Timeline of volcanism on Earth

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This timeline of volcanism on Earth includes a list of major volcanic eruptions of approximately at least magnitude 6 on the Volcanic explosivity index (VEI) or equivalent sulfur dioxide emission during the Quaternary period (from 2.58 Mya to the present). Other volcanic eruptions are also listed.

Some eruptions cooled the global climate—inducing a volcanic winter—depending on the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted and the magnitude of the eruption. Before the present Holocene epoch, the criteria are less strict because of scarce data availability, partly since later eruptions have destroyed the evidence. Only some eruptions before the Neogene period (from 23 Mya to 2.58 Mya) are listed. Known large eruptions after the Paleogene period (from 66 Mya to 23 Mya) are listed, especially those relating to the Yellowstone hotspot, Santorini caldera, and the Taupō Volcanic Zone.

Active volcanoes such as Stromboli, Mount Etna and Kīlauea do not appear on this list, but some back-arc basin volcanoes that generated calderas do appear. Some dangerous volcanoes in "populated areas" appear many times: Santorini six times, and Yellowstone hotspot 21 times. The Bismarck volcanic arc, New Britain, and the Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, appear often too.

In addition to the events listed below, there are many examples of eruptions in the Holocene on the Kamchatka Peninsula, which are described in a supplemental table by Peter Ward.

Large Quaternary eruptions

The Holocene epoch begins 11,700 years BP (10,000 14C years ago).

1000–2000 AD

  • Pinatubo, island of Luzon, Philippines; 1991, June 15; VEI 6; 6 to 16 km3 (1.4 to 3.8 cu mi) of tephra; an estimated 20,000,000 tonnes (22,000,000 short tons) of SO
    2     were emitted
  • Novarupta, Alaska Peninsula; 1912, June 6; VEI 6; 13 to 15 km3 (3.1 to 3.6 cu mi) of lava
  • Santa Maria, Guatemala; 1903, October 24; VEI 6; 20 km3 (4.8 cu mi) of tephra
  • Krakatoa, Indonesia; 1883, August 26–27; VEI 6; 21 km3 (5.0 cu mi) of tephra
  • Mount Tambora, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia; 1815, Apr 10; VEI 7; 160–213 km3 (38–51 cu mi) of tephra; an estimated 200,000,000 t (220,000,000 short tons) of SO
    2     were emitted, produced the "Year Without a Summer"
  • 1808 mystery eruption, VEI 6–7; discovered from ice cores in the 1980s.
  • Grímsvötn, Northeastern Iceland; 1783–1785; Laki; 1783–1784; VEI 2; 14 km3 (3.4 cu mi) of lava, an estimated 120,000,000 t (130,000,000 short tons) of SO
    2     were emitted, produced a Volcanic winter, 1783, on the North Hemisphere.
  • Long Island (Papua New Guinea), Northeast of New Guinea; 1660 ±20; VEI 6; 30 km3 (7.2 cu mi) of tephra
  • Huaynaputina, Peru; 1600, February 19; VEI 6; 30 km3 (7.2 cu mi) of tephra
  • Billy Mitchell, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea; 1580 ±20; VEI 6; 14 km3 (3.4 cu mi) of tephra
  • Bárðarbunga, Northeastern Iceland; 1477; VEI 6; 10 cubic kilometres (2.4 cu mi) of tephra
  • 1465 mystery eruption "the location of this eruption is uncertain, as it has only been identified from distant ice core records and atmospheric events around the time of King Alfonso II of Naples's wedding; it is believed to have been VEI 7 and possibly even larger than Mount Tambora's in 1815.
  • 1452/1453 mystery eruption in the New Hebrides arc, Vanuatu; the location of this eruption in the South Pacific is uncertain, as it has been identified from distant ice core records; the only pyroclastic flows are found at Kuwae; 36 to 96 km3 (8.6 to 23.0 cu mi) of tephra; 175,000,000–700,000,000 t (193,000,000–772,000,000 short tons) of sulfuric acid
  • 1280(?) in Quilotoa, Ecuador; VEI 6; 21 km3 (5.0 cu mi) of tephra
  • 1257 Samalas eruption, Rinjani volcanic complex, Lombok Island, Indonesia; 40 km3 (dense-rock equivalent) of tephra, Arctic and Antarctic Ice cores provide compelling evidence to link the ice core sulfate spike of 1258/1259 A.D. to this volcano.

