How often do Alaskan volcanoes erupt?
Alaskan volcanoes have produced one or two eruptions per year since 1900. At least 20 catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions have occurred in the past 10,000 years; the awesome eruption of 1912 at Novarupta in the Katmai National Monument is the most recent. Scientists are particularly concerned about the volcanoes whose eruptions can affect the Cook Inlet region, where 60 percent of Alaska’s population lives. — From: Brantley, 1994, Volcanoes of the United States: USGS General Interest Publication. • What are the “Hawaiian Islands”? The Hawaiian Islands are the tops of gigantic volcanic mountains formed by countless eruptions of fluid lava over several million years; some tower more than 30,000 feet above the sea floor. The Islands are composed of linear chains of shield volcanoes including Kilauea and Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii — two of the world’s most active volcanoes. — From: Tilling, et.al., 1987, Eruptions of Hawaiian Volcanoes: Past, Present, and Future: USGS General
