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The Pacific Ring of Fire
Tectonic plates of the world
The Ring of Fire is an area in the
where a large number of
occur. In a 40,000 km (25,000 mi) horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of , , and
and/or plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 75% of the world's active and . The Ring of Fire is sometimes called the circum-Pacific belt.
About 90% of the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. The next most seismically active region (5–6% of earthquakes and 17% of the world's largest earthquakes) is the , which extends from
to the northern
and southern Europe.
All but 3 of the world's 25 largest volcanic eruptions of the last 11,700 years occurred at volcanoes in the Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire is a direct result of
and the movement and collisions of
plates. The eastern section of the ring is the result of the
beneath the westward moving . The
is being subducted beneath the , in . A portion of the
along with the small
are being subducted beneath the . Along the northern portion, the northwestward-moving Pacific plate is being subducted beneath the
arc. Farther west, the Pacific plate is being subducted along the
arcs on south past . The southern portion is more complex, with a number of smaller tectonic plates in collision with the Pacific plate from the , the , , , this portion excludes , since it lies in the center of its tectonic plate.
lies between the Ring of Fire along the northeastern islands adjacent to and including
and the Alpide belt along the south and west from Sumatra, Java, , , and . The famous and very active
which offsets a portion of the
under southwestern
and . The motion of the fault generates numerous small earthquakes, at multiple times a day, most of which are too small to be felt. The active
on the west coast of the , , , has generated three large
during the 20th century: a
7 event in 1929; a magnitude 8.1 in 1949 (Canada's largest recorded earthquake); and a magnitude 7.4 in 1970.
For more details on this topic, see .
Main article:
The country of
hosts numerous active and extinct
across its territory. The active volcanoes are located in western Bolivia where they make up the , the western limit of the
plateau. Many of the active volcanoes are international mountains shared with . All
volcanoes of Bolivia are part of the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ) of the
that results due to processes involved in the
under the . The Central Volcanic Zone is a major upper
volcanic province. Apart from Andean volcanoes, the
host the remants of ancient volcanoes around the
Guaporé Shield in the eastern part of the country.
's 2008 eruption
Main article:
The volcanos in Chile are monitored by the
(SERNAGEOMIN)
Earthquake activity in Chile is related to
to the east. Chile notably holds the record for the
ever recorded, the . , one of 's most active volcanoes, rises above
and the town of . It is the westernmost of three large
that trend perpendicular to the Andean chain. A 6-km wide
formed during the late , &0.9 million years ago.
A 2-km-wide postglacial caldera is located at the base of the presently active, dominantly basaltic-to-andesitic cone at the NW margin of the Pleistocene caldera. About 25 scoria cones dot Villarica's flanks.
have been produced during the Holocene from this dominantly basaltic volcano, but historical eruptions have consisted of largely mild-to-moderate explosive activity with occasional lava effusion.
from the glacier-covered volcanoes have damaged towns on its flanks.
The Llaima Volcano is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in . It is situated 82 km northeast of
and 663 km southeast of , within the borders of . Llaima’s activity has been documented since the 17th century, and consists of several separate episodes of moderate explosive eruptions with occasional lava flows. The last major eruption occurred in 1994.
Lascar erupting in 2006
Chile has experienced numerous volcanic eruptions from 60 volcanoes, including
Volcano and the . More recently, a , the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano
and a . The mainshock was preceded by a number of moderate to large shocks and was followed by a large number of moderate to very large aftershocks, including a M7.6 event on 2 April.
is a stratovolcano, is the most active volcano of the northern Chilean Andes. The largest eruption of Lascar took place about 26,500 years ago, and following the eruption of the Tumbres
flow about 9,000 years ago, activity shifted back to the eastern edifice, where three overlapping craters were formed. Frequent small-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded from Lascar in historical time since the mid-19th century, along with periodic larger eruptions that produced ash and
fall up to hundreds of kilometres away from the volcano. The largest eruption of Lascar in recent history took place in 1993, producing
as far as 8.5 km (5 mi) northwest of the summit and ash fall in , Argentina, more than 1,600 km (994 mi) to the southeast. The latest series of eruptions began on 18 April 2006 and were continuing as of 2011.