Overview of Common Era

This is a sortable summary of 27 major eruptions in the last 2000 years with VEI ≥6, implying an average of about 1.3 per century. The count does not include the notable VEI 5 eruptions of Mount St. Helens and Mount Vesuvius. Date uncertainties, tephra volumes, and references are also not included.

Caldera/ Eruption name Volcanic arc/ belt
or Subregion or Hotspot		 VEI Date Known/proposed consequences
Mount Pinatubo Luzon Volcanic Arc 6 15 Jun 1991 Global temperature fell by 0.4 °C
Novarupta Aleutian Range 6 6 Jun 1912
Santa María Central America Volcanic Arc 6 24 Oct 1902
Krakatoa Sunda Arc 6 26-28 Aug 1883 At least 30,000 dead
Consiguina Nicaruagua Volcanic Chain 1835
Mount Tambora Lesser Sunda Islands 7 10 Apr 1815 Year Without a Summer (1816)
1808 mystery eruption Southwestern Pacific Ocean 6 Dec 1808 A sulfate spike in ice cores
Long Island (Papua New Guinea) Bismarck Volcanic Arc 6 1660
Huaynaputina Andes, Central Volcanic Zone 6 19 Feb 1600 Russian famine of 1601–1603
Billy Mitchell Bougainville & Solomon Is. 6 1580
Bárðarbunga Iceland 6 1477
1458 mystery eruption Unknown 6-7 1458 Possibly larger than Mount Tambora's
1452/1453 mystery eruption Unknown 6-7 1452–53 2nd pulse of Little Ice Age?
Quilotoa Andes, Northern Volcanic Zone 6 1280
Samalas (Mount Rinjani) Lombok, Lesser Sunda Islands 7 1257 1257 Samalas eruption, 1st pulse of Little Ice Age? (c.1250)
Baekdu Mountain/Tianchi eruption China/North Korea border 7 946, Nov-947 Limited regional climatic effects.
Ceboruco Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt 6 930
Dakataua Bismarck Volcanic Arc 6 800
Pago Bismarck Volcanic Arc 6 710
Mount Churchill eastern Alaska, USA 6 700
Rabaul caldera Bismarck Volcanic Arc 6 683 (est.)
Volcanic winter of 536 Unknown 6-7 535
Ilopango Central America Volcanic Arc 6 450
Ksudach Kamchatka Peninsula 6 240
Taupō Caldera/Hatepe eruption Taupō Volcano 7 230
Mount Churchill eastern Alaska, USA 6 60
Ambrym New Hebrides Arc 6 50
Apoyeque Central America Volcanic Arc 6 50 BC (±100)

Note: Caldera names tend to change over time. For example, Ōkataina Caldera, Haroharo Caldera, Haroharo volcanic complex, and Tarawera volcanic complex all had the same magma source in the Taupō Volcanic Zone. Yellowstone Caldera, Henry's Fork Caldera, Island Park Caldera, Heise Volcanic Field all had Yellowstone hotspot as magma source.

Earlier Quaternary eruptions

2.588 ± 0.005 million years BP, the Quaternary period and Pleistocene epoch begin.

