An active volcano is a volcano that has erupted during the Holocene, is currently erupting, or has the potential to erupt in the future. A volcano that is not currently erupting but could erupt in the future is known as a dormant volcano. Volcanoes that will not erupt again are known as extinct volcanoes.
Lava flows at Holuhraun, Iceland, September 2014
Nyiragongo's lava lake
Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Hekla, stratovolcano in Iceland
Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. It is located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island. The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and grew above sea level about 100,000 years ago. Since the islands were settled it has been the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island.
Kīlauea's Ahu’aila’au cone erupting on the morning of June 28, 2018
Simulated true-color Landsat mosaic
Kīlauea's summit caldera; volcanic gas can be seen rising out of Halemaʻumaʻu, within the caldera (January 2012)
Rainbow and volcanic ash with sulfur dioxide emissions from Halemaʻumaʻu (April 2008)