Europe is not necessarily regarded as a world volcano hotspot. Millions of years ago, however, much of the continent was shaped by violent volcanic and seismic events. The reason behind Europe’s volcanic activity is because it is located between the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate, a prime area for volcanism. For its part, Iceland is a huge hotspot, sitting as it does on a rift between the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate. And Europe's islands, the Canaries for example, and those in the Mediterranean, have long suffered the consequences of frequent, often lethal volcanic eruptions.
According to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, a volcano is called "active" when it has erupted within the last 10,000 years. So, how many active volcanoes are there in Europe, and are those classified as dormant likely to vent their anger any time soon?
Click through and discover Europe's most volcanic areas.