Active volcano


An active volcano is a volcano that is currently erupting, or has the potential to erupt in the future. Conventionally it is applied to any that have erupted during the Holocene. A volcano that is not currently erupting but could erupt in the future is also known as a dormant volcano. Volcanoes that will not erupt again, or are thought to never erupt again, are known as extinct volcanoes.

Overview

There are 1,650 potentially active volcanoes around the world, 500 of which have erupted in historical time. Many active volcanoes are located along the Pacific Rim, also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. An estimated 500 million people live near active volcanoes.
Historical time is another timeframe for active. 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. 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., the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program recognizes 560 volcanoes with confirmed historical eruptions.
Countries with the most Holocene volcanoes, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program :
  1. United States: 165
  2. Japan: 122
  3. Russia: 117
  4. Indonesia 117
  5. Chile: 91
Countries with the most volcanoes active since 1960 :
  1. Indonesia: 55
  2. Japan: 40
  3. US: 39
  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:
Other highly active volcanoes include:
Holocene volcanoes with large populations within :
Michoacan-Guanajuato volcano in Mexico and Tatun Volcanic Group in Taiwan both have more than 5 million people living within of the volcano. Campi Flegrei in Italy and Ilopango in El Salvador both have populations of over 2 million people living within 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 of each volcano.

By country

Argentina

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:
  • Aracar, a Stratovolcano
  • Arizaro volcanic field, a volcanic field
  • Cerro Bayo, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Blanco, a caldera
  • Cerro de los Chenques, a volcanic field
  • Cerro El Cóndor, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Escorial, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Torta, a lava dome
  • Cerro Tuzgle, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Volcánico, a stratovolcano
  • Copahue, a stratovolcano
  • Corrida de Cori, a stratovolcano
  • Cueros de Purulla, a lava dome
  • Falso Azufre, a stratovolcano
  • Huanquihue Group, a group of stratovolcanoes
  • Infiernillo, a volcanic field
  • Lanín, a stratovolcano
  • Lastarria, a stratovolcano
  • Llullaillaco, a stratovolcano
  • Los Gemelos-El Saladillo, a volcano field
  • Maipo. a stratovolcano
  • Negro de Chorrillos, a volcano field
  • Pali-Aike volcanic field, a volcano field
  • Pasto Ventura, a volcano field
  • Payún Matrú, a shield volcano
  • Peinado, a stratovolcano
  • Planchón-Peteroa, a stratovolcano
  • Puesto Cortaderas, a maar volcano
  • San Jerónimo volcano, a volcano field
  • Socompa, a stratovolcano
  • Tipas, a stratovolcano
  • Tromen, a stratovolcano
  • Viedma, a stratovolcano

    Bolivia

  • Cerro Chascon-Runtu Jarita complex, a lava dome
  • Irruputuncu, a stratovolcano
  • Jayu Quta, a maar volcano
  • Jorcada, a stratovolcano
  • Michincha, a stratovolcano
  • Nuevo Mundo volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Olca, a stratovolcano
  • Pampa Luxsar, a volcano field
  • Parinacota, a stratovolcano
  • Paruma, a stratovolcano
  • Patilla Pata, a stratovolcano
  • Pumiri, a stratovolcano
  • Nevado Sajama, a stratovolcano
  • Tata Sabaya, a stratovolcano
  • Tocorpuri, a stratovolcano
  • Uturuncu, a startovolcano

