Most of Earth's active volcanoes are located underwater.

Is it true that most of Earth's active volcanoes are located underwater?

Unclear. Several sources indicate that the most active volcanism occurs along mid-ocean ridges and that mid-ocean ridges account for roughly 75% of Earth's magma output, which points toward most volcanic activity being underwater. However, none of the placed items directly states that most of Earth's active volcanoes are located underwater.

Verdict: PARTIAL LEAN · 4 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 17 Oct 2026

Underwater volcanoes | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (n.d.). whoi.edu. https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/how-the-ocean-works/seafloor-below/volcanoes/

Wikipedia: Submarine volcano. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_volcano

earth-science-geology-the-environment-and-the-universe-2008. (n.d.). archive.org. https://archive.org/details/earth-science-geology-the-environment-and-the-universe-2008

Map of the week - Submarine volcanoes | European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet)Search. (n.d.). emodnet.ec.europa.eu. https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/map-week-submarine-volcanoes