Why are there so many volcanoes erupting right now?

If you’ve been watching television these days or getting information through social media, you’ve likely seen how news revolves around the volcanic eruptions happening in different countries around planet Earth. This causes a lot of people to worry and ask: What’s happening?

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Earth is a volcanic world. Between 40 and 50 volcanoes erupt every day, according to the Global Volcanism Program by the Smithsonian Institution, which tracks eruptions worldwide. In October 2023, the program recorded 46 volcanoes erupting. So, the ongoing activity is absolutely normal.

No more, no less: as much activity as ever

Furthermore, since 1991, between 56 and 88 volcanoes have erupted on our planet each year. And in the last 12,000 years, around 1,350 volcanoes have been active. Eruptions are not only normal but also responsible for shaping the Earth as we know it.

“More than 80% of the Earth’s surface – above and below sea level – is of volcanic origin,” explains the United States Geological Survey. “The gas emissions from volcanic vents over hundreds of millions of years formed the Earth’s first oceans and atmosphere, supplying vital ingredients for evolution and sustaining life.”

However, it’s the violence associated with eruptions – earthquakes, explosions, and fissures opening in the ground – that unsettles a significant portion of society.

While Iceland prepares for a major eruption, the town of Grindavík, just over an hour’s drive from the capital, has been evacuated. Large smoking cracks have opened up in the streets.

Even in Spain, during 2021, we experienced one of the most violent episodes of volcanic activity, with Cumbre Vieja spewing lava for weeks on La Palma. The entire world held its breath, just as we were emerging from the COVID epidemic.

Alongside recent images of eruptions on other continents, it might seem that something geologically significant is underway. However, as we’ll discuss further ahead, that’s not the case.

More active volcanoes… because we measure better

The notable increase in volcanic activity observed in the late 1990s is attributable to advances in satellite observation and other information networks, whose observations have been amplified since then by the vast expansion of the internet.

For instance, NASA’s Earth Observation System satellite Terra began operating in 1999. “Its MODIS infrared sensors have detected volcanic eruptions in sparsely populated or less visited regions,” notes the Global Volcanism Program. “These ‘eyes in the sky’ have detected eruptions that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.”

When the Hunga volcano erupted in the South Pacific in January 2022, scientists worldwide were able to swiftly observe the dramatic event through satellites.

Since then, the submarine eruption has been intensively investigated. However, a century ago, few people would have known what had happened.

That’s why, in the coming months and years, when there’s talk of global volcanic activity, even of “supervolcanoes” with a history of erupting massive amounts of material, there’s no need to be particularly alarmed.

It’s a certainty that tomorrow, upon waking, dozens of volcanoes will be active. And the day after tomorrow, and the day after that. But for those near any activity, it’s wise to have a healthy respect for volcanoes and pay attention to expert warnings.

We’re wrapping up. What you should take away today is that the world is not ending. There isn’t even more volcanic activity than in any other year. Everything happening to us is normal, more than normal.

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