Volcanoes and Volcanic Landforms in News

Introduction

Volcanic activity remained prominently in global news during 2024–2025 due to eruptions, aviation alerts, wildfire interactions, geological discoveries, UNESCO heritage proposals, and scientific monitoring developments. From Kīlauea in Hawaii to Klyuchevskoy Volcano in Russia, multiple volcanic systems demonstrated how tectonic processes continue to shape Earth’s surface and influence human activities, aviation, climate studies, tourism, and disaster management.

ANALYSIS

Understanding Volcanoes

A volcano is an opening or fissure in the Earth’s crust through which magma, lava, ash, and gases escape to the surface. Volcanoes are generally associated with:

• Convergent plate boundaries (subduction zones)
• Divergent plate boundaries
• Hotspots

Major volcanic regions of the world correspond closely with tectonic plate margins, especially the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Major Types of Volcanoes

Shield Volcanoes

Shield volcanoes are formed by repeated eruptions of low-viscosity basaltic lava that spreads over large distances and solidifies into thin layers. These volcanoes have:

• Gentle slopes (2°–10°)
• Large dome-shaped profile
• Mostly non-explosive eruptions
• Association with hotspots and divergent boundaries

Important examples include:

Kīlauea Volcano Eruption – Hawaii

Kīlauea erupted multiple times during 2025, with lava fountains reaching significant heights. The volcano is among the most active volcanic systems in the world and lies within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Significance

• Important for volcanic hazard monitoring
• Demonstrates hotspot volcanism
• Supports studies related to basaltic shield eruptions
• Helps disaster preparedness systems

Klyuchevskoy Volcano – Russia

Klyuchevskoy Volcano witnessed intensified eruptive activity after a powerful earthquake in 2025. Ash plumes rose up to 10 km high, forcing aviation alerts to be raised to red level. Lava moving toward glaciers increased risks of mudflows and rapid melting.

Key Features

• Highest active volcano in Eurasia
• Located in tectonically active Kamchatka region
• Explosive-effusive eruption pattern
• Major aviation hazard due to volcanic ash

Barren Island – India’s Only Active Volcano

Barren Island is India’s only active volcano and lies in the Andaman Sea near the Indian–Burmese plate boundary. Minor eruptions were recorded in September 2025.

Geological Importance

• Part of the Sunda subduction zone
• Represents island-arc volcanism
• Important for tectonic and seismic studies
• Provides insights into plate convergence processes

Important Facts

Baratang Mud Volcano

Baratang Mud Volcano is India’s only active mud volcano. Geological samples collected in 2025 indicated that the mud dates back nearly 23 million years to the Oligocene epoch.

Causes of Mud Volcano Activity

• Diapiric movement of shale layers
• Sediment loading
• Hydrocarbon generation
• Tectonic compression
• Fluid expulsion through fractures

Geological Importance

• Helps understand subsurface geology
• Useful for tectonic evolution studies
• Important for geotourism and hazard research

La Palma Volcano and Mega-Tsunami Debate

Cumbre Vieja gained renewed attention through the Netflix series La Palma. The real 2021 eruption lasted 85 days and caused massive destruction but no continent-scale tsunami occurred.

Key Impacts

• Destruction of thousands of structures
• Formation of new land through lava deltas
• Toxic gas emissions including:
  • Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
  • Hydrogen chloride (HCl)
  • Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Mega-Tsunami Theory

Earlier theories suggested flank collapse could generate massive ocean-wide waves, but later scientific models concluded that distant impacts would likely be much smaller.

Home Reef Volcano – New Island Formation

Home Reef produced a new volcanic island due to submarine eruptions. The island expanded significantly during 2024–2025.

Importance

• Demonstrates active island-building processes
• Shows submarine volcanism in action
• Important for understanding oceanic tectonics

White Island / Whakaari – New Zealand

Whakaari / White Island erupted with ash and steam emissions, affecting regional aviation. Authorities raised the Volcanic Alert Level due to continued eruptive activity.

Key Concepts

Phreatic Eruption

Steam-driven eruption caused by rapid heating of groundwater.

Volcanic Ash Hazard

Volcanic ash can:

• Damage aircraft engines
• Reduce visibility
• Affect respiratory health
• Disrupt infrastructure

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki – Indonesia

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted violently in 2025, sending ash columns up to 10 km into the atmosphere.

Significance

• Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire
• Demonstrates risks of volcanic ash to aviation
• Highlights disaster preparedness challenges in Indonesia

Lahar

A lahar is a volcanic mudflow consisting of ash, debris, and water flowing rapidly down volcanic slopes.

Volcanic Lightning

Volcanic lightning is a rare phenomenon generated due to electrostatic charge accumulation within volcanic ash plumes.

Mechanism

• Collision of ash particles creates static charges
• Water vapour enhances charge separation
• Lightning flashes occur within eruption clouds

Importance

• Helps monitor eruption intensity
• Supports aviation warnings
• Useful for early disaster alerts

Volcanoes and UNESCO Heritage

Several volcanic and geological regions were proposed for UNESCO recognition.

Andaman Geo-Heritage Proposal

Four sites from Andaman and Nicobar Islands were proposed:

Deccan Traps – UNESCO Tentative List

Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar were proposed for UNESCO Tentative List status in 2025.

Geological Importance

• One of Earth’s largest flood basalt provinces
• Formed around 66 million years ago
• Linked with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction period

Key Features

• Fissure eruptions
• Thick lava sequences
• Laterite plateaus
• Rich biodiversity in Western Ghats region

STATIC PART

Important Volcanic Terms

Pacific Ring of Fire

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped tectonic belt around the Pacific Ocean characterized by:

• Frequent earthquakes
• Active volcanoes
• Subduction zones
• Tsunami generation

Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Chile, and western Americas form major parts of this belt.

Important Volcanoes of the World

IMPORTANT VOLCANOES & VOLCANIC FEATURES IN NEWS (2024–2025)

TYPES OF VOLCANOES

MAJOR SHIELD VOLCANOES OF THE WORLD

INDIA & VOLCANISM

IMPORTANT VOLCANIC TERMS

VOLCANOES & AVIATION HAZARDS

UNESCO & GEO-HERITAGE RELATED VOLCANIC SITES

PACIFIC RING OF FIRE

Volcanoes and Volcanic Landforms in News – Table Notes

Updated – 19 May 2026 | Source: Live Science, The Hindu, News On Air, Al Jazeera, IFL Science