Famous Eruptions
in History

Perhaps the most memorable eruption in our history is that of Mount Vesuvius.

This eruption was in 79 a.d. It killed 10,000 to 25,000 people and destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae.

Eruption VEI:





Tons of falling debris filled the streets until nothing remained to be seen of the once thriving communities. The cities remained buried and undiscovered for almost 1700 years until excavation began in 1748. These excavations continue today and provide insight into life during the Roman Empire.

Recent Eruptions (VEI 3)

The eruption of 1906 was particularly destructive, killing over 100 people and ejecting the most lava ever recorded from a Vesuvian eruption. Its last major eruption to date came in March 1944, destroying the villages of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, Massa di Somma, Ottaviano, and part of San Giorgio a Cremano, as well as all 88 planes in a U.S. B-25 bomber group, as World War II continued to rage in Italy.

It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world- with over three million people living in direct danger of an explosive eruption.

Location:

Naples, Italy

Volcano Type:

Strato

Current Status:

Active

Mount St. Helens is most famous for its catastrophic eruption on May 18, 1980 which was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.

Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railways, and 185 miles of highway were destroyed.


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The volcano's recent activity has been constant but minimal from 2004 to present. Magma reached the surface of the volcano about October 11, 2004, resulting in the building of a new lava dome on the existing dome's south side. This new dome continued to grow throughout 2005 and into 2006.

Location:

Washington (Cascade Range)

Volcano Type:

Strato

Current Status:

Active

Before 1991, the this volcano was inconspicuous and heavily eroded. It was covered in dense forest which supported a population of several thousand indigenous people. For more than 400 years it remained quiet. Then in early 1990, large scale earthquakes began to point to an imminent eruption.

Mount Pinatubo marks the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century (after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta) and the largest eruption in living memory.

Eruption VEI:




The effects of the eruption were felt worldwide. It ejected roughly 10 billion metric tons (10 cubic kilometres) of magma, and 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide, bringing vast quantities of minerals and metals to the surface environment. It injected large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere— more than any eruption since that of Krakatoa in 1883. Over the following months, the aerosols formed a global layer of sulfuric acid haze. Global temperatures dropped by almost a full degree.

Location:

Luzon Island, Philippines

Volcano Type:

Strato

Current Status:

Active

This volcano is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sicily. The volcanic island has a population of between 400 and 750, this active volcano has been erupting almost continuously for the last 2000 years. The last major eruption was in August 2nd, 2008. It is the most active volcano on Earth- followed closely by Mount Kilauea in Hawaii.

There is an eruption classification called "Strombolian" that are relatively low-level volcanic eruptions.

Location:

Stromboli Island, Sicily

Volcano Type:

Strato

Current Status:

Active

This volcano is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range. The volcano's collapsed caldera holds Crater Lake, and the entire mountain is located within Crater Lake National Park.

Mazama is most famous for a catastrophic volcanic eruption that occurred around 5,677 B.C. The eruption, estimated to have been 42 times more powerful than Mount St. Helens' 1980 blast, reduced Mazama's approximate 3,400 m height by around 800 m when much of the volcano fell into the volcano's partially emptied neck and magma chamber.

Eruption VEI:




Crater Lake reaches a maximum depth of 1,958 feet (597 m), making it the second deepest lake in North America. The lake's great depth and purity causes it to absorb all colors of visible light except blue, resulting in its characteristic indigo hue.

Location:

Oregon, USA

Volcano Type:

Caldera

Current Status:

Extinct/Dormant

Also spelled Krakatao- is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. Its best-known eruption culminated in a series of massive explosions on August 26–27, 1883, which was among the most violent volcanic events in modern times.

Eruption VEI: