Why Are Volcanoes So Active in the United States? Geologists Explain the Situation

Volcanoes in the United States

Eruptions monitored by USGS

Ring of Fire active

Volcanoes in the United States: General Overview

In recent weeks, volcanoes in Alaska, Washington state, Oregon, and Hawaii have drawn attention with unusual activity: seismic swarms, lava flows, and alert advisories.

However, specialists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) urge calm, noted the outlet USA Today.

For them, this simultaneous awakening is part of the natural behavior of our planet and does not imply an imminent risk to the population.

Although volcanic activity can sound alarming, there’s no evidence that all these events are connected. They are local expressions of a dynamic planet, set atop tectonic plates in constant motion.

What’s Happening With the Volcanoes in the US? Alaska: Several Hot Spots

Why Are Volcanoes So Active in the United States?-Photo: Shutterstock

Alaska is home to some of the country’s most closely monitored volcanoes. At the Great Sitkin Volcano, located in the Aleutian Islands, the lava eruption has continued since May 2021.

Although it’s under elevated alert, its seismicity remains low, with minor earthquakes that do not threaten nearby populations.

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Further east, Iliamna Volcano experienced a series of small tremors on June 15. The activity did not lead to visible eruptions, and the alert returned to normal on July 1. A similar case is Mount Spurr, where swarms of shallow earthquakes have been recorded since February without major consequences.

These events, explains seismologist Natalia Ruppert of the USGS Alaska Earthquake Center, are common in Alaska, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate, creating a highly active region.

Washington and Oregon: Signs Beneath the Surface

In Washington state, Mount Rainier, a majestic volcano 112 km from Seattle, experienced in early July the largest seismic swarm ever recorded in its modern history: more than 300 earthquakes in two days.

Despite the magnitude of the record, scientists are not alarmed. In 2009, a similar phenomenon occurred without any subsequent eruptions. In fact, Rainier has gone more than a thousand years without erupting.

Offshore, off the Oregon coast, Axial Seamount has also sparked interest. This submarine volcano, located 480 km from the coast, has shown clear signs that it could erupt by 2025.

Because of its depth, any eruption would only be detected through specialized scientific instruments. Although it wouldn’t pose a direct threat to human populations, its study is key to understanding the dynamics of the Ring of Fire.

Hawaii: A Different Case

While Alaska and the West Coast align along the Ring of Fire—the giant 40,000-kilometer chain of volcanoes and tectonic faults that encircles the Pacific—Hawaii has a different volcanic origin.

The islands were formed by a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle, a plume of magma that pierces the oceanic crust as the Pacific Plate moves over it.

That’s why the oldest volcanoes are found in the northwest of the archipelago, while the youngest ones—like those on the Big Island—remain active.

Kilauea, one of the most well-known, was erupting this year with spectacular lava fountains in early July. However, on July 9, the USGS announced the conclusion of the most recent eruption. Although always under surveillance, Hawaii’s volcanic activity is not linked to the Ring of Fire and stems from its own geological process.

What the Experts Say

Despite the spectacular images of lava and tremors, geologists insist there are no signs of widespread alarm. “This is what volcanoes do,” says Ruppert. “They activate for a while; sometimes they erupt, sometimes they don’t.”

Constant monitoring—funded by the Department of the Interior and conducted by the USGS—allows scientists to track every change closely.

And although Earth never stops reminding us of its power, early warning systems and accumulated knowledge help keep communities safe.

In other words, rather than an immediate threat, the current streak of volcanic activity is a reminder of the living, ever-changing character of our planet, noted USA Today.