is a stratovolcano located in the
of , immediately north of .
lies to the north of the volcano and has been dormant for at least 10,000 years, is now showing signs of life. A January 6, 2002, nighttime thermal infrared image from
revealed a hot spot in the summit crater as well as several others along the upper flanks of the volcano’s edifice, indicating new volcanic activity. Examination of an earlier nighttime thermal infrared image from May 24, 2000, showed no such hot spots.
is a stratovolcano in southern Chile, located southeast of
and northwest of , in the . The volcano and the surrounding area are protected within . It is a very explosive
that underwent edifice collapse in the late , producing a volcanic
that reached the lake. At least 9 eruptions since 1837, with the latest one in 1972. One of the largest historical eruptions in southern Chile took place there in . Violent eruptions ejected 30-cm bombs to distances of 8 km from the crater, accompanied by voluminous hot . Strong explosions occurred in April 1917, and a
formed in the crater accompanied by hot lahars. Another short explosive eruption in January 1929 also included an apparent
flow. The last major eruption of Calbuco, in 1961, sent ash columns 12–15 km high and produced plumes that dispersed mainly to the SE and two lava flows were also emitted. There was a minor, 4-hour eruption on August 26, 1972. Strong fumarolic emission from the main crater was observed on August 12, 1996.
is a stratovolcano of late-Pleistocene to dominantly Holocene age, with the shape of a truncated cone. The cone is largely , though
rocks are present. It is located in the
of , immediately SE of
are their neighbors to the south. The snow-capped volcano lies within the protected area . The volcano last erupted in 1988, the eruption ending in 1990. The
was 3. The eruption was from a flank vent and involved lava flows and explosive eruptions. There were fatalities.
is a stratovolcano located in the
of Chile, near
and on the shore of
with the last eruption in 1869.
is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the
of the same name. The volcano is also known as Rucapillán, a
word meaning "House of the ". It is the westernmost of three large
that trend perpendicular to the
chain along the . Villarrica, along with
and the Chilean portion of , are protected within . Ascents of the volcano are popular with several guided ascents reaching the top during summer.
Villarrica, with its
of - composition, is one of only five volcanoes worldwide known to have an active
within its . The volcano usually generates , with ejection of
and lava flows. Melting of snow and
as well as rainfalls often cause massive
(mud and debris flows), such as during the eruptions of 1964 and 1971.
Main article:
The 1999 eruption of
The Geophysics Institute at the
houses an international team of
whose responsibility is to monitor
numerous active
in the Andean Volcanic Belt and the Galapagos Islands. There are many
who study the eruptive activity for the volcanos in the country and observe , especially
whose volcanic activity restarted on August 19, 1999, and is ongoing as of 2013, with several major eruptions since that period, the last starting on 1 February 2014. Tungurahua's eruptions are . They produce
and . All historical eruptions originated from the summit crater and have been accompanied by strong explosions, pyroclastic flows and sometimes lava flows. In the last 1,300 years Tungurahua entered every 80 to 100 years into an activity phase of which the major have been the ones of
and . In November 2014, the Geophysics Institute installed new geophysical instruments, including a new seismic and infrasound station was placed in the sector Chilma, a repeater and prospect a site for a new station between La Carolina and Lita. They also held meetings with the local authorities of the province of Carchi, and also conducted socialization map of potential volcanic hazards and training lectures for future lookouts were offered.
Tungurahua spews hot lava and ash at night (1999).
in the , located about 50 km (31 mi) south of , , . It is the second highest summit in the country, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Some consider it the world's highest active volcano, while others give this status to the considerably higher , which most recently erupted in 1877 and is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes. Since 1738, Cotopaxi has erupted more than 50 times, resulting in the creation of numerous valleys formed by
(mudflows) around the volcano.
In October 1999, Pichincha Volcano erupted in Quito and covered the city with several inches of . Prior to that, the last major eruptions were in 1553 and in 1660, when about 30 cm of ash fell on the city.
