25 volcanoes are erupting or showing unrest this week, out of 1,214 that have erupted in the last 12,000 years. The list comes from the Smithsonian and USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 24 September-30 September 2026. Each volcano is a dot, and pulsing dots are this week’s active ones.
Search for a volcano or a country, or tap a dot on the map to see its last eruption and its biggest eruption. Turn on Plates & Ring of Fire to see how the volcanoes line up along plate boundaries.
Volcanoes erupting today
25 volcanoes are in the weekly report for 24 September-30 September 2026, either erupting or showing new unrest. The table below lists each one, with the start of its current eruption where the Smithsonian records one.
| Volcano | Country | Current eruption began | New activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambrym | Vanuatu | – | Yes |
| Chikurachki | Russia | – | Yes |
| Krakatau | Indonesia | – | Yes |
| Mount Marapi | Indonesia | 3 Dec 2023 | Yes |
| Masaya | Nicaragua | 3 Oct 2015 | Yes |
| Nevados de Chillan | Chile | – | Yes |
| Sangay | Ecuador | 26 Mar 2019 | Yes |
| Aira | Japan | 25 Mar 2017 | No |
| Etna | Italy | – | No |
| Fuego | Guatemala | 4 Jan 2002 | No |
| Great Sitkin | United States | 25 May 2021 | No |
| Ibu | Indonesia | 5 Apr 2008 | No |
| Karangetang | Indonesia | – | No |
| Kilauea | United States | 23 Dec 2024 | No |
| Lewotolok | Indonesia | 16 Jan 2025 | No |
| Mayon | Philippines | – | No |
| Mount Merapi | Indonesia | 31 Dec 2020 | No |
| Purace | Colombia | 23 Nov 2025 | No |
| Reventador | Ecuador | 27 Jul 2008 | No |
| Sabancaya | Peru | 13 Sep 2025 | No |
| Santa Maria | Guatemala | 22 Jun 1922 | No |
| Mount Semeru | Indonesia | 24 Feb 2019 | No |
| Sheveluch | Russia | 15 Aug 1999 | No |
| Stromboli | Italy | 2 Feb 1934 | No |
| Papandayan | Indonesia | – | No |
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program (GVP) also keeps a list of continuing eruptions: eruptions that have started and that nobody has declared over. It counted 38 as of 31 Mar 2026. A continuing eruption does not mean a large ash plume today, and some last for decades. Santa María in Guatemala has been erupting since 1922, Dukono in Indonesia since 1933 and Stromboli in Italy since 1934.
How many active volcanoes are there?
1,214 volcanoes have erupted in the last 12,000 years, and at least 20 are erupting on any given day. The total depends on how far back you count. The USGS gives about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide. GVP counts by time window (March 2026):
- 1,214 volcanoes have erupted in the Holocene, the last 12,000 years or so.
- 853 of them have a confirmed Holocene eruption.
- 522 have a confirmed eruption since 1800 and 333 since 1960.
From 2000 to 2025 an average of 36 eruptions began each year, and about 72 volcanoes erupted at some point in a year. At the March 2026 update, 41 eruptions were continuing. The GVP finds no evidence that volcanic activity is increasing. More eruptions are reported because more people live near volcanoes.
The GVP does not claim an exact world count. It estimates at least a thousand identified magma systems on land alone that are likely to erupt again.
Ring of Fire map
The Ring of Fire is the belt of volcanoes and earthquakes that circles the Pacific Ocean, from Chile and Mexico through the US West Coast and Alaska to Kamchatka, Japan, the Philippines and New Zealand. 68% of the volcanoes on this map lie within 450 km of the ring.
Show the Ring of Fire on the map
Most of the ring is subduction zone, where an oceanic plate sinks beneath another plate. The sinking slab releases water into the hot mantle above it, which lowers the melting point of the rock. The magma that forms rises to build volcano chains such as the Andes, the Cascades, the Aleutians and Japan. Hawaii sits over a hotspot in the middle of the Pacific plate, not on the ring. For how the plates move and where they meet, see tectonic plates.
“Ring of Fire” is a popular name, not a scientific term. The Smithsonian’s own count is stricter: 687 volcanoes, 57% of its Holocene list, with Indonesia left out although many maps include it.
Countries with the most volcanoes
United States has the most volcanoes (165), followed by Japan (116) and Russia (106). The table ranks countries by volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years. Holocene volcanoes occur in 78 countries and territories.
| Rank | Country | Volcanoes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 165 |
| 2 | Japan Guide | 116 |
| 3 | Russia Guide | 106 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 101 |
| 5 | Chile | 90 |
| 6 | Ethiopia Guide | 49 |
| 7 | Papua New Guinea | 39 |
| 8 | Ecuador Guide | 36 |
| 9 | Iceland Guide | 35 |
| 10 | Argentina Guide | 32 |
| 11 | Mexico | 30 |
| 12 | Canada Guide | 24 |
| 13 | New Zealand Guide | 23 |
| 14 | Philippines | 23 |
| 15 | Kenya | 21 |
| 16 | Tonga | 21 |
| 17 | France Guide | 20 |
| 18 | Guatemala | 20 |
| 19 | Antarctica Guide | 19 |
| 20 | El Salvador | 17 |
All 78 countries
The US count of 165 includes Alaska, Hawaii, the Cascade Range and overseas territories. A volcano on a border counts for each country that claims it, so country totals add up to more than the world total.
Active volcanoes in the United States
The USGS counts 161 US volcanoes as potential threats to lives and property and ranks 18 of them as very high threat. These figures come from its 2018 threat assessment. The USGS general FAQ rounds the total to about 170 including territories.
