A map showing locations of the 16 Decade Volcanoes

The Decade Volcanoes are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. The Decade Volcanoes project encourages studies and public-awareness activities at these volcanoes, with the aim of achieving a better understanding of the volcanoes and the dangers they present, and thus being able to reduce the severity of natural disasters. The project was initiated as part of the United Nations-sponsored International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. A volcano is a geological landform (usually a mountain) where magma (rock of the earths interior made molten or liquid by high pressure and temperature) erupts through the surface of the planet. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... A natural disaster is the consequence or effect of a hazardous event, occurring when human activities and natural phenomenon (a physical event, such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake, landslide etc. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ...

The criteria for being designated a Decade Volcano include the following:

• Representative of more than one volcanic hazard: people living near the Decade Volcanoes may experience tephra fall, pyroclastic flows, silicic lava flows, lahars, volcanic edifice instability and volcanic dome collapse;
• Geological activity: all Decade Volcanoes have been active in recent history and are very likely or certain to erupt again in future;
• Located in a populated area: eruptions at any of the Decade Volcanoes may threaten tens or hundreds of thousands of people, and therefore mitigating eruptions hazards at these volcanoes is crucial;
• Politically and physically accessible for study;
• Local support for the work.

The 16 current Decade Volcanoes are: Tephra is a generic term for air fall material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of composition or fragment size. ... Pyroclastic flows are a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. ... In computer programming jargon, lava flow is a problem in which computer code, usually written under less than optimal conditions, is put into production and then built on when still in a developmental state. ... A lahar is a mixture of rock, mud, and water that flows down from a volcano (or occasionally other mountains), typically along a river valley. ... A volcanic dome is a volcanic feature formed by the extrusion of extremely viscous lava. ...

• Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
• Colima, Mexico
• Mount Etna, Italy
• Galeras, Colombia
• Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA
• Merapi, Indonesia
• Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Mount Rainier, Washington State, USA
• Sakurajima, Japan
• Santamaria/Santiaguito, Guatemala
• Santorini, Greece
• Taal Volcano, Philippines
• Teide, Canary Islands, Spain
• Ulawun, Papua New Guinea
• Mount Unzen, Japan
• Vesuvius, Italy

Avachinsky is a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia. ... Koryaksky is a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia. ... For other uses of Kamchatka, see Kamchatka (disambiguation). ... Colima Volcano is the most active volcano in Mexico, and has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. ... Mount Etna (or Aetna, also known locally as Mongibello) is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily (Italian Sicilia), close to Messina and Catania. ... Galeras is a volcano in Colombia, near the city of Pasto. ... Mauna Loa is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanic peaks that together form the Island of Hawaii. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Other U.S. States Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle Official languages Hawaiian and English Area 28,337 km² (43rd)  - Land 16,649 km²  - Water 11,672 km² (41. ... Categories: Pages needing attention | Stratovolcanoes | Subduction volcanoes | Volcanoes of Java | Mountains of Indonesia | Indonesia geography stubs ... Mount Nyiragongo is a dormant volcano in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Great Rift Valley or East African Rift. ... Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano (and national park) located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle, Washington in Pierce County. ... This article deals with the U.S. state. ... Sakurajima (桜島) is an active volcano and a former island (now connected to the mainland) of the same name in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. ... Volcán Santamaria is a large active volcano in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, close to the city of Quetzaltenango. ... View from the top of Thira Santorini is a small, circular group of volcanic islands located in the Aegean Sea, 75 km south-east of the Greek mainland (latitude: 35. ... Taal Volcano is an active volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. ... Teide (Mount Teide or Pico de Teide) is a volcano and mountain on Tenerife, Canary Islands (28. ... Canaries Capitals Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Santa Cruz de Tenerife Area  – Total  – % of Spain Ranked 13th  7 447 km²  1,5% Population  – Total (2003)  – % of Spain  – Density Ranked 8th  1 843 755  4,4%  247,58/km² Demonym  – English  – Spanish  Canary Islander  canario/a Statute of Autonomy August 16... Mount Unzen (雲仙岳) is an active volcano near the city of Shimabara in Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. ... Mount Vesuvius (Italian: Monte Vesuvio) is a volcano east of Naples, Italy, located at 40°49′N 14°26′ E. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland, although it is not currently erupting. ...

External links

• USGS Decade Volcano page (http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/DecadeVolcanoes/)
• VolcanoWorld Decade Volcano page (http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/decade/)
• IAVCEI report on Decade Volcanoes (http://www.iavcei.org/decade.htm)