10 Most Dangerous Active Volcanoes on Earth

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When we think of volcanoes, often the image that comes to mind is a catastrophic Hollywood-worthy explosion. Actually, there are different types of volcanoes—some are very dangerous, while others are not.

Geologists and professional volcanologists usually classify volcanoes into four different types, based on their shape, magnitude, structure, material, and type of eruption.

Here we list 10 of the most dangerous volcanoes we have on earth:

1. Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano in both mass and volume, Mauna Loa has historically been considered the largest volcano on Earth, dwarfed only by Tamu Massif.

Last eruption: 15 April 1984

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2. Mount Nyiragongo, DR Congo

Mount Nyiragongo, DR Congo

Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470 m in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20 km north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda.

Last eruption: 2016

3. Galeras, Colombia

Galeras, Colombia

Galeras is an Andean stratovolcano in the Colombian department of Nariño, near the departmental capital Pasto. Its summit rises 4,276 metres above sea level. It has erupted frequently since the Spanish conquest, with its first historical eruption being recorded on December 7, 1580.

Last eruption: 3 January 2010

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4. Mount Merapi, Indonesia

Mount Merapi, Indonesia

Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi, is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Special Region of Yogyakarta provinces, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.

Last eruption: 21 June 2020

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5. Taal Volcano, Philippines

Taal Volcano, Philippines

Taal Volcano is a large caldera filled by Taal Lake on Luzon island in the Philippines, and is in the province of Batangas. Taal Volcano is the second most active volcano in the Philippines, with 34 recorded historical eruptions, all of which were concentrated on Volcano Island, near the middle of Taal Lake.

Last eruption: 12 January 2020

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6. Popocatépetl, Mexico

Popocatépetl, Mexico

Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano, located in the states of Puebla, Morelos and Mexico, in central Mexico, and lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. At 5,426 m it is the second highest peak in Mexico, after Citlaltépetl at 5,636 m.

Last eruption: 2004 to 2020 (ongoing)

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7. Yellowstone Caldera, United States

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Yellowstone Caldera, United States

The Yellowstone Caldera is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The caldera and most of the park are located in the northwest corner of Wyoming.

Last eruption: approximately 630,000 years ago (caldera-forming); 70,000 years ago (in the caldera)

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8. Mount Vesuvius, Italy

Mount Vesuvius, Italy

Mount Vesuvius is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about 9 km east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc.

Last eruption: March 1944

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9. Ulawun, Papua New Guinea

Ulawun, Papua New Guinea

Ulawun is a basaltic and andesitic stratovolcano in West New Britain Province, on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.

Last eruption: 3 August 2019

10. Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The lava flows of the 1914 eruption connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsula. It is the most active volcano in Japan..

Last eruption: 2020

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What are the 10 active volcanoes in the world?

Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Mount Etna, Italy
Mount Merapi, Indonesia
Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Pacaya, Guatemala
Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Kīlauea, Hawaii

What is the most dangerous volcano in the world right now?
Vesuvius volcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy.
What volcano could destroy the world?
When the Yellowstone Caldera, or "supervolcano," in Yellowstone National erupts again, it will render a huge swath of North America, from Vancouver to Oklahoma City, uninhabitable. It would have incalculable human and economic consequences.
Can an extinct volcano erupt?
Dormant volcanoes have not erupted for a very long time but may erupt at a future time. Extinct volcanoes are not expected to erupt in the future.
Why are supervolcanoes the most dangerous?
Because supervolcanoes are highly explosive, much of the magma doesn't get a chance to become lava. Instead it is blasted into countless airborne ash particles – tiny scorching particles of jagged rock. Ash can: Kill and sicken humans and animals.

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