Famous Volcanic Eruptions
Eruption↕ | Location↕ | Year↕ | VEI Scale↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mount Vesuvius | Naples, Italy | 79 AD | 5 | Buried Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserved Roman life in ash, Pliny the Elder died observing it |
Krakatoa | Indonesia | 1883 | 6 | Loudest sound in recorded history (heard 3,000 miles away), global temperature drop, vivid sunsets worldwide |
Mount St. Helens | Washington, USA | 1980 | 5 | Lateral blast blew off the mountain's side, 57 killed, most studied eruption ever, ash across 11 states |
Tambora | Indonesia | 1815 | 7 | Largest eruption in recorded history, caused 'Year Without a Summer' (1816), global crop failures |
Mount Pinatubo | Philippines | 1991 | 6 | Cooled global temperatures by 0.5°C for 2 years, 800+ killed, Clark Air Base evacuated |
Santorini (Thera) | Greece | ~1600 BC | 7 | May have destroyed Minoan civilization, possible inspiration for Atlantis legend |
Mount Pelée | Martinique | 1902 | 4 | Destroyed Saint-Pierre in minutes, ~30,000 killed, only 2 survivors, deadliest eruption of 20th century |
Eyjafjallajökull | Iceland | 2010 | 4 | Shut down European airspace for 6 days, 10M travelers stranded, unpronounceable name went viral |
Laki | Iceland | 1783 | 4 | 8-month eruption, toxic haze killed 25% of Iceland's population, may have triggered French Revolution famine |
Mount Unzen | Japan | 1792 | 2-3 | Triggered mega-tsunami that killed 15,000, Japan's deadliest volcanic disaster |
Nevado del Ruiz | Colombia | 1985 | 3 | Lahars buried town of Armero, 23,000 killed, iconic photo of trapped girl Omayra Sánchez |
Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai | Tonga | 2022 | 5-6 | Largest atmospheric explosion since nuclear tests, tsunami reached 4 continents, mushroom cloud from space |
Mount Mazama (Crater Lake) | Oregon, USA | ~5700 BC | 7 | Collapse created Crater Lake — deepest lake in the US, sacred to Klamath people |
Yellowstone Supervolcano | Wyoming, USA | ~640,000 BC | 8 | Last supereruption created Yellowstone Caldera, could cover half of US in ash if it blew again |
Cotopaxi | Ecuador | 1877 | 4 | Perfect cone shape, lahars traveled 100km, one of the world's highest active volcanoes at 5,897m |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the Famous Volcanic Eruptions list ranked?
The Famous Volcanic Eruptions list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Famous Volcanic Eruptions dataset?
This dataset contains 15 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Famous Volcanic Eruptions data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 15-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in Science
Types of Microscopes
Light, electron, scanning probe or fluorescence - which microscope revolutionized how we see the invisible?
Types of Map Legend Symbol
Scale bars, compass roses, contour lines — which cartographic symbol is the most essential for reading a map?
Nobel Prize Laureates
All Nobel Prize winners across all categories.
Types of Astronomical Calendar Event
Solstices, equinoxes, perihelion — which celestial timing event is most fascinating?
SpaceX Launches
The 100 most recent SpaceX launches with mission name, date, rocket, success status, and details.
Subatomic Particles
Known subatomic particles in particle physics.
Famous Clinical Trials in History
Salk polio trial, Streptomycin TB study or RECOVERY COVID trial - which clinical trial saved the most lives?
Space Agencies & Companies
NASA, SpaceX, ESA, ISRO — the organizations racing to the stars, ranked by the earthlings watching.
Famous Mathematical Theorems
Pythagoras, Fermat's Last, Godel's Incompleteness or the Poincare Conjecture - which proof is the most beautiful?
Fields Medal Winners
All Fields Medal laureates — the highest honor in mathematics.
Types of Astronomical Spectral Class Star
O-type blue giants, G-type stars like our Sun, M-type red dwarfs — which stellar spectral class is the most fascinating?
Unsolved Problems in Mathematics
Famous unsolved problems in mathematics.