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 Volcano
The threat level for volcanoes is medium, there are volcanoes in the US, but eruptions are not common with most of them, the only exception would be Kilauea in Hawaii.

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A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot magma, ash and gases to escape from below the surface. 

Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging.

A mid-oceanic ridge, for example the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has examples of volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates pulling apart; the Pacific Ring of Fire has examples of volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates coming together.

By contrast, volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust (called "non-hotspot intraplate volcanism"), such as in the African Rift Valley, the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and the Rio Grande Rift in North America and the European Rhine Graben with its Eifelvolcanoes.

Volcanoes can be caused by mantle plumes. These so-called hotspots, for example at Hawaii, can occur far from plate boundaries.



Volcanoes can cause the following:

Falling injuries from shaking
Crushing injuries from falling debris and landslides
Burns from lava and pyroclastic flows
Lung injuries from gases and ash fall

May also cause:

Societal breakdowns, power outage, transportation issues, looting, and riots

After the volcano you will be faced with the rule of 3's basic survival skills


Protect yourself:

Get to higher ground

Lava flows, lahars, mudflows, and flooding are common in a major eruption. All of these can be deadly, and all of them tend to travel in valleys and low-lying areas. Climb to higher ground, and stay there until you can confirm that the danger has passed.

Shield yourself from pyroclastics

Rocks and debris are sent flying during an eruption. The most important thing to do is watch out for them and get out of their range. Sometimes they actually rain down, and in some types of eruptions this debri can land miles from the volcano’s crater. Protect yourself by staying below the ridge lines of hills and on the side of the hill opposite the volcano. If you are caught in a hail of smaller pyroclastics, crouch down on the ground, facing away from the volcano, and protect your head with your arms, a backpack, or anything else you can find.

Limit your exposure to the ash

Small jagged pieces of rocks, minerals, and volcanic glass the size of sand and silt (less than 2 millimeters (1/12 inch) in diameter) erupted by a volcano are called volcanic ash. Very small ash particles can be less than 0.001 millimeters (1/25,000th of an inch) across. Volcanic ash is not the product of combustion, like the soft fluffy material created by burning wood, leaves, or paper. Volcanic ash is hard, does not dissolve in water, is extremely abrasive and mildly corrosive, and conducts electricity when wet.

Volcanic Ash - What it can do and how to prevent damage

Decade Volcanoes

Decade volcanoes refer to the 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. 

The following volcanoes were selected as the 16 current Decade Volcanoes:

About U.S. Volcanoes

There are over 160 U.S. volcanoes that have erupted in the past 10,000 years. Listed below are many of our monitored volcanoes with links to additional information. Over the next few years, we will be updating our volcano pages to provide links to images, publications, hazard assessments, and monitoring data.


Alphabetical partial list of U.S. Volcanoes


















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