Top 10 Most Dangerous Active Volcanoes Worldwide

1. Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Location: Hawaii, USA
Elevation: 4,169 m
Crater Depth: 2,158 m
Type: Shield volcano
Age of Rock: Under 200,000 years
Volcanic Belt: Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain
Last Eruption: 1984

Mauna Loa (pronounced /ˌmɔːnə ˈloʊ.ə/ or /ˌmaʊnə ˈloʊ.ə/ in English, [ˈmounə ˈloə] in Hawaiian) is the largest volcano on Earth in terms of volume and area, one of the five volcanoes that form the Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawai'i.

Mauna Loa is an active shield volcano with an estimated volume of about 18,000 cubic miles (75,000 km3), although its summit is about 120 feet (37 m) lower than the nearby Mauna Kea. The name 'Mauna Loa' originates from Hawaiian, meaning 'long mountain.' It has erupted approximately 75 times and is gearing up for its next eruption.

2. Yellowstone Caldera, USA

Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Elevation: 2,805 m
Type: Caldera and supervolcano
Age of Rock: 70,000 years
Last Eruption: Approximately 630,000 years ago

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

The Yellowstone Caldera has striking and unique colors. Despite having erupted long ago, studies indicate ongoing seismic and geothermal activity beneath the volcano's surface. In 2013, seismic data analysis revealed a magma chamber 80 km long, 20 km wide, with a volume of about 4,000 km3, significantly larger than scientists had previously estimated.

Location: Gulf of Naples, Campania, Italy
Elevation: 1,281 m
Type: Large stratovolcano surrounded partly by high mountain range
Age of Rock: 25,000 years
Volcanic Belt: Campanian volcanic arc
Last Eruption: 1944

Mount Vesuvius is renowned for multiple eruptions resulting in the burial and destruction of ancient Roman cities. The eruption in 79 AD destroyed Roman cities like Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae, as well as several other settlements. The eruption expelled a plume of ash, rock, and volcanic gas to a height of 33 km (21 mi), ejecting molten rock and pulverized pumice at a rate of 6 × 10^5 cubic meters (7.8 × 10^5 cubic yards) per second. Over 1,000 people are believed to have died, though the exact number remains unknown. The only surviving witness, Pliny the Younger, documented the event in two letters sent to the historian Tacitus.

Vesuvius has erupted multiple times since and stands as the only active volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. Today, it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to its proximity to a population of 3,000,000, with 600,000 people in the danger zone, making it the most densely populated volcanic region globally. It is also known for its tendency to undergo explosive Plinian eruptions.

Location: Kagoshima Bay
Elevation: 1,117 m
Type: Composite volcano
Last Eruption: 2020

Sakurajima (桜島 - Cherry Blossom Island) is an active stratovolcano and was once a separate island in Kagoshima Prefecture, part of Kyushu, Japan. The lava flows from the 1914 eruption connected it to the Osumi Peninsula.

Volcanic activities persist, releasing volcanic ash into the surrounding environment. Previous eruptions have formed a white sandy plateau in the region. The most recent eruption began on May 2, 2017. On September 13, 2016, experts from the University of Bristol and the Sakurajima Volcano Research Center in Japan suggested that the volcano could experience a major eruption within 30 years.

Sakurajima has three volcanic peaks: Kita-dake (Northern Peak), Naka-dake (Central Peak), and Minami-dake (Southern Peak), all currently active.

Kita-dake, the highest peak of Sakurajima, stands at 1,117 m (3,665 ft) above sea level. It is situated in Kagoshima Bay, known as Kinkō-wan. The peninsula's surface area is approximately 77 km2 (30 sq mi).

Location: Mexico State, Morelos, central Mexico
Elevation: 5,426 m
Crater depth: 3,020 m
Type: stratovolcano
Latest eruption: 2020

Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico in central Mexico. It is located on the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Standing at 5,426 m (17,802 ft), it is the second-highest peak in Mexico, after Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) at 5,636 m (18,491 ft).

It is linked to the twin volcanoes Iztaccihuatl to the north by the high saddle known as 'Paso de Cortés.' The Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park, where both volcanoes are located, is named after them.

Popocatépetl is situated 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Mexico City, and it is often visible depending on atmospheric conditions. Until recently, the volcano was one of three prominent Mexican peaks that contain glaciers, the others being Iztaccihuatl and Pico de Orizaba. In the 1990s, glaciers such as Glaciar Norte (North Glacier) significantly decreased in size, partly due to warmer temperatures but mostly due to increased volcanic activity. By the early 2001, Popocatépetl's glaciers had disappeared; ice still exists on the volcano, but it no longer exhibits the distinct features of glaciers like crevasses.

