what makes a volcano dormant or active?

Question

what makes a volcano dormant or active?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

So an active volcano is a volcano that has had at least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. An active volcano might be either erupting or dormant.

An erupting volcano is an active volcano that is having an eruption. (obviously)

A dormant volcano is an active volcano that is not erupting, but supposed to erupt again. Volcanoes go dormant because magma from the Earth’s mantle can no longer reach the volcano.

An extinct volcano has not had an eruption for at least 10,000 years and is not expected to erupt again in the foreseeable future.