Volcano World and the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program.
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Which volcanoes in the conterminous United States have erupted since the Nation was founded?
Excluding steam eruptions, these volcanoes have shown activity:
- Mount St. Helens, Washington - Eruptions and/or lava dome growth occurred in the late 1700s, 1800-1857, 1980-1986, and 2004-2007.
Where does the United States rank in the number of volcanoes?
The United States ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes (that is, those for which we have written accounts of eruptions). In addition, about 10 percent of the more than 1,500 volcanoes that have erupted in the past 10,000 years are located in the United States.
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What is the "Ring of Fire"?
Most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do not strike randomly but occur in specific areas, such as along plate boundaries. One such area is the circum-Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding plates. The Ring of Fire is the most
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How much of the Earth is volcanic?
More than 80 percent of the Earth's surface -- above and below sea level -- is of volcanic origin. Gaseous emissions from volcanic vents over hundreds of millions of years formed the Earth's earliest oceans and atmosphere, which supplied the ingredients vital to evolve and sustain life. Over geologic eons, countless
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What are some benefits of volcanic eruptions?
- Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind.
- Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilizations.
- The internal
Can an eruption at one volcano trigger an eruption at another nearby volcano (for example, within about 10 km)?
There are a few historic examples of simultaneous eruptions from volcanoes or vents located within about 10 km of each other, but it's very difficult to determine whether one eruption caused the other. To the extent that these erupting volcanoes or vents have common or overlapping magma reservoirs and hydrothermal systems,
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Do volcanoes affect weather?
Yes, volcanoes can affect weather and the Earth's climate. Following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, cooler than normal temperatures were recorded worldwide and brilliant sunsets and sunrises were attributed to this eruption that sent fine
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The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program—Helping to save lives worldwide for more than 30 years
What do you do when a sleeping volcano roars back to life? For more than three decades, countries around the world have called upon the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) to contribute expertise and equipment in times of crisis. Co-funded by the USGS and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office...
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U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program—Assess, forecast, prepare, engage
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The California Volcano Observatory: Monitoring the state's restless volcanoes
Volcanic eruptions happen in the State of California about as frequently as the largest earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault Zone. At least 10 eruptions have taken place in California in the past 1,000 years—most recently at Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park (1914 to 1917) in the northern part of the State—and future...
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Viewing an erupting volcano is a memorable experience, one that has inspired fear, superstition, worship, curiosity, and fascination since before the dawn of civilization. In modern times, volcanic phenomena have attracted intense scientific interest, because they provide the key to understanding processes that have created and shaped more than 80...
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Our Earth is a dynamic planet, as clearly illustrated on the main map by its topography, over 1500 volcanoes, 44,000 earthquakes, and 170 impact craters. These features largely reflect the movements of Earth's major tectonic plates and many smaller plates or fragments of plates (including microplates). Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are awe-...
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Volcanic eruptions occur int he State about as frequently as the large San Andreas Fault Zone earthquakes. California's "watch list" volcanoes are dispersed throughout the State and future eruptions are inevitable—the likelihood of renewed volcanism is on the order of one in a few hundred to one in a few thousand annually.
With Margaret Mangan, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS CalVO
Public Lecture on Yellowstone Volcano by Jake Lowenstern at Menlo Park, CA on January 23, 2014. The Q&A at the end of the talk can be found on the original source video (Source URL).
The United States has 169 active volcanoes. More than half of them could erupt explosively, sending ash up to 20,000 or 30,000 feet where commercial air traffic flies. USGS scientists are working to improve our understanding of volcano hazards to help protect communities and reduce the risks.
Video Sections:
- Volcanoes: Monitoring Volcanoes
- Volcanoes: National Volcano Early Warning System
- Volcanoes: Science for Public Safety
To increase to increase public awareness during Native American Indian National Heritage Month, we will be discussing the anthropology of indigenous peoples in the Aleutian Islands and how continued scientific research can help future forecasting of mega-earthquake and transoceanic tsunami probabilities.
USGS Scientist-in-Charge of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Jake Lowenstern, answers
the following questions to explain volcanic features at Yellowstone: "How do we know Yellowstone is a
volcano?", "What is a Supervolcano?", "What is a Caldera?","Why are there geysers at Yellowstone?",
and "What are the other geologic hazards in Yellowstone?"
View Parts 1, 2, and 3 of this video.
The volcanoes from closest to farthest are Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson. This picture is taken from Middle Sister looking north in the Cascade Range, Three Sisters Wilderness Area, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon.