Three eruptions were recorded at Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, on May 15, 2025, with ash plumes reaching heights over 4 200 m (13 800 feet) above sea level. Ashfall was reported in Kagoshima City, reducing visibility on city roads.
New activity/unrest was reported for five volcanoes from May 7 to 13, 2025. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 20 volcanoes.
An explosive eruption occurred at the summit of Kanlaon volcano in the Philippines at 02:55 local time on May 13, 2025, prompting authorities to raise the Alert Level to Level 3 due to magmatic unrest and the potential for life-threatening volcanic hazards. Authorities have advised communities within 6 km (3.7 miles) of the summit crater to evacuate.
Persistent steam, gas, and minor volcanic ash emissions from Whakaari/White Island, New Zealand, have led to several flight cancellations over Tauranga on May 11 and 12, 2025.
Explosive eruptions continued at Guatemala’s Fuego volcano in recent days, producing ash plumes up to 4.8 km (15 750 feet) and incandescent material rising 100–300 m (330–980 feet) above the crater.
New activity/unrest was reported for 6 volcanoes from April 30 to May 6, 2025. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 20 volcanoes.
High-level explosive activity at Santa María’s Santiaguito dome complex on May 6, 2025, produced ash plumes up to 900 m (2 950 feet) above the crater and pyroclastic flows down the southern and southwestern flanks.
A new study from the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaiʻi has revealed surprising connections between two major volcanic features in the Pacific. By tracing the Louisville hotspot as the source of both the Ontong Java Plateau and a series of underwater volcanoes, the researchers have uncovered fresh insights into the Pacific Ocean’s geological history. This discovery challenges old ideas and offers a clearer picture of how the seafloor and the islands above it have formed over millions of years.
Scientists aboard the Alvin submersible witnessed an active volcanic eruption at the Tica hydrothermal vent on April 29, 2025, along the East Pacific Rise. The event, which buried a vibrant ecosystem under fresh lava, marks the first confirmed real-time observation of such an event on a mid-ocean ridge.
A new study published in PNAS provides the most detailed view to date of the dormant Uturuncu volcano in southwestern Bolivia, revealing that its long-standing ground deformation and seismic unrest are driven by the movement of hot fluids and gases, not by magma ascent. Researchers conclude there is no immediate eruption risk, but confirm that a deep magmatic system remains active beneath the surface.
