Using Global Volcanism Program (GVP) website, monthly reports, I totaled the number of volcanic events, around the Pacific Ring of Fire, for the year 2010.  Then I averaged the number of events over the whole year.  The monthly average number of volcanic events, for 2010, came to 5.3.  Keep in mind that at least 90% of the world’s volcanic events took place on the Ring of Fire, in 2010.

The GVP weekly activity reports include “ongoing” activity, so I threw those out and counted the “new” activity only.  It is clear there is an increase.

For the reporting month of January 2011, I counted 16 new activity reports for the Ring of Fire.  For February it is 13.  The first week of March is 2 (I expect March will end up with a high number, due to what’s happening in Japan).

Maybe the GVP has differences in what they post for monthly vs weekly, but, the most monthly activity in 2010, was in February with 9 (remember I did an average for the whole year).  You can see, comparing February 2010 to February 2011, there is an increase of 4.

Is this cause for alarm? Maybe not. I went back to February 2001, and there was much more volcanic activity then (I counted 24).  Another issue is how the GVP gets it information. The website states that information comes from “…hundreds of correspondents, scientists, and other volcano observers that contribute information.”  GVP does list activity reports that they have determined to be “false”.