At 5230 meters,
Volcano) is an
in central Ecuador and is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and one of Ecuador's most active ones, erupting three times in recorded history. It exhib the most recent eruption, which started in 1934, is still ongoing. Geologically, Sangay marks the southern bound of the , and its position straddling two major pieces of
accounts for its high level of activity. Sangay's approximately 500,000 year old history i two previous versions of the mountain were destroyed in massive flank collapses, evidence of which still litters its surroundings today. Sangay is one of two active volcanoes located within the namesake , the other being Tungurahua to the north. As such it has been listed as a
since 1983.
is an active stratovolcano which lies in the eastern Andes of Ecuador. Since 1541 it has erupted over 25 times with most recent eruption in 2009, but the largest historical eruption occurred in 2002. During that eruption the plume from the volcano reached a height of 17 km and
went up to 7 km from the cone. On March 30, 2007, the mountain spewed ash again. The ash reached a height of about two miles (3 km, 11,000 ft).
Photographed by
Earth Observatory 13227 on October 22, 2005, the Black Mountain Volcano on Isabela Island, in the Galapagos.
are an isolated set of volcanoes, consisting of shield volcanoes and , located 1,200 km (746 mi) west of Ecuador. They are driven by the , and are between approximately 4.2 million and 700,000 years of age. The largest island, , consists of six coalesced shield volcanoes, each delineated by a large summit caldera. , the oldest island, and , the youngest, are also shield volcanoes, as are most of the other islands in the chain. The Galápagos Islands are perched on a large lava plateau known as the Galápagos Platform. This platform creates a shallow water depth of 360 to 900 m (1,181 to 2,953 ft) at the base of the islands, which stretch over a 174 mi (280 km)-long diameter. Since 's
to the islands in 1835, there have been over 60 recorded eruptions in the islands, from six different shield volcanoes. Of the 21 emergent volcanoes, 13 are considered active.
on the south western part of
and is one of the most active in the Galapagos, with the last eruption between May and June 2008. The Galápagos islands are geologically young for such a big chain, and the pattern of their
follows one of two trends, one north-northwest, and one east-west. The composition of the lavas of the Galápagos shields are strikingly similar to those of the Hawaiian volcanoes. Curiously, they do not form the same volcanic "line" associated with most hotspots. They are not
in the North Pacific is another example of such a delineated chain. In addition, there is no clear pattern of age between the volcanoes, suggesting a complicated, irregular pattern of creation. How exactly the islands were formed remains a geological mystery, although several theories have been fronted.
is a large
at the South eastern end of
that rises to an altitude of 1124m. It coalesces with the volcanoes
to the west and
to the north. The volcano is one of the most active in the Galapagos, with the last eruption starting on 22 October 2005 and lasting until 30 October 2005.
is one of the six coalescing
that make up
in the . The remote location of the volcano has meant that even the most recent eruption in 1993 was not recorded until two years later. Alcedo, like the other volcanoes in the Galapagos, has been formed as part of the
which is a
resulting in a . The volcano is not directly on the hotspot, which is believed to be under the neighbouring island of Fernandina to the west. However, it is still active with the last eruption in 1993. Due to the remoteness of Alcedo historical eruptions are not well recorded. There was an eruption between 1946 and 1960, as determined from variation in photographs. Another eruption in 1954 is now believed to have taken place on neighbouring Sierra Negra. Even the 1993 eruption was not observed at the time and only recorded after an expedition discovered new craters in 1995
Fernandina Island (formerly known in English as Narborough Island, after ) is the third largest, and youngest, island of the . Like the others, the island was formed by the Galápagos hotspot. The island is an active shield volcano that has been erupting since April 11, 2009. The southern flank of the volcano
had a fissure eruption that generated flows, which subsided within hours. Isla Fernandina supports wildlife that could be threatened by the April 2009 burst of volcanic activity, according to rangers at Galapagos National Park. However, no human settlements were endangered, as the island has no human residents. Park rangers and a passing tourist boat initially observed the volcano at 10:00 p.m. local time on April 10, 2009. A sparse human population in the western reaches of the Galapagos Islands means that volcanic activity is not always observed or reported as soon as it starts. The seismic station at , on the nearby island of , recorded no
associated with this .
