Which volcano is Earth's largest active volcano by mass and volume?

Mauna Loa is Earth’s largest active volcano by mass and volume.

This enormous shield volcano occupies more than half of Hawaiʻi Island and rises about 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level. Its broad, gently sloping profile is built from fluid basaltic lava flows. Much of the volcano is underwater, so its full structure is vastly larger than the portion visible from the island.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates Mauna Loa’s volume at least 75,000 cubic kilometers. Its name means “Long Mountain” in Hawaiian, fitting its immense 120-kilometer-long summit and rift-zone system. The volcano remains active, with eruptions documented repeatedly since the nineteenth century, including a major eruption in 2022.

Mauna Kea is taller when measured from the ocean floor, and Mount Everest is higher above sea level, but neither is the canonical answer to this question. Kīlauea is also highly active, yet it is much smaller. “Largest active volcano” here refers chiefly to the volcano’s total edifice and volume, not its visible height.