Volcanic eruptions are not the most dangerous of natural disasters. Eruptions cause less fatalities than earthquakes, hurricanes and famines.

In the past 200 years, there have been over 200,000 deaths from volcanic eruptions. Four causes resulted in 91% of the fatalities - famine and epidemic disease (30%), pyroclastic flows (27%), lahars (17%), and tsunamis (17%).

The most important role for volcanologists is not to predict eruptions but to foresee catastrophic events.

The list below is not comprehensive, but gives an indication of some events.