, viewed from the , July 2002
Fernandina Island during the April 2009 eruption as seen from space.
can also be seen to the east (right).
Main article:
Volcanoes in Peru are monitored by the Peruvian Geophysical Institute.
is an active 5,976-metre (19,606 ft)
of southern , about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of . It is the most active volcano in Peru with an ongoing eruption that started in August 2014 and is currently ongoing.
is another active volcano 5,672-metre (18,609 ft) in southern Peru with an ongoing eruption. Until 2006, this
had not erupted for about 40 years. On April 23, 2006, Peru declared a
in towns near the volcano. On April 28, 2014, Despite a recent decline in earthquakes, Ubinas Volcano erupted an ash plume on April 28, 2014.
Main article:
The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica at the , in Spanish Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) have a dedicated team that is incharge of researching and monitoring the volcanoes, earthquakes and other tectonic processes in the . In 1984, the OVSICORI-A initiates the operation of a seismographic network designed to monitor seismic and volcanic activity throughout the national territory. Currently the seismographic network has a registration system analog and one digital. The latter enables online analysis of seismic signals, allowing to expedite the analysis of signals and their study using modern computerized methods.
A powerful M7.6 earthquake shook Costa Rica and a wide swath of Central America at 8:42 a.m. (10:42 a.m. EDT; 1442 GMT) on 09/05/2012.
is an active 2,708-metre (8,885 ft) stratovolcano hat is located in central
and has erupted 39 times since 1828. The event was captured from a webcam from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) captured the moment a dark cloud exploded about 1,000 feet in the air from a massive crater of the Poás Volcano. On February 25, 2014, A webcam from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) captured the moment a dark cloud exploded about 1,000 feet in the air from a massive crater of the Poás Volcano.
Main article:
In 1902, the
erupted violently in , with the largest explosions occurring over two days, ejecting an estimated 5.5 cubic kilometres (1.3 cu mi) of magma. The eruption was one of the largest of the 20th century, only slightly less in magnitude to that of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The eruption had a
of 6. The last eruption of the Santiaguito volcano was in 2003.
Santiaguito Volcano, 2003 eruption in Guatemala
Main article:
Volcanoes of Mexico are related to
plates to the east, subduction which has produced large . Most active volcanoes in Mexico occur in the , which extends 900 kilometres (559 mi) from west to east across central-southern Mexico. A few other active volcanoes in northern Mexico are related to
of the , which splits the Baja California peninsula from the mainland. , lying in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, is the second highest peak in Mexico after the . It is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico, having had more than 20 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The 1982 eruption of , which killed about 2,000 people who lived near the volcano, created a 1 kilometre (1 mi) wide
that filled with an
. Prior to 2000, this relatively unknown volcano was heavily forested and of no greater height than adjacent non-volcanic peaks.
Main article:
Area of the , including the
(red triangles)
and the (NEIC) are part of the
(USGS) are located on the campus of the
in . Both monitor volcanos in the
and are responsible for monitoring the volcanos in the United States. In the western
lies the . It includes nearly 20 major volcanoes, among a total of over 4,000 separate volcanic vents including numerous , , , and , along with a few isolated examples of rarer volcanic forms such as . Volcanism in the arc began about 37 million years ago, however, most of the present-day Cascade volcanoes are less than 2,000,000 years old, and the highest peaks are less than 100,000 years old. The arc formed by the
plates at the . This is a 680 mi (1,090 km) long , running 50 mi (80 km) off the west-coast of the
to , . The plates move at a relative rate of over 0.4 inches (10 mm) per year at a somewhat oblique angle to the .
