EARTH
It may seem that there has been an unusual amount of volcanic activity lately, with major eruptions occurring in Iceland, Guatemala and Ecuador. But is it really unusual, and are the eruptions connected?
The short answer to both questions is no.
At any one time, there are numerous volcanoes erupting in the world — the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 17 on any given day in their most recent report. These volcanoes are located in a variety of tectonic settings, from hot spots to subduction zones, and they are all erupting for different reasons. But the eruptions are almost never related, even if the volcanoes are geographically close to each other.
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