  • Eifel hotspot, Laacher See, Vulkan Eifel, Germany; 12.9 ka; VEI 6; 6 cubic kilometers (1.4 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Emmons Lake Caldera (size: 11 x 18 km), Aleutian Range, 17 ka ±5; more than 50 km3 (12 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Lake Barrine, Atherton Tableland, North Queensland, Australia; was formed over 17 ka.
  • Menengai, East African Rift, Kenya; 29 ka
  • Morne Diablotins, Commonwealth of Dominica; VEI 6; 30 ka (Grand Savanne Ignimbrite).
  • Phlegraean Fields, Italy; VEI 7; 40 ka (Campanian Ignimbrite eruption).
  • Kurile Lake, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia; Golygin eruption; about 41.5 ka; VEI 7
  • Maninjau Caldera (size: 20 x 8 km), West Sumatra; VEI 7; around 52 ka; 220 to 250 cubic kilometers (52.8 to 60.0 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Lake Toba (size: 100 x 30 km), Sumatra, Indonesia; VEI 8; 73 ka ±4; 2,500 to 3,000 cubic kilometers (599.8 to 719.7 cu mi) of tephra; probably six gigatons of sulfur dioxide were emitted (Youngest Toba Tuff).
  • Atitlán Caldera (size: 17 x 20 km), Guatemalan Highlands; Los Chocoyos eruption; formed in an eruption 84 ka; VEI 7; 300 km3 (72 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Mount Aso (size: 24 km wide), island of Kyūshū, Japan; 90 ka; last eruption was more than 600 cubic kilometers (144 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Sierra la Primavera volcanic complex (size: 11 km wide), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; 95 ka; 20 cubic kilometers (5 cu mi) of Tala Tuff.
  • Mount Aso (size: 24 km wide), island of Kyūshū, Japan; 120 ka; 80 km3 (19 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Mount Aso (size: 24 km wide), island of Kyūshū, Japan; 140 ka; 80 km3 (19 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Puy de Sancy, Massif Central, central France; it is part of an ancient stratovolcano which has been inactive for about 220,000 years.
  • Emmons Lake Caldera (size: 11 x 18 km), Aleutian Range, 233 ka; more than 50 km3 (12 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Mount Aso (size: 24 km wide), island of Kyūshū, Japan; caldera formed as a result of four huge caldera eruptions; 270 ka; 80 cubic kilometers (19 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Uzon-Geyzernaya calderas (size: 9 x 18 km), Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia; 325–175 ka 20 km3 (4.8 cu mi) of ignimbrite deposits.
  • Diamante Caldera–Maipo volcano complex (size: 20 x 16 km), Argentina-Chile; 450 ka; 450 cubic kilometers (108 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Yellowstone hotspot; Yellowstone Caldera (size: 45 x 85 km); 640 ka; VEI 8; more than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cu mi) of tephra (Lava Creek Tuff)
  • Three Sisters (Oregon), USA; Tumalo volcanic center; with eruptions from 600–700 to 170 ka years ago
  • Uinkaret volcanic field, Arizona, USA; the Colorado River was dammed by lava flows multiple times from 725 to 100 ka.
  • Mono County, California, USA; Long Valley Caldera; 758.9 ka ±1.8; VEI 7; 600 cubic kilometers (144 cu mi) of Bishop Tuff.
  • Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA; 1.25 Ma; VEI 7; around 600 cubic kilometers (144 cu mi) of the Tshirege Member (Upper Bandelier Tuff) eruption.
  • Sutter Buttes, Central Valley of California, USA; were formed over 1.5 Ma by a now-extinct volcano.
  • Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA; 1.61 Ma; VEI 7; over 500 cubic kilometers (120 cu mi) of the Otowi Member (Lower Bandelier Tuff) eruption.
  • Ebisutoge-Fukuda tephras, Japan; 1.75 Ma; 380 to 490 cubic kilometers (91.2 to 117.6 cu mi) of tephra.
  • Yellowstone hotspot; Island Park Caldera (size: 100 x 50 km); 2.1 Ma; VEI 8; 2,450 cubic kilometers (588 cu mi) of Huckleberry Ridge Tuff.
  • Cerro Galán (size: 32 km wide), Catamarca Province, northwestern Argentina; 2.2 Ma; VEI 8; 1,050 cubic kilometers (252 cu mi) of Cerro Galán Ignimbrite.

Large Neogene eruptions

Pliocene eruptions

Approximately 5.332 million years BP, the Pliocene epoch begins. Most eruptions before the Quaternary period have an unknown VEI.

Santa Rosa-Calico
Virgin Valley
McDermitt
Black Mountain
Silent Canyon
Timber Mountain
Stonewall
Long Valley
Lunar Crater
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Nevada/ California:
Volcanism locations.
Cochetopa
La Garita
Lake City
Platoro
Dotsero
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Colorado volcanism. Links: La Garita, Cochetopa and North Pass (North Pass), Lake City, and Dotsero.
Valles
Socorro
Potrillo
Zuni-Bandera
Carizzozo
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New Mexico volcanism. Links: Valles, Socorro, Potrillo, Carrizozo, and Zuni-Bandera.

Miocene eruptions

Approximately 23.03 million years BP, the Neogene period and Miocene epoch begin.