Because of the very large fault area, the Cascadia subduction zone can produce very large earthquakes, magnitude 9.0 or greater, if rupture occurred over its whole area. When the "locked" zone stores energy for an earthquake, the "transition" zone, although somewhat plastic, can rupture. Thermal and deformation studies indicate that the locked zone is fully locked for 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) down-dip from the deformation front. Further down-dip, there is a transition from fully locked to .
volcano eruptions in the last 4000 years
Unlike most subduction zones worldwide, there is no
present along the
in . Instead,
have been uplifted to form a series of coast ranges and exotic mountains. A high rate of sedimentation from the outflow of the three major rivers (, , and ) which cross the Cascade Range contributes to further obscuring the presence of a trench. However, in common with most other subduction zones, the outer margin is slowly being compressed, similar to a giant . When the stored energy is suddenly released by slippage across the fault at irregular intervals, the Cascadia subduction zone can create very large
such as the
9 . Geological evidence indicates that great earthquakes may have occurred at least seven times in the last 3,500 years, suggesting a return time of 400 to 600 years. There is also evidence of accompanying tsunamis with every earthquake, as the prime reason they know of these earthquakes is through "scars" the tsunami left on the coast, and through
records (tsunami waves can travel across the Pacific).
was the most significant to occur in the contiguous 48
in recorded history ( = 5, 0.3 cu mi, 1.2 km3 of material erupted), exceeding the destructive power and volume of material released by the 1915 eruption of 's . The eruption was preceded by a two-month series of
and -venting episodes caused by an injection of
at shallow depth below the mountain that created a huge bulge and a fracture system on ' north slope. An earthquake at 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980, caused the entire weakened north face to slide away, suddenly exposing the partly molten, gas- and -rich
in the volcano to lower pressure. The rock responded by exploding into a very hot mix of pulverized
and older rock that sped toward
so fast that it quickly passed the avalanching north face.
is known for its seismic and volcanic activity, holding the record for the second
in the world, the , and having more than 50 volcanoes which have erupted since about 1760. Volcanoes can be found not only in the mainland but also in the .
The most recent activity in the American portion of the Ring of Fire occurred in early 2009 when
in Alaska became active and finally erupted late in the evening of March 22. The eruption ended in May 2009.
Map of young volcanoes in
The Public Safety Geoscience Program at the
undertakes research to support risk reduction from the effects of space weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.
are home to a vast region of volcanoes and volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Several mountains that many British Columbians look at every day are . Most of them erupted during the
and . Although none of Canada's volcanoes are currently erupting, several volcanoes,
and volcanic centers are considered potentially active. There are
at some volcanoes, while 10 volcanoes in British Columbia appear related to seismic activity since 1975, including: the , , , , , , , , ,
and . The volcanoes are grouped into five
with different tectonic settings.
(sometimes known as the Stikine Volcanic Belt) is the most active volcanic region in Canada. It formed due to extensional cracking,
of the North American Plate, as the Pacific Plate grinds and slides past the , unlike subduction that produces the volcanoes in Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. The region has 's largest volcanoes, much larger than the minor
found in the Canadian portion of the . Several eruptions are known to have occurred within the last 400 years.
is a huge volcanic complex that erupted several times in the past several thousand years and has formed several
and . The complex comprises the , a large
(65 kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide) made of predominantly basaltic lava flows with four large
built on top of the plateau. The associated
were constructed over the past 7.5 million years during five magmatic cycles beginning with eruption of
and ending with
and basaltic eruptions as late as 1,340 years ago. The blocky lava flows still maintain their original forms.
in northwestern British Columbia, which has had several periods of . The oldest eruptions occurred about 100,000 years ago and the most recent about 7000 years ago. Hoodoo Mountain is also considered
and could erupt in the future. The nearby
produced some of Canada's youngest lava flows, that are about 150 years old.
in northwestern British Columbia
Canada's worst known geophysical disaster came from the
during the 18th century at the southernmost end of the . The eruption produced a 22.5 km long lava flow, destroying the
and the death of at least 2000 Nisga'a people by
and poisonous smoke. The
valley was inundated by the lava flows and contains abundant tree molds and . The event happened at the same time with the arrival of the first
explorers to penetrate the uncharted coastal waters of northern . Today, the basaltic lava deposits are a draw to tourists and are part of the .
in southwestern British Columbia is the northern extension of the
(which includes
and ) and contains the most explosive young volcanoes in Canada. It formed as a result of
(a remnant of the much larger ) under the
along the . The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt includes the , , , , , , the Squamish Volcanic Field and much more smaller volcanoes. The eruption styles in the belt range from
to , with compositions from
to . Morphologically, centers include , ,
and small isolated
masses. Due to repeated continental and alpine glaciations, many of the volcanic deposits in the belt reflect complex interactions between
composition, topography, and changing ice configurations. The most recent major catastrophic eruption in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt was the . It was similar to the , sending an
approximately 20 km high into the .
