Videos Show Four Volcanoes Erupting at the Same Time

Videos shared on social media show eruptive activity occurring at four different volcanoes simultaneously.

Volcanic eruptions often overlap, and many of the new eruptions are tracked by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program. The report is updated every Wednesday night. The most recent update names 19 eruptions occurring globally, although the number is only for erupting volcanoes that meet certain criteria. The list spans the globe and includes ongoing eruptions in Japan, Russia and the Philippines, as well as several other locations.

Social media users have been sharing videos from some of the eruptions, including two new eruptions in Japan and Russia. Many of the videos show ash issuing out of the volcanoes, and some show lava as well.

"In Kamchatka, Russia continues active eruption of the highest active volcano in Eurasia - Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4850 m)," one user posted on X (formerly Twitter), with a video showing the volcano expelling lava and ash.

The Russian volcano began erupting in mid-June, according to the Global Volcanism Program's report. Images collected by a NASA satellite earlier this month revealed that the volcano's ash plume reached 40,000 feet above sea level and extended 1,000 miles to the east and southeast. Officials closed schools in nearby towns after the eruption began.

In Italy, Sicily's Mount Etna recently began spewing lava as it erupted. Mount Etna wasn't listed on the report last Wednesday, but the program's director, Ben Andrews, told Newsweek that the new list published Wednesday night will include the volcano's eruption.

"The Sicilian volcano Mount Etna has sent huge jets of lava into the night sky after erupting overnight," Sky News posted on X Monday. "Scientists say the volcanic discharge has reached 4,500m (14,763ft) above sea level."

A clip from a livestream video of Mount Mayon in the Philippines also was shared on Monday and shows ash and smoke pouring from the volcano.

"Whoahhh!! Mayon about an hour ago," a user wrote.

Mayon began erupting in late April.

Social media users also shared clips of an underwater volcano erupting in Iwo Jima, Japan. When underwater volcanoes, also known as seamounts, erupt, lava sometimes breaks the surface of the water and creates a new island.

"New island appears after the eruption of an underwater volcano in Japan," a translation of the post reads.

The number of eruptions has some people concerned, but Andrews said nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

"The number of volcanoes erupting right now is normal," he said. "There are currently 46 ongoing eruptions, and over the past 30 years there have generally been about 40 to 50 eruptions happening at any given time. Since 1991, there have been between 56 and 88 eruptions each year. Sixty-seven eruptions have happened thus far this year, and there were 85 in 2022."