An active volcano is a volcano that has erupted during the Holocene (the current geologic epoch that began approximately 11,700 years ago), is currently erupting, or has the potential to erupt in the future. A volcano that is not currently erupting but could erupt in the future is known as a dormant volcano. Volcanoes that will not erupt again are known as extinct volcanoes.

Overview

There are 1,350 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 (or recorded history) 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 : Countries with the most volcanoes active since 1960 : As of 2013, the following are considered Earth's most active volcanoes: , the longest ongoing (but not necessarily continuous) volcanic eruptive phases are: Other highly active volcanoes include: Holocene volcanoes with large populations within 5 km: Michoacan-Guanajuato volcano in Mexico and Tatun Volcanic Group in Taiwan both have more than 5 million people living within 5 km of the volcano. Campi Flegrei in Italy and Ilopango in El Salvador both have populations of over 2 million people living within 5 km 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 5 km of each volcano.

By country

Costa Rica

Guatemala

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Iceland

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Italy

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Japan

See list of volcanoes in Japan for more information

Hokkaido

Honshū

Izu Islands

Kyūshū

Ryūkyū Islands

Mexico

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Philippines

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United States

Hawaii

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Oregon

Washington

California