volcanic complex as seen from the east near Pemberton, BC. Summits left to right are , Mount Meager, and
is a north-south range of
in southern
running parallel to the . The majority of the eruptions in this belt happened either 6–10 million years ago () or 2–3 million years ago (), although there have been some slightly more recent eruptions (in the ). It is thought to have formed as a result of
behind the . Volcanoes in this belt include , the , ,
and many lava flows.
is a line of volcanoes stretching from just north of
to near , , . These volcanoes were formed 8 to 1 million years ago, and the
last erupted only 7,200 years ago. The volcanoes generally get younger as one moves from the coast to the interior. These volcanoes are thought to have formed as a result of the
sliding westward over a small , called the . The hotspot is considered similar to the one feeding the . The belt is defined by three large
and the ) and 37
Eruptions of
volcanoes and
rocks of the
in northern
are probably linked with the subducted margin flanked by the
plates at the . It appears to have been active during the
time. However, no
eruptions are known, and volcanic activity in the belt has likely ceased.
Main article:
, an active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
is one of the most various and active volcanic areas in the world, with an area of 472,300 km?. It lies between the
to the east and the
to the west. Immediately offshore along the Pacific coast of the peninsula runs the 10,500 meter deep . This is where rapid
fuels the intense volcanism. Almost all types of volcanic activity are present, from
to Hawaiian-style fissure eruptions.
There are over 30 active volcanoes and hundreds of
volcanoes in two major . The most recent activity takes place in the eastern belt, starting in the north at the
volcanic complex, which lies at the junction of the
and Kamchatka . Just to the south is the famous
volcanic group, comprising the twin
and , the huge volcanic complexes of
and , and a number of other large stratovolcanoes. The only active volcano in the central belt is found west of here, the huge remote . Farther south, the eastern belt continues to the southern slope of Kamchatka, topped by loads of , continuing onto the , and southwards into .
Main article:
Approximately ten percent of the world's active
are found in Japan, which lies in a zone of extreme crustal instability. They are formed by
and the . As many as 1,500
are recorded yearly, and magnitudes of four to six on the
are not uncommon. Minor tremors occur almost daily in one part of the country or another, causing some slight shaking of buildings. Major earthquake the most famous in the twentieth century were: the
of 1923, in which 130,000 and the
of 17 January 1995, in which 6,434 people died. On March 11, 2011 , the country's biggest ever and the fifth largest on record, according to US Geological Survey data. Undersea earthquakes also expose the Japanese coastline to danger from .
at sunrise from
, one of Japan's most noted volcanoes, rises above the north shore of . Mount Bandai is formed of several overlapping , the largest of which is O-Bandai forming a . O-Bandai volcano was constructed within a horseshoe-shaped
that formed about 40,000 years when an earlier volcano collapsed, forming the , which traveled to the southwest and was accompanied by a . Four major
have occurred during the past 5,000 years, two of them in historical time, in 806 and 1888. Seen from the south, Bandai presents a conical profile, but much of the north side of the volcano is missing as a result of the collapse of Ko-Bandai volcano during the 1888 eruption, in which a debris avalanche buried several villages and formed several large lakes.
Nearly a century ago, the north flank of Mount Bandai collapsed during an eruption quite similar to the May 18, . After a week of seismic activity, a large earthquake on July 15, 1888, was followed by a tremendous noise and a large explosion. Eyewitnesses heard about 15 to 20 additional explosions and observed that the last one was projected almost horizontally to the north.
is Japan's highest and most noted volcano. The modern postglacial stratovolcano is constructed above a group of overlapping volcanoes, remnants of which form irregularities on Fuji's profile. Growth of the younger Mount Fuji began with a period of voluminous lava flows from 11,000 to 8,000 years ago, accounting for four-fifths of the volume of the younger Mount Fuji. Minor
dominated activity from 8,000 to 4,500 years ago, with another period of major
flows occurring from 4,500 to 3,000 years ago. Subsequently, intermittent major explosive eruptions occurred, with subordinate lava flows and small . Summit eruptions dominated from 3,000 to 2,000 years ago, after which flank vents were active. The extensive
lava flows from the summit and some of the more than 100 flank cones and vents blocked drainages against the
on the north side of the volcano, forming the . The last eruption of this dominantly basaltic volcano in 1707 ejected
and formed a large new
on the east flank.
are saying that there may be some minor volcanic activity in the next few years.