Volcanism before the Neogene

  • Paleogene ends 23 million years ago.
    • The formation of the Chilcotin Group basalts occurs between 10–6 million years ago.
    • The formation of the Columbia River Basalt Group occurs between 17 and 6 million years ago.
    • La Garita Caldera erupts in the Wheeler Geologic Area, Central Colorado volcanic field, Colorado, USA, eruption several VEI 8 events (Possibly as high as a VEI 9), 5,000 cubic kilometers (1,200 cu mi) of Fish Canyon Tuff was blasted out in a single, major eruption about 27.8 million years ago.
    • Unknown source in Ethiopia erupts 29 million years ago with at least 3,000 cubic kilometers (720 cu mi) of Green Tuff and SAM.
    • Sam Ignimbrite in Yemen forms 29.5 million years ago, at least 5,550 cubic kilometers (1,332 cu mi) of distal tuffs associated with the ignimbrites.
    • Jabal Kura’a Ignimbrite in Yemen forms 29.6million years ago, at least 3,700 cubic kilometers (888 cu mi) of distal tuffs associated with the ignimbrites.
    • The Ethiopian Highlands flood basalt begins 30 million years ago
  • About 33.9 million ago, the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene period begins
    • The Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up begins 40 million years ago and lasts until 25 million years ago.
    • Bennett Lake Volcanic Complex erupts 50 million years ago with a VEI 7 850 cubic kilometers (204 cu mi) of tephra.
    • Canary hotspot is believed to have first appeared about 60 million years ago.
    • Formation of the Brito-Arctic province begins 61 million years ago
    • Réunion hotspot, Deccan Traps, India, formed between 60 and 68 million years ago which are thought to have played a role in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
    • The Louisville hotspot has produced the Louisville Ridge, it is active for at least 80 million years. It may have originated the Ontong Java Plateau around 120 million years ago.
    • Hawaii hotspot, Meiji Seamount is the oldest extant seamount in the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, with an estimated age of 82 million years.
    • The Kerguelen Plateau begins forming 110 million years ago.
    • The Rahjamal Traps form from 117 to 116 million years ago.
    • The Ontong Java Plateau forms from 125 to 120 million years ago
    • Paraná and Etendeka traps, Brazil, Namibia and Angola form from 128 to 138 million years ago. 132 million years ago, a possible supervolcanic eruption occurred, ejecting 8,600 cubic kilometers (2,063 cu mi).
    • Formation of the Karoo-Ferrar flood basalts begins 183 million years ago.
  • The flood basalts of the Central Atlantic magmatic province are thought to have contributed to the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event about 199 million years ago.
  • The Siberian Traps are thought to have played a significant role in the Permian–Triassic extinction event 252 million years ago.
    • Formation of the Emeishan Traps began 260 million years ago.
  • The Late Devonian extinction occurs about 374 million years ago.
  • The Ordovician–Silurian extinction event occurs between 450 and 440 million years ago.
    • Glen Coe, Scotland; VEI 8; 420 million years ago
    • Scafells, Lake District, England; VEI 8; Ordovician (488.3–443.7 million years ago).
    • Flat Landing Brook; VEI 8, A Supervolcanic eruption occurred 466 million years ago, as it erupted in one of the largest explosive volcanic eruptions known in Earth's history with a volume of ejecta at around 2,000–12,000 cubic kilometers (480–2,879 cu mi).
  • The Phanerozoic eon begins 539 million years ago.
    • Midcontinent Rift System of North America begins forming 1,000 million years ago.
    • Mackenzie Large Igneous Province forms 1,270 million years ago.
    • Mistassini dike swarm and Matachewan dike swarm form 2,500 million years ago.
    • Blake River Megacaldera Complex forms 2,704–2,707 million years ago.
  • Approximately 2,500 million years ago, the Proterozoic eon of the Precambrian period begins
  • About 3,800 million years ago, the Archean eon of the Precambrian period begins

See also

  • Decade Volcanoes – Set of volcanoes considered especially dangerous
  • Dense-rock equivalent – Volcanologic calculation to estimate eruption volume
  • Volcanic winter of 536 – Cooling period in Northern Hemisphere caused by volcanic eruptions
  • Geologic timeline of Western North America
  • Hotspot (geology) – Volcanic region hotter than the surrounding mantle
  • List of largest volcanic eruptions
  • List of volcanoes in Iceland
  • List of volcanoes in Mexico
  • List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea
  • Lists of volcanoes
  • Ring of Fire – Tectonic belt of earthquakes and volcanoes
  • Stratospheric sulfur aerosols – Type of solar radiation modification
  • Supervolcano – Volcano that has had an eruption with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 8
  • Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt – Active volcanic belt that covers central-southern Mexico
  • Volcanic arc – Chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate
  • Volcanic explosivity index – Predictive qualitative scale for explosiveness of volcanic eruptions
  • Volcanic winter – Temperature anomaly event caused by a volcanic eruption
  • Year Without a Summer – 1816 volcanic winter climate event

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