How many times can a volcano erupt? How big can a volcano get? What is the biggest volcano?

rocky Jamison Miller

Hi Jamison,

There is really no limit on the number of times a volcano can erupt. As long as there is a source of magma then it can erupt. The Hawaiian volcanoes probably erupt hundreds of thousands of times during their lifetimes.

The biggest volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa. It is about 8.5 km high from the bottom of the ocean to its summit, and its total volume is about 70 cubic km. I guess you might therefore say that it is as big as a volcano can get. Of course next time it erupts it will get a little bit bigger still. There are a number of volcanoes much larger than Mouna Loa over on Mars.

Sincerely,

Scott Rowland, University of Hawaii 

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