Main article:
Map showing major volcanoes of the .
The 1991 eruption of
is the world's second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century. Successful predictions of the onset of the climactic eruption led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from the surrounding areas, saving many lives, but as the surrounding areas were severely damaged by , ash deposits, and later,
caused by rainwater remobilising earlier volcanic deposits, thousands of houses were destroyed.
overlooks a pastoral scene approximately five months before the volcano's violent eruption in September 1984.
is the Philippines' most active volcano. The volcano has steep upper slopes that average 35–40 degrees and is capped by a small summit . The historical eruptions of this - volcano dates back to 1616 and ranges from
to basaltic . Eruptions occur predominately from the central conduit and have also produced lava flows that travel far down the flanks.
have commonly swept down many of the approximately 40 ravines that radiate from the summit and have often devastated populated lowland areas.
has had 33 recorded eruptions since 1572. A devastating eruption occurred in 1911, which claimed more than a thousand lives. The deposits of that eruption consist of a yellowish, fairly decomposed (non-juvenile) tephra with a high sulfur content. The most recent period of activity lasted from 1965 to 1977, and was characterized by the interaction of magma with the lake water, which produced violent
and . Although the volcano has been dormant since 1977, it has shown signs of unrest since 1991, with strong seismic activity and ground fracturing events, as well as the formation of small mud geysers on parts of the island.
is the most active volcano in central Philippines and has erupted 25 times since 1866. Eruptions are typically
explosions of small-to-moderate size that produce minor ashfalls near the volcano. On August 10, 1996, Kanlaon erupted without warning, killing British student Julian Green and Filipinos Noel Tragico and Neil Perez, who were among 24 mountainclimbers who were trapped near the summit.
in Central Java.
Major volcanoes in Indonesia
The volcanoes in
are among the most active of the Pacific Ring of Fire. They are formed due to
of three main active tectonic plates namely the , , and the . Some of the volcanoes are notable for their eruptions, for instance,
for its global effects in 1883,
eruption estimated to have occurred 74,000 , which was responsible for six years of , and
for the most violent eruption in recorded history in 1815. The eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 caused widespread harvest failures in Northern Europe, the Northeastern United States, and eastern Canada in 1816, which was known as the .
The most active volcanoes are
island, which have been responsible for thousands of deaths in the region. Since AD 1000, Kelud has erupted more than 30 times, of which the largest eruption was at scale 5 on the , while Merapi has erupted more than 80 times. The
has named Merapi as a
since 1995 because of its high volcanic activity.
Major volcanoes of New Zealand
View of Mount Taranaki from Stratford.
was known as the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences from 1992 to 2005. GNS Science was partially commercialised, and now operates as a government-owned company rather than as a government department.
Originally part of the
(DSIR), it was established as an independent organisation when the Crown Research Institutes were created in 1992.
As well as undertaking basic research, and operating the national geological hazards monitoring network, GNS Science is employed, both in New Zealand and overseas, by various private groups (notably energy companies), as well as central and local government agencies, to provide scientific advice and information.
GNS Science is based in ,
with facilities in
contains the world's strongest concentration of youthful
volcanoes, and voluminous sheets blanket much of the . The earliest historically-dated eruption was at
in 1826, followed in 1886, by the country's largest historical eruption at . Much of the region north of New Zealand's North Island is made up of
and small , including 16 . In the last 1.6 million years, most of New Zealand's volcanism is from the .
