Nineteen volcanoes erupt at the same time!
WASHINGTON (PNN) - November 14, 2023 - More than a dozen volcanoes are erupting at the same time worldwide, and three new eruptions joined the list this week.
The Smithsonian Institute's Global Volcanism Program tracks new eruptions and updates its list of currently erupting volcanoes on Wednesdays. The most recent update shows three new eruptions, bringing the list's total to 19 eruptions at once. The list doesn't include all erupting volcanos.
The new volcanic eruptions have some people voicing their concerns on social media.
"Volcanoes erupt simultaneously in Italy, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Philippines, etc. Totally normal, right?" one person posted on X.
It's not actually uncommon for multiple volcanoes to erupt at once. Experts were quick to dispel any fears.
"PSA: Volcanoes are erupting all the time all over the world. That's normal. That's what Earth's volcanoes do: they erupt," volcanologist and science journalist Robin George Andrews posted on X. "There are enough of them that some will always be erupting at the same time. You know what would be weird? If absolutely no volcanoes were erupting."
Andrews said that media reports as well as improved photos and videos of the eruptions can draw more attention from the public.
The three new listings include an underwater volcano on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, Fagradalsfjall in Iceland, and Klyuchevskoy in Russia.
An underwater volcano in the Japanese Volcanic Islands exhibited an elevated period of unrest before erupting on October 30. The accumulating magma finally breached the water's surface, creating a new island.
Volcanic tremors were documented at Iwo Jima every two minutes since the middle of October, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano erupted earlier this month, sending massive plumes of ash 8 miles above sea level and causing several schools to close. The volcano is the tallest active volcano in Eurasia.
The Fagradalsfjall volcano has yet to erupt, but officials have evacuated the town of Grindavík as the volcano displays signs of unrest, including thousands of earthquakes and a ground deformation that suggests magma is on the move. The volcano last erupted in July and has erupted approximately yearly since 2021.
