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Volcanic Regions and Region Groups

This list identifies 139 volcanic regions for Quaternary volcanoes based primarily on volcanological and tectonic factors, with Holocene volcanoes in 118 and Pleistocene volcanoes in 117 regions. These regions are further organized into 19 groups based on a combination of geography and geology, with a preference to keep similar or related regions together. They are sorted in a way that moves around the planet starting in Antarctica, then around the Pacific Ocean to Australia, to Indonesia and back north through Asia, across the Arctic, south through the Atlantic Ocean, on across northern Africa, Europe, Arabia, and central Asia, finally getting to the rift valleys of East Africa and ending back in the Antarctic. Click the orange button in table headers below for more details and volcano lists.

Each Region, with a few exceptions, is named to reflect common scientific or geographic names combined with terms indicative of the general tectonic environment. Region names distinguish five categories of tectonic situations responsible for volcanism: Volcanic Arc (subduction), Volcanic Rift Province (rifting), Hotspot Volcano Group (mantle plume), Volcano Group (fault/fracture zones), and Volcanic Province (intraplate, back-arc, mixed, or uncertain). Ongoing work will also provide another level of organization for each volcano, such as segments or zones within each Region, where appropriate.

Determining volcano assignments to a particular Region, along with selecting an appropriate name from the wide variety of existing names using terms with overlapping definitions, is a challenge requiring balancing multiple factors to be clear and reduce confusion; it is expected that changes will be made over time. The terminology used is an attempt to provide some consistency for organizing the Volcanoes of the World database specifically for volcanological applications.

