Volcanic eruptions are among nature's most spectacular displays, at once both awesome and deadly. Volcanoes can present a major hazard to those who live near them for a variety of reasons: (1) pyroclastic eruptions can smother large areas of landscape with hot ash, dust, and smoke within a span of minutes to hours; (2) red hot rocks spewed from the mouth of a volcano can ignite fires in nearby forests and towns, while rivers of molten lava can consume almost anything in their path as they reshape the landscape; (3) heavy rains or a rapidly melting summit snowpack can trigger lahars-sluices of mud that can flow for miles, overrunning roads and villages; and (4) large plumes of ash and gas ejected high into the atmosphere can influence climate, sometimes on a global scale. Check out our related links for Volcanoes.

Latest Volcanoes Events

	Volcanoes: Chaiten Volcano Erupts Dormant for more than 9,000 years, the Chaiten Volcano in southern Chile began to erupt on May 2, 2008, forcing thousands of residents from their homes. In the months that followed, the volcano remained active. 20 Images, Updated: September 04, 2008
	Volcanoes: Aleutian Islands' Kasatochi Volcano Erupts After earthquakes and other seismic activity starting on August 7, 2008, Kasatochi Volcano began erupting large plumes of ash and gases in subsequent days. Over the following week, the plume of sulfur dioxide spread across Canada and the Northeast United States. 4 Images, Updated: August 15, 2008
	Volcanoes: Plume from Kilauea Volcano As summer progressed, the summit crater in Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's big island continued a pattern of intermittent activity that began in early 2008. On August 7, a plume of ash and gas streamed away from the island. 2 Images, Updated: August 08, 2008
	Volcanoes: Okmok Volcano Erupts Okmok Volcano, in Alaska's Aleutian Islands, released a continuous plume of ash and steam in early July 2008. The volcano remained active for weeks afterward. 5 Images, Updated: August 05, 2008
	Volcanoes: Activity on Soufriere Hills Volcano Soufriere Hills Volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat released a plume of ash and steam in late July 2008. On July 28, the volcano's dome partially collapsed, sending an ash column 12 kilometers skyward. 2 Images, Updated: July 30, 2008
	Volcanoes: Plume from Rabaul Volcano New Britain's Rabaul Volcano released a plume in late July 2008. 1 Image, Posted: July 24, 2008
	Volcanoes: Activity on Rabaul Volcano, New Britain In early July 2008, Rabaul Volcano on the northeastern tip of New Britain released a plume. 1 Image, Posted: July 07, 2008
	Volcanoes: Activity on Mount Etna Mount Etna released plumes of ash and steam in late June and early July 2008. 1 Image, Posted: July 03, 2008
	Volcanoes: New Activity on Kilauea On March 19, 2008, a small explosion erupted from Kilauea's summit crater. The volcano remained active in April 2008. 6 Images, Updated: April 29, 2008
	Volcanoes: Volcanic Ash Stain from Karymsky Evidence of earlier activity from the Karymsky Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula lingered on the landscape in late March 2008. 1 Image, Posted: March 31, 2008

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