Largest volcanic eruptions (2000-2010)

[HurricaneBill]

During the past decade, there were several volcanoes that had eruptions measuring VEI-4 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.

Volcano: Ulawun
Location: Papua New Guinea
Eruption: September 29, 2000 (VEI-4)
Ulawun is considered one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes due to its structural instability and close location to population centers.

Volcano: Shiveluch
Location: Russia (Kamchatka Peninsula)
Eruption: May 22, 2001 (VEI-4) (Eruption has been ongoing since 1999)
Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanoes. Fortunately, the closest settlement is 50km away and can be quickly evacuated.

Volcano: Ruang
Location: Indonesia (Sangihe Islands)
Eruption: September 25, 2002 (VEI-4)
Ruang is not to be confused with the volcano Raung on Java, Indonesia.

Volcano: Reventador
Location: Ecuador
Eruption: November 3, 2002 (VEI-4)
Reventador is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes.

Volcano: Manam
Location: Papua New Guinea
Eruption: January 27, 2005 (VEI-4) (Eruption was ongoing since 2004)
The eruption of Manam killed 5 people and forced 9,000 to evacuate the island. The island is no longer inhabited. Manam is one of Papua New Guinea's most active volcanoes.

Volcano: Rabaul caldera (Volcano involved was Tavurvur)
Location: Papua New Guinea
Eruption: October 7, 2006 (VEI-4)
The initial blast from the eruption shattered windows 12km away and sent up an ash plume 18km high.
The Rabaul caldera is considered one of PNG's most dangerous volcanoes due to settlements on the edge of the caldera. When Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted simultaneously without warning in 1994, the city of Rabaul had to be abandoned.

Volcano: Chaiten
Location: Chile
Eruption: May 2, 2008 (VEI-4)
This was Chaiten's first eruption in over 9,400 years. The eruption forced the evacuation and relocation of the town of Chaiten.

Volcano: Okmok
Location: USA (Aleutian Islands, Alaska)
Eruption: July 12, 2008 (VEI-4)
Okmok explosively erupted without any warning. Seismic activity began only 5 hours prior to eruption. Fort Glenn, a nearby ranch, had to be evacuated.

Volcano: Kasatochi
Location: USA (Aleutian Islands, Alaska)
Eruption: August 7, 2008 (VEI-4)
The large crater lake in Kasatochi vanished due to the eruption. It has since filled back up.

Volcano: Redoubt
Location: USA (Alaska)
Eruption: March 22, 2009 (VEI-4)

Volcano: Sarychev Peak
Location: Russia (Kuril Islands)
Eruption: June 11, 2009 (VEI-4)
Sarychev erupted just as the International Space Station was passing overhead. This allowed the space station to photograph and observe the eruption. Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands.

Volcano: Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced "AYA-feeyapla-yurkul".......I think.)
Location: Iceland
Eruption: April 14, 2010 (VEI-4)
In the past, eruptions of Eyjaffawhatchamacallit were followed by eruptions of nearby Kalta. For the time being, Kalta shows no signs of an impending eruption.