- Cascade Range: 11 of the 18 very high threat volcanoes are in Washington, Oregon or California, among them Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Shasta. See volcanoes in Washington, volcanoes in Oregon and active volcanoes in California.
- Alaska: 5 of the 18 are in Alaska, near cities or under busy air routes.
- Hawaii: Kīlauea scores highest of any US volcano. Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, last erupted in November 2022.
- Calderas and the Great Basin: Yellowstone and Long Valley are large calderas that the USGS monitors closely (see the Yellowstone answer below), and Nevada has volcanoes such as Soda Lakes.
Types of volcanoes
The main types are stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, calderas, cinder cones and lava domes. Our guide to the types of volcanoes covers each in depth.
- Stratovolcano (composite): a steep cone built from alternating layers of lava and ash, such as Mount Fuji and Mount St. Helens. See how composite volcanoes form.
- Shield volcano: a broad, gently sloping mountain built from fluid basalt lava, such as Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. See examples of shield volcanoes.
- Caldera: a basin left when a volcano collapses after a huge eruption, as at Crater Lake in Oregon about 7,700 years ago.
- Cinder cone: a small cone of loose fragments from one vent. Parícutin in Mexico rose from a cornfield in 1943 and erupted for nine years.
- Lava dome: a mound of thick lava that piles up around a vent, as in the crater of Mount St. Helens.
- Submarine volcano: a volcano that erupts under the sea, such as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in January 2022.
Active, dormant and extinct volcanoes
An active volcano has erupted in the Holocene or could erupt again. A dormant volcano is active but not erupting now. An extinct volcano will not erupt again. Volcanologists use the terms inconsistently, so the Smithsonian avoids the bare word “active”.
This map uses the Holocene cutoff of about 12,000 years, which gives 1,214 volcanoes. The cutoff is arbitrary: Mount St. Helens was quiet from about 11,000 to about 4,000 years ago and has erupted often since. Mount Hood in Oregon is dormant. Mount Thielsen, also in Oregon, last erupted about 300,000 years ago and is extinct. A volcano with magma beneath it counts as active whatever the date of its last eruption.
Frequently asked questions
How many active volcanoes are there in the world?
The USGS counts about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, and the Smithsonian lists 1,214 that have erupted in the last 12,000 years. At least 20 are erupting on any given day. Neither source claims an exact total, because the count depends on how “active” and “volcano” are defined.
Which volcanoes are erupting right now?
25 volcanoes were erupting or restless in the week of 24 September-30 September 2026, according to the Smithsonian and USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report. They are listed in the table above and pulse on the map. Most are small, long-running eruptions of lava or gas rather than large explosions.
Which country has the most volcanoes?
United States has the most volcanoes that erupted in the last 12,000 years (165), followed by Japan (116) and Russia (106). The count includes overseas territories, and a volcano on a border counts for each country that claims it. The table above ranks the top 20.
What is the Ring of Fire?
The Ring of Fire is the belt of volcanoes and earthquakes around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. It follows subduction zones, where oceanic plates sink beneath neighboring plates and melt rock into magma. The Smithsonian counts 687 volcanoes, 57% of its list, in 41 regions along it.
What are the main types of volcanoes?
The main types are stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, calderas, cinder cones and lava domes. Stratovolcanoes are steep cones such as Mount Fuji. Shield volcanoes are broad and built from fluid lava, as at Mauna Loa. Calderas are collapse basins and cinder cones are small piles of loose fragments.
What is the difference between active, dormant and extinct volcanoes?
An active volcano has erupted in the last 12,000 years or could erupt again. A dormant volcano is active but not erupting now. An extinct volcano will not erupt again. Mount Hood in Oregon is dormant. Mount Thielsen, also in Oregon, last erupted about 300,000 years ago and is extinct.
How many active volcanoes are in the United States?
The USGS general FAQ gives about 170 potentially active volcanoes in the United States and its territories, and its 2018 threat assessment ranks 161. Of those, 18 are very high threat: 11 in Washington, Oregon and California, 5 in Alaska and the other 2 in Hawaii.
Is Yellowstone a supervolcano, and could it erupt?
Yellowstone is called a supervolcano because it has produced VEI 8 eruptions, which expel more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of material. Its latest caldera-forming eruption was 631,000 years ago. The USGS puts the yearly chance of another caldera-forming eruption at about 1 in 730,000 and sees no sign that one is imminent. Its last eruption of any size was a lava flow about 70,000 years ago.
What is the largest volcano in the world?
By volume, Pūhāhonu in the northwestern Hawaiian Ridge is the largest, at about twice the volume of Mauna Loa, according to a 2020 study. Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano. Nevados Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border is the highest, at 6,879 m. A 2013 study proposed that the undersea Tamu Massif is larger than Mauna Loa by area.
What do volcano alert levels mean?
The USGS uses four alert levels. Normal is a background state. Advisory is elevated unrest. Watch is escalating unrest or an eruption with limited hazards. Warning is a hazardous eruption that is imminent, underway or suspected. Aviation color codes run in step: green, yellow, orange and red.
Sources
- Global Volcanism Program, 2026. [Database] Volcanoes of the World (v. 5.4.0; 7 Aug 2026). Distributed by Smithsonian Institution, compiled by Venzke, E. doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW5-2026.5.4.
- U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program: how many active volcanoes, 2018 threat assessment, Yellowstone, alert levels and active, dormant and extinct.
- Garcia, M. O. et al., 2020. Pūhāhonu: Earth’s biggest and hottest shield volcano. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 542, 116296. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116296.
- Plate boundaries: Bird, P., 2003. An updated digital model of plate boundaries (PB2002). doi:10.1029/2001GC000252, via Hugo Ahlenius, Nordpil, under the ODC Attribution License.
- Outlines: Natural Earth, via the world-atlas package.