Somewhere along the way in the last 5-8 years or so
I’ve read that there are 15,000 undersea active volcanoes. Anyone else recall such a huge figure?
IIRC, the scientists compiling the data were shocked, too.
The oceans are about 70% of the Earth’s surface, the Pacific fully half of it; and the Pacific sea floor is closer to the action than anyplace on continents. According to this website, the current number of rumblers on land is about 65:
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/world.html