The erupted lava from Popocatépetl throughout its history has been mainly andesitic, but it has also erupted large volumes of dacite. The magma produced in the current active cycle tends to be a mixture of both.

Location: Border of Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Elevation: 2,930 m
Crater depth: 1,356 m
Type: Active stratovolcano
Rock age: 400,000 years
Latest eruption: 2020

Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano in Indonesia. The name Merapi in Indonesian and Javanese translates literally to 'mountain of fire.' This volcano is situated on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, Indonesia. Mt. Merapi is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is approximately 28 km north of the city of Yogyakarta, with many people living on its slopes and in villages around 1,700 m above sea level.

Following the latest eruption in 2014, the government issued the highest warning for residents in the vicinity to move to safer places, and those living within a 20km radius were instructed to evacuate.

Location: Near the capital Pasto, Colombia
Elevation: 4,276 m
Type: Complex volcano
Volcanic belt: Northern volcanic zone
Latest eruption: 2008 - 2010

Galeras has been nearly continuously active throughout the 21st century. An eruption in 1993 claimed the lives of 9 people, including 6 scientists who descended into the volcano's crater to collect gas samples and measure gravity in an effort to predict future eruptions. It is currently the most active volcano in Colombia.

The 2002 eruption resulted in over 100 small fissures. In 2005, 9,400 people living in the vicinity were forced to evacuate. In 2006, three explosive eruptions produced an ash and gas column reaching 8 km in height. In 2008, the volcano erupted unexpectedly around 8 pm with no immediate reports of casualties or damages. In 2009, it erupted twice more. The most recent in 2010 led to the evacuation of 8 thousand residents. The eruption was described as non-explosive, prompting authorities to be more vigilant in nearby towns.

Location: West New Britain, Papua New Guinea
Elevation: 2,334 m
Crater Height: 2,334 m
Type: Stratovolcano
Volcanic Arc: Bismarck Volcanic Arc
Latest Eruption: 2019

Ulawun is the highest peak in the Bismarck Archipelago and the most active volcano in Papua New Guinea. Located approximately 130 km (81 mi) southwest of Rabaul, Ulawun stands as the highest mountain in New Britain and second in the Bismarck Archipelago, with an elevation of 2,334 meters (7,657 ft). It has recorded 22 eruptions since the 18th century, the first in 1700 documented by William Dampier. Several thousand people reside near the volcano.

Due to its eruptive history and proximity to densely populated areas, Ulawun is considered one of the Volcanoes of the Decade. Currently, there are still thousands of people living in the surrounding area.

9. Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Location: Congo
Mountain Range: Virunga
Elevation: 3,470 m
Type: Stratovolcano
Latest Eruption: 2016

Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470 m in the Virunga Range associated with the Albertine Rift. It is situated within Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 20 km north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu, right on the western border with Rwanda.

Mt. Nyiragongo is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa, renowned for its lava lake visible within the volcano's crater. From 1882 to the present, it has erupted 34 times. Currently, Mt. Nyiragongo remains active and may erupt again in the future.

10. Taal Volcano, Philippines

Location: Luzon Island, Taal Lake, Philippines
Elevation: 311 m
Type: Complex Volcano
Volcanic Belt: Macolod Corridor
Latest Eruption: January 12, 2020

Taal Volcano is a volcano in the Philippines, located in Batangas province on Luzon Island, approximately 50 kilometers south of the capital Manila. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, standing at a height of 311 meters above sea level. Recorded since 1572, Taal Volcano has erupted 33 times, with the 1911 eruption causing over a thousand casualties. All eruptions have concentrated on Volcano Island, an island in the middle of Taal Lake. The lake partially fills the Taal Caldera, formed by prehistoric eruptions from 140,000 to 5,380 BP. Viewed from the Tagaytay Ridge, Taal Volcano and the lake create one of the most beautiful and captivating landscapes in the Philippines.

Taal Volcano is an active volcano that has been continuously erupting for several years. It erupted multiple times in the 20th century, notably in 1965, 1970, and 1976. The 1976 eruption, with volcanic ash rising to 1,500 meters, led to heightened awareness due to its proximity to densely populated areas. On January 12, 2020, at around 13:00 local time, Taal Volcano suddenly exhibited intense activity, with the ash column exceeding 1,000 meters. Despite its relatively small size, Taal Volcano is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes globally due to its proximity to densely populated areas. The violent eruptions in the past have caused significant loss of life on the island and surrounding areas, with an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 fatalities. Due to its proximity to populated areas and its eruptive history, Taal Volcano is considered a Decade Volcano, deserving thorough research to prevent future disasters. All Philippine volcanoes are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.