The 11 Biggest Volcanic Eruptions in History

The power of such eruptions is measured using the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) a classification system developed in the 1980 that’s somewhat akin to the magnitude scale for earthquakes. There haven’t been any VEI-8 volcanoes in the last 10,000 years but human history has seen some powerful and devastating eruptions

Yellowstone, 640K years ago (VEI 8)

The entire Yellowstone National Park is an active volcano rumbling beneath visitors’ feet.

• Three magnitude-8 eruptions rocked the area as far back as 2.1 million years ago, 1.2 million years years ago and most recently 640,000 years ago
• “Together, the three catastrophic eruptions expelled enough ash and lava to fill the Grand Canyon.”

Mount Pinatubo, 1991

The eruption ejected more than 1 cubic mile (5 cubic kilometers) of material into the air and created a column of ash that rose up 22 miles (35 km) in the atmosphere.

• Ash fell across the countryside, even piling up so much that some roofs collapsed under the weight.

Ilopango Volcano, 450 AD (VEI 6 +)

This mountain in central El Salvador, just a few miles east of the capital city San Salvador, has experienced only two eruptions in its history, the first known eruption was a doozy. It blanketed much of central and western El Salvador with pumice and ash, and destroyed early Mayan cities, forcing inhabitants to flee.

Changbaishan Volcano, 1000 AD (VEI 7)

Also known as the Baitoushan Volcano, the eruption spewed volcanic material as far away as northern Japan, a distance of approximately 750 miles (1,200 kilometers).

• The eruption also created a large caldera nearly 3 miles (4.5 km) across and a half-mile (nearly 1 km) deep at the mountain’s summit. It is now filled with the waters of Lake Tianchi, or Sky Lake, a popular tourist destination both for its natural beauty and alleged sightings of unidentified creatures living in its depths.

Santa Maria Volcano, 1902 (VEI 6)

The Santa Maria eruption in 1902 was one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century. The symmetrical, tree-covered volcano is part of a chain of stratovolcanoes that rises along Guatemala’s Pacific coastal plain.

• It has experienced continuous activity since its last blast, a VEI 3, which occurred in 1922.

1815 VEI 7

The explosion of Mount Tambora is the largest ever recorded by humans, ranking a 7 (or “super-colossal”) on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, the second-highest rating in the index. The eruption reached its peak in April 1815, when it exploded so loudly that it was heard on Sumatra Island.

1912

The eruption of Novarupta, one of a chain of volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, was the largest volcanic blast of the 20th century

Ambrym Island, 50 AD (VEI 6 +)

This volcanic island is part of the Republic of Vanuatu, a tiny nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, witnessed one of the most impressive eruptions in history.

• In 1894, six people were killed by volcanic bombs and four people were overtaken by lava flows, and in 1979, acid rainfall caused by the volcano burned some inhabitants.

Huaynaputina, 1600

This peak was the site of South America’s largest volcanic eruption in recorded history.

• The eruption sent mudflows as far as the Pacific Ocean, 75 miles (120 km) away, and appears to have affected the global climate. The summers following the 1600 eruption were some of the coldest in 500 years.

Krakatoa, 1883 (VEI 6)

The explosive eruption of this stratovolcano, situated along a volcanic island arc at the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian plate, ejected huge amounts of rock, ash and pumice and was heard thousands of miles away. The explosion also created a tsunami, whose maximum wave heights reached 140 feet (40 meters) and killed about 34,000 people.

The eruption of Mt. Thera, approx. 1610 BC

Geologists think it could be the strongest explosion ever witnessed

• The island that hosted the volcano, Santorini, had been home to members of the Minoan civilization
• There is cause to speculate that the volcano severely disrupted the culture, with tsunamis and temperature declines caused by the massive amounts of sulfur dioxide it spewed into the atmosphere that altered the climate

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