How common are volcanic eruptions?

Volcanic eruptions

At least six people were killed when White Island, a volcano off New Zealand’s North Island, erupted. How common are volcanic eruptions?
— According to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Programme, there are 45 volcanoes around the world in an active state of eruption.
— Yasur, on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, has been in a constant state of eruption since at least 1774.
— Santa Maria, in Guatemala, has been erupting continuously since 1922.
— In terms of distinct eruptions, Mount Etna on Sicily can claim to be the world’s most active volcano, with 219 known eruptions within the past 10,000 years.

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