at the southern end of the , is one of the most active volcanoes. It began erupting at least 250,000 years ago. In recorded history, major eruptions have been about 50 years apart, in
and . Minor eruptions are frequent, with at least 60 since 1945. Some of the minor eruptions in the 1970s generated small
(mudflows) that damaged skifields. Between major eruptions, a warm
crater lake forms, fed by melting snow. Major eruptions may completely expel the lake water. Where a major eruption has deposited a
dam across the lake's outlet, the dam may collapse after the lake has refilled and risen above the level of its normal outlet, the outrush of water causing a large lahar. The most notable lahar caused the
on December 24, 1953, when 151 people aboard a Wellington to Auckland express train were killed after the lahar destroyed the Tangiwai rail bridge just moments before the train was due. In 2000, the
system was installed on the mountain to detect such a collapse and alert the relevant authorities.
on the North Island of New Zealand, has produced a diverse array of explosive craters, scoria cones, and lava flows. Currently , the field is likely to erupt again with the next "hundreds to thousands of years", a very short timeframe in geologic terms. The field contains at least 40 volcanoes, most recently active about 600 years ago at , erupting 2.3 cubic kilometers of lava.
Main article:
is the second highest
(after ) and the southernmost active volcano on earth. It is the
on an island. With a summit elevation of 3,794 metres (12,448 ft), it is located on , which is also home to three inactive volcanoes, , , and .
The volcano has been observed to be continuously active[] since 1972 and is the site of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory run by the . Mount Erebus is currently the most active
in Antarctica and is the current eruptive zone of the .
(LEH) is a permanent field facility located on
in , Antarctica. The hut is the home of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory , run by New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology . The installation comprises two huts, one kitchen and recreation building and one working and storage building.
The Pacific Ring of Fire is completed in the south by the continent of , which includes many large volcanoes. The makeup and structure of the volcanoes in Antarctica change largely from the other places around the ring. In contrast, the
is almost completely surrounded by extensional zones, with several
which encircle it, and there is only a small subduction zone at the tip of the , reaching eastward to the remote . The most well known volcano in Antarctica is , which is also the world's southernmost active volcano. In many respects the geology of the
is an extension of the , hence the name sometimes used by geologists: "Antarctandes". At the opposite side of the continent, the volcanoes of
may be seen as the 'other end' of the Antarctandes, thus completing the Pacific Ring of Fire and continuing up through the
The volcanoes of the
area are the most well known in Antarctica, most likely because they are the most accessible. Much of Victoria Land is mountainous, developing the eastern section of the , and there are several scattered volcanoes including
in the northern part. Farther south are two more well-known volcanoes,
and , which are on the coast across from
on . The volcanism in this area is caused by
along a number of
increasing mainly north-south similar to the coast.
contains the largest volcanic region in Antarctica, covering a length of almost 600 miles (970 km) along the Pacific coast. The volcanism is the result of rifting along the vast , which extends from the base of the
to the surrounding area of , and the volcanoes are found along the northern edge of the rift. Protruding up through the ice are a large number of major , including , which is the highest volcano in Antarctica. Although a number of the volcanoes are relatively young and are potentially active (, , , and ), others such as
are over 10 million years old, yet maintain uneroded constructional forms. The desert-like surroundings of the Antarctic interior, along with a very thick and stable ice sheet which encloses and protects the bases of the volcanoes, which decreases the speed of
by an issue of perhaps a thousand relative to volcanoes in moist temperate or tropical climates.
and tectonic plates: , , ,
(as "Mer de Banda"), , , , , ,
, junction
Eastern , U.S.
          
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Official Web Site of the Peruvian Geophysical Institute
is an active volcano in
with an ongoing eruption.
From the ,
evacuates Ubinas volcano area after ash cloud
The , in Spanish Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) monitores the volcanoes, earthquakes and other tectonic processes in the .
From the ,
Erupts in Central
Volcano tourists enjoy the phreatic eruption of the Poás Volcano
despite record breaking eruptions at Poás Volcano in Costa Rica, the park remains open for visitors to enjoy
Retrieved on
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Official web site of the The Public Safety Geoscience Program at the
undertakes research to support risk reduction from the effects of space weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides in
Retrieved on
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Retrieved on
Ring of Fire monitoring
New Zealand Department of Conservation. .
New Zealand Department of Conservation. .
. Retrieved .
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at the United States Geological Survey
at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington Web site.
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