Antarctic-Scotia Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Balleny Hotspot Volcano Group 3 0 1 0
McMurdo Volcanic Province 6 13 2 1 Erebus
Western Antarctica Volcanic Province 4 10 0 0
Antarctic Peninsula Volcanic Province 2 4 0 0
South Shetlands Volcanic Arc 4 1 2 1
South Sandwich Volcanic Arc 9 0 7 6 Saunders
South America Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Austral Andean Volcanic Arc 6 0 4 1
Southern Andean Volcanic Arc 58 21 25 15 Villarrica
Central Andean Volcanic Arc 58 79 11 6 Sabancaya, Ubinas
Northern Andean Volcanic Arc 35 35 15 9 Nevado del Ruiz, Reventador, Sangay
Middle America-Caribbean Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc 16 14 6 5
Greater Antilles Volcanic Arc 0 5 0 0
Central America Volcanic Arc 66 58 26 19 Masaya, Rincón de la Vieja, Santa María, Fuego
Chiapanecan Volcanic Arc 1 3 1 1
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt 21 23 5 2 Popocatépetl
Eastern Pacific Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Cocos Ridge Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0
Galapagos Rift Volcanic Province 1 0 1 1
Galapagos Hotspot Volcano Group 13 7 9 6
Northern East Pacific Rise Volcanic Province 4 0 2 2
Mathematicians Ridge Volcanic Province 2 0 2 1
Gulf of California Rift Volcanic Province 7 9 0 0
Hawaiian-Emperor Hotspot Volcano Group 6 13 4 3
Northeast Pacific Rifts Volcanic Province 10 3 4 4
Kodiak-Bowie Hotspot Volcano Group 0 2 0 0
North America Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Basin and Range Volcanic Province 15 47 0 0
Yellowstone-Snake River Hotspot Volcano Group 4 3 0 0
High Lava Plains Volcanic Province 3 11 0 0
California Coast Ranges Volcano Group 1 1 0 0
High Cascades Volcanic Arc 19 64 3 1
Garibaldi Volcanic Arc 8 1 1 0
Interior Western Canada Volcanic Province 2 6 0 0
Queen Charlotte Volcano Group 4 2 0 0
Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province 13 7 1 0
Northern Alaska-Bering Sea Volcanic Province 4 7 0 0
Wrangell Volcanic Arc 2 7 1 0
Alaska Peninsula Volcanic Arc 27 6 13 7
Aleutian Ridge Volcanic Arc 47 5 25 18 Great Sitkin
Northwest Pacific Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Central Kamchatka Volcanic Arc 17 73 0 0
Eastern Kamchatka Volcanic Arc 29 26 13 10 Karymsky, Bezymianny, Sheveluch
Kuril Volcanic Arc 72 61 41 19 Ebeko
Northeast Japan Volcanic Arc 40 76 20 12
Izu Volcanic Arc 17 13 7 6
Ogasawara Volcanic Arc 10 4 6 5
Mariana Volcanic Arc 27 8 14 9
Western Pacific Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Nankai Volcanic Arc 13 41 6 5
Ryukyu Volcanic Arc 15 15 10 6 Suwanosejima, Aira
Taiwan-Luzon Volcanic Arc 13 18 6 3 Taal
Eastern Philippine Volcanic Arc 9 15 4 2 Mayon
Negros-Sulu Volcanic Arc 2 9 1 1 Kanlaon
Cotabato Volcanic Arc 9 5 3 0
Sangihe Volcanic Arc 11 6 10 8
Halmahera Volcanic Arc 16 2 5 5 Dukono, Ibu
Southwest Pacific Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Bismarck Sea Volcanic Province 2 5 2 1
Bismarck Volcanic Arc 25 11 14 11 Langila, Manam
New Guinea Highlands Volcanic Province 0 18 0 0
Trobriand Volcanic Arc 8 1 3 0
New Ireland Volcanic Arc 2 2 0 0
Solomon Volcanic Arc 12 10 4 2 Bagana
Vanuatu Volcanic Arc 15 19 13 10 Tinakula, Yasur
Fiji Volcanic Arc 2 3 0 0
Tonga-Kermadec Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Lau Ridge Volcanic Arc 0 3 0 0
Northeast Lau Basin Volcano Group 6 3 3 2
Tofua Volcanic Arc 14 19 12 7 Tofua
Northern Kermadec Volcanic Arc 3 14 2 2
Middle Kermadec Volcanic Arc 5 6 1 1
Southern Kermadec Volcanic Arc 8 8 1 1
Taupo Volcanic Zone 7 12 5 4 Whakaari/White Island
Northland Volcanic Province 2 9 0 0
Southern Pacific Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Macquarie Ridge Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0
Campbell Plateau Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0
Pacific-Antarctic Ridge Volcanic Province 2 1 0 0
Juan Fernandez Hotspot Volcano Group 0 3 1 0
San Felix Hotspot Volcano Group 0 1 0 0
Salas y Gómez Ridge Volcano Group 1 1 0 0
Southern East Pacific Rise Volcanic Province 4 0 4 2
Pitcairn Hotspot Volcano Group 1 1 0 0
Marquesas Hotspot Volcanic Group 0 2 0 0
Society Islands Hotspot Volcano Group 4 3 3 3
Austral-Cook Hotspot Volcano Group 1 3 1 1
Samoan Hotspot Volcano Group 7 6 3 1
Vitiaz Lineament Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0
Eastern Australia Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Southeastern Australia Volcanic Province 1 0 0 0
East-Central Australia Volcanic Provinces 0 1 0 0
Northeastern Australia Volcanic Province 1 8 0 0
Sunda-Banda Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Inner Banda Volcanic Arc 6 1 5 2
Sunda Volcanic Arc 83 87 54 41 Marapi, Merapi, Semeru, Lewotobi, Lewotolok
Andaman Volcanic Province 2 0 1 1
Eastern Asia Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Southeast Asia Volcanic Province 5 30 2 0
Kunlun Fault Volcano Group 1 2 1 0
Central East Asia Volcanic Province 11 24 1 0
Baikal Rift Volcanic Province 7 8 0 0
Northern Russia Volcanic Province 0 2 0 0
Atlantic Ocean Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Arctic Ridge Volcanic Province 4 3 3 2
Iceland Neovolcanic Rift Volcanic Province 33 21 13 10 Reykjanes
Azores-Terceira Rift Volcanic Province 13 0 6 1
Central Mid-Atlantic Rift Volcanic Province 2 0 0 0
Trindade Hotspot Volcano Group 0 2 0 0
Southern Atlantic Volcano Group 4 2 3 3
Northern Africa Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Cameroon Hotspot Volcano Group 6 6 2 1
Darfur-Bayuda Volcanic Province 4 0 0 0
Tibesti Volcanic Province 4 2 0 0
North-Central Sahara Province 0 4 0 0
Hoggar Volcanic Province 3 0 0 0
Air Volcanic Province 1 1 0 0
Senegalo-Mauritania Basin Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0
Cape Verde Hotspot Volcano Group 2 3 1 1
Canary Volcanic Province 6 0 4 2
Madeira Hotspot Volcano Group 1 0 0 0
Northwest Africa Volcanic Province 0 9 0 0
European Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Western European Volcanic Province 3 4 0 0
Central European Province 1 12 0 0
Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces 4 17 1 0
Aeolian Volcanic Arc 6 3 2 1 Stromboli
Sicily Volcanic Province 3 3 3 1 Etna
Hellenic Volcanic Arc 4 5 2 0
Western Anatolian Volcanic Province 3 8 0 0
Arabia-Central Asia Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Central Anatolian Volcanic Province 3 3 2 0
Caucasus Volcanic Province 9 13 0 0
Central Asia Volcanic Province 0 13 0 0
Northern Arabia Volcanic Province 2 6 0 0
Western Arabia Volcanic Province 5 2 0 0
Southwest Arabia Volcanic Province 8 2 1 0
Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Red Sea Rift Volcanic Province 4 0 2 2
Afar Rift Volcanic Province 30 17 10 7 Erta Ale
Main Ethiopian Rift Volcanic Province 24 8 3 0
Western Ethiopia Plateau Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0
Kenyan Rift Volcanic Province 25 24 7 1 Ol Doinyo Lengai
Albertine Rift Volcanic Province 12 3 3 2 Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo
Rukwa Rift Volcanic Province 3 5 1 0
Somalian-Antarctic Volcanic Regions Holocene
Volcanoes
Pleistocene
Volcanoes
Active since
1800 CE
Active since
1960 CE
Currently Erupting
(as of 16 August 2024)
Comoros Hotspot Volcano Group 3 2 2 2
Northern Madagascar Volcanic Province 3 0 0 0
Central Madagascar Volcanic Province 2 0 0 0
Reunion Hotspot Volcano Group 1 2 1 1
Rodriguez Fracture Zone Volcano Group 0 1 0 0
Amsterdam-St. Paul Hotspot Volcano Group 3 0 1 1
Marion Hotspot Volcano Group 2 0 1 1
Crozet Hotspot Volcano Group 3 0 0 0
Kerguelen Hotspot Volcano Group 3 0 2 2 Heard
Eastern Antarctica Volcanic Province 0 1 0 0