The 16 Most Dangerous Volcanoes on Earth

In 2021, we've seen lava erupt from volcanoes in Iceland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and, most recently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While volcanic eruptions are certainly nothing new, these recent eruptions serve as a reminder that dangerous active volcanoes exist and will continue to serve as a potential threat to the surrounding creatures and environment.

While there are many active volcanoes around the world (and in space), experts generally classify the most dangerous ones as those that are closest to highly populated areas, as they can have the most deadly effects.

And while it may seem like the volcanoes with the most recent eruptions would be the most dangerous, the opposite is true in some cases: When volcanoes go a long time without erupting, they have more mounting pressure inside of them, leading to a bigger explosion.

Take a look at some of the most dangerous volcanoes that exist today.