Major Dormant Volcanoes in the World

A dormant volcano is something that is not active or exploding, but geologists believe it has the potential to erupt in the future. Since the Earth’s plates continually move over volcanic hotspots, they become dormant. Every time a hotspot strikes the surface, it erupts as a new volcano. Then, the tectonic plate above the hotspot started to shift, and finally, the volcano was cut off from the magma chamber underneath.

As a result, the magma gets a new route to the surface, resulting in the formation of a new erupting volcano. The elder volcano ceases to erupt and goes dormant. 

More information about such volcanoes across the world will be discussed here.

Some Popular Examples of Dormant Volcanoes

Volcanoes are termed as extinct if there are no official records of their activity. Volcanoes, on the other hand, can be dormant for lengthy periods. During their historic and disastrous eruptions, the volcanoes of Toba, Vesuvius, and Yellowstone, were all assumed to be extinct.

Another case is the Fourpeaked Mountain eruption in Alaska (2006). Previously, this volcano was assumed to be extinct because it hadn’t exploded in almost 10,000 years. In comparison, Mount Grimsvötn, on the north-western side of the Vatnajokull ice cap in Iceland has exploded three times in the last 12 years (in 2004, 2008, and 2011). It is, therefore, the best example of a dormant volcano. Hence, the dormant volcanoes can also be classified technically as active volcanoes; it simply isn’t exploding currently.

Top Dormant Volcanoes in the World

Now that you know precisely what a dormant volcano is, it becomes essential to know about some of the best ones present in the world. Several volcanoes all around the world fall under this category. However, as seen by the preceding instances, categorization is susceptible to change. So, let’s look at a list of the top volcanoes that are inactive currently. However, they might erupt once more in your future.

Mauna Kea of Hawaii

Mauna Kea is a famous dormant volcano on Hawaii’s main island. It is the highest volcano present in Hawaii, standing at 13,795 feet, yet it is just 35 meters taller than Mauna Loa. Surprisingly, when evaluated from its maritime base, the whole of the volcanic mountain is under sea level. Even though Mauna Kea has erupted within the last 10,000 years, the latest eruption occurred 3,500 years ago. 

This volcano exploded roughly seven times between 6,000 and 4,000 years ago. Experts believe it has a recurring period of around 1,000 years, depending on its past. This makes it appear as if Mauna Kea is about to explode, but scientists believe it only means that eruptions will occur intermittently in the future.

Mount Fuji of Japan

Earthquakes are well-known in Japan. With 12,388 feet, Mount Fuji is Japan’s tallest peak (3,776 meters). It is situated along the seashore in the prefectures of Shizuoka and Yamanashi, about 60 miles from the Tokyo-Yokohama metro region. This mountain last exploded in 1707, and experts believe it would still be volcanic. Because it is so near to the metropolis, it might force over 750,000 residents to evacuate if it blows its top.

Mount Kilimanjaro of Africa

Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak, towering 19,340 feet. Thus, it makes this volcano one of the world’s highest. Kilimanjaro is one of 20 volcanoes that make up the East African Rift Valley. Kilimanjaro features three distinct cones: Shira, Kibo, and Miwenzi. The volcano’s most recent significant eruption occurred 360,000 years ago. Although it did indicate some volcanism as recently as 200 years ago, that may seem like a long time ago, and it isn’t in the lifespan of a volcano.

Mount Pelee of Martinique

Mount Pelee is a 4,583-foot-high dormant volcano composed of lava and volcanic ash layers. The last time this volcano erupted was in 1902, it was responsible for the death of about 30,000 people and destroyed the hamlet of St. Pierre. Pelee became the most lethal volcanic tragedy of the twentieth century due to that one outburst. There have been no explosions in live memory before 1902, and none subsequently, as of 2013.

Mount Ararat of Turkey

Mount Ararat is a snow-capped peak in north-eastern Turkey, between the Armenian and Iranian borders. Its most notable standout feature is that this volcano is the legendary location wherein Noah’s Ark came rested. However, this mountain is also the highest in Turkey, under 17,000 feet. In the previous 10,000 years, this volcano has exploded once, in 1840.

Conclusion

This article dictates what a dormant volcano and some of its best examples are. Moreover, you will also learn about the top five volcanoes that are dormant and popular worldwide. Reading about them offers exciting information about how long it can take to erupt a dormant volcano. Hope, this article cleared all your doubts about such volcanoes.