Distribution of known historic eruptions based on tectonic setting

Total number of known historic eruptions is about 5337 (at the end of 1993).

Subduction refers to volcanoes in the Ring of Fire

Intraplate refers to volcanoes associated with hot spots such as Hawaii and Reunion.

Rift refers tovolcanoes along mid-ocean ridges, where new ocean plates are created and spread apart. Note that most historic eruptions are at volcanoes associated with subduction zones and only a small percent are from rifts.

Comparison of tectonic setting and lava/tephra production. Approximately 4 cubic km of lava and tephra is erupted per year. Over 75% of all volcanic material is erupted at mid-ocean ridges.

These graphs highlight a dichotomy in our knowledge about volcanoes. Most of the subduction zone volcanoes are above sea level and their locations, history, and eruption styles (for most of them) are known reasonably well. In contrast, the remote and hard-to-study submarine volcanoes at mid-ocean ridges are, volumetrically, the most active on Earth yet their distribution and behavior are only beginning to be studied in detail.

Diagrams reproduced with permission. Diagrams from Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.

Rates of lava/tephra production based on Crisp, J., 1984, Rates of magma emplacement and volcanic output: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 20, p. 177-211.

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