    Chile

  • Acotango, a stratovolcano
  • Aguilera, a stratovolcano
  • Purico complex, a complex volcano
  • Antillanca Group, a volcano field
  • Antuco, a stratovolcano
  • Apacheta-Aguilucho volcanic complex, a volcano field
  • Arintica, a stratovolcano
  • Aucanquilcha, a stratovolcano
  • Monte Burney, a stratovolcano
  • Caburgua-Huelemolle, a stratovolcano
  • Calabozos, a caldera
  • Calbuco, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Arenales, a stratovolcano
  • Callaqui, a stratovolcano
  • Carrán-Los Venados, a maar volcano
  • Cerro Ascotan, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Azul, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro del Azufre, a stratovolcano
  • Toconce, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Tujle, a volcano field
  • Chaitén, a stratovolcano
  • Colachi, a stratovolcano
  • Corcovado Volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Cordón de Puntas Negras, a stratovolcano
  • Cordón del Azufre, a stratovolcano
  • Descabezado Grande, a stratovolcano
  • Falso Azufre, a stratovolcano
  • Fueguino, a volcano field
  • Guayaques, a rhyolite lava dome
  • Hornopirén, a stratovolcano
  • Huequi, a stratovolcano
  • Isluga, a stratovolcano
  • Laguna del Maule, a volcano field
  • Lanín, a stratovolcano
  • Lascar, a stratovolcano
  • Licancabur, a stratovolcano
  • Nevado de Longaví, a stratovolcano
  • Lonquimay, a stratovolcano
  • Llaima, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Macá, a stratovolcano
  • Melimoyu, a stratovolcano
  • Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, a stratovolcano
  • Mentolat, a caldera
  • Michinmahuida, a stratovolcano
  • Mocho-Choshuenco, a stratovolcano
  • Hudson Volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Nevados de Chillán, a group of stratovolcanoes
  • Ojos del Salado, a complex volcano
  • Olca-Paruma, a volcanic complex
  • Osorno, a stratovolcano
  • Pali-Aike volcanic field. a volcano field
  • Palomo, a stratovolcano
  • Parinacota, a stratovolcano
  • Puntiagudo-Cordón Cenizos, a stratovolcano
  • Purico complex, a volcano field
  • Volcán Putana, a stratovolcano
  • Puyuhuapi, a volcano field
  • Quetrupillán, a stratovolcano
  • Reclus, a stratovolcano
  • Resago, a cinder cone
  • Sairecabur, a stratovolcano
  • San José, a stratovolcano
  • San Pedro, a stratovolcano
  • San Pedro de Tatara, a stratovolcano
  • Sierra Nevada, a stratovolcano
  • Socompa, a stratovolcano
  • Sollipulli, a caldera
  • Taapaca, a stratovolcano
  • Tinguiririca Volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Tolhuaca, a stratovolcano
  • Tupungatito, a stratovolcano
  • Villarrica, a stratovolcano
  • Guallatiri, a stratovolcano
  • Yanteles, a stratovolcano
  • Yate, a stratovolcano

    Colombia

  • Azufral, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Bravo, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Machín, a stratovolcano
  • Cerro Negro de Mayasquer, a stratovolcano
  • Cumbal Volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Doña Juana, a stratovolcano
  • Galeras, a stratovolcano
  • Nevado del Huila, a stratovolcano
  • Nevado del Tolima, a stratovolcano
  • Nevado del Ruiz, a stratovolcano
  • Petacas, a lava dome
  • Puracé, a stratovolcano
  • Romeral, a stratovolcano
  • Nevado de Santa Isabel, a shield volcano
  • Sotará, a stratovolcano

    Costa Rica

  • Rincón de la Vieja, a stratovolcano
  • Arenal, a stratovolcano
  • Poás, a stratovolcano
  • Irazu, a stratovolcano
  • Turrialba, a stratovolcano

    Ecuador

  • Antisana, a stratovolcano
  • Atacazo, a stratovolcano
  • Cayambe, a complex volcano
  • Chacana, a caldera
  • Chiles, a stratovolcano
  • Chimborazo, a stratovolcano
  • Corazón, a stratovolcano
  • Cotacachi Volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Cotopaxi, a stratovolcano
  • Cuicocha, a caldera
  • Mojanda, a stratovolcano
  • Aliso, a stratovolcano
  • Pichincha, a stratovolcano
  • Pilavo, a shield volcano
  • Pululahua, a stratovolcano
  • Quilotoa, a caldera
  • Reventador, a stratovolcano
  • Sangay, a stratovolcano
  • Sincholagua Volcano, a stratovolcano
  • Soche, a stratovolcano
  • Sumaco, a stratovolcano
  • Licto volcanic field, a volcano field
  • Tungurahua, a stratovolcano
  • Yanaurcu, a lava dome
The Galapagos Islands
  • La Cumbre. a shield volcano
  • Volcán Wolf, a shield volcano
  • Sierra Negra, a shield volcano
  • Cerro Azul, a shield volcano
  • Alcedo Volcano, a shiled volcano
  • Marchena Island, a shield volcano
  • Pinta Island, a shield volcano
  • Santiago Island, a shield volcano
  • Volcán Darwin, a shield volcano
  • Volcán Ecuador, a shield volcano

    Greece

  • Santorini caldera, a caldera
  • Milos, a stratovolcano
  • Methana, a lava dome
  • Nisyros, a caldera
  • Sousaki volcano, a stratovolcano