This is a list of volcanic eruptions in the 21st century with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 4 or higher, and smaller eruptions that resulted in fatalities, significant damage or disruptions.
As of, the largest volcanic eruption of the 21st century is the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami, and the deadliest are the 2018 Volcán de Fuego eruption and the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami.
| VEI | Volcano | Country | Year | data-sort-type="number" | Max plume height (km) | data-sort-type="number" | Material volume (km3) | data-sort-type="number" | Fatalities | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4? | Mount Ruang | Indonesia | 2024 | 23[1] | Thousands of homes were destroyed.[2] Volcanic ash was reported as far away as Manado and several areas in Gorontalo. Airlines from West Malaysia and Singapore cancelled flights to Sabah and Sarawak on 18 April due to reduced visibility.[3] [4] The eruption also prompted the shutdown of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in North Sulawesi.[5] All 843 residents of Ruang island were evacuated to Manado, while 12,000 residents of Tagulandang were relocated to Siau Island by ship.[6] On 17 and 30 April, authorities raised the volcano's alert level to four, the highest in Indonesia and issued a tsunami alert which led to orders for 11,000 residents and evacuees in Tagulandang to be moved to Manado in mainland Sulawesi, citing the risk of the volcano collapsing into the sea.[7] | |||||
| 4? | Sheveluch[8] | Russia | 2023 | 20 | An eruption on April 11 ejected a cloud of volcanic gas and ash that reached a height of 20km (10miles) and spread over an area of 108000km2.[9] Pyroclastic flows from the eruption traveled up to 19km (12miles) away from the volcano.[10] | |||||
| 3 | Bezymianny[11] | Russia | 2022 | 15 | An eruption on May 28 sent ash to an altitude of 15 km, causing some disruptions to flights in the North Pacific, including an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Tokyo that diverted back to Los Angeles midway across the Pacific, landing after approximately 12 hours in the air. | |||||
| 5-6 | Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai[12] | Tonga | 2022 | 58 | 6–10[13] [14] [15] | 6 | The explosive submarine eruption began on December 20, 2021, with the largest explosion occurring on January 15, 2022. Satellite measurements recorded an eruption column of at least into the atmosphere.[16] The explosion was hundreds times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima,[17] and was heard as far as Fairbanks, Alaska, nearly 10,000 km away. Fluctuations in air pressure were recorded all over the world as the pressure wave fully circled the world several times. Two people were killed in Peru by a 2-metre tsunami wave. A British woman was found to have been killed by the tsunami in Tonga.[18] | |||
| 4 | Mount Semeru[19] | Indonesia | 2021 | 12 | 57 | An eruption began on December 4, and ejected a cloud of volcanic ash into the air, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 100 others. | ||||
| 4 | Fukutoku-Okanoba[20] | Japan | 2021 | 16 | Submarine volcano approximately 1,300 km south of Tokyo. In October, a large amount of pumice was seen to have been released in this eruption, and washed ashore on Okinawa and Amami Islands.[21] [22] [23] | |||||
| 4 | La Soufrière[24] | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2021 | 16 | 0.3 | |||||
| 4 | Taal[25] | Philippines | 2020 | 15 | 39 | A phreatomagmatic eruption from the main crater spewed ashes to Calabarzon, Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Pangasinan. 39 people were killed.[26] | ||||
| 4 | Ulawun[27] | Papua New Guinea | 2019 | 19.2 | On 26 June Ulawun erupted, sending an ash plume to at least 19,000 m (63,000 ft).[28] Other large eruptions occurred on 2 August, also sending ash to 19,000 m (63,000 ft).[29] | |||||
| 4 | Raikoke[30] | Russia | 2019 | 17 | First eruption since 1924. At approximately 4 am, 22 June it erupted, with a plume of ash and gas reaching between 13,000 m (43,000 ft) and 17,000 m (56,000 ft), passing the tropopause and allowing stratospheric injection of ash and sulfur dioxide.[31] | |||||
| 3 | Volcán de Fuego | Guatemala | 2018 | 15 | 190–2,900 | At least 190 people were killed in the volcano's most powerful eruption since 1974. Ash forced the closure of La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City.[32] [33] | ||||
| 4 | Volcán Wolf[34] | Ecuador | 2015 | 15 | ||||||
| 4 | Calbuco[35] | Chile | 2015 | 21 | 0.3–0.6[36] | First eruption since 1972. At least 4,000 people evacuated. No casualties reported.[37] | ||||
| 4 | Manam | Papua New Guinea | 2014-ongoing | 19.8 | ||||||
| 3 | Sangeang Api[38] | Indonesia | 2014 | 15.2 | Ash drifted SE, grounding flights between south-east Asia and Darwin, Australia.[39] | |||||
| 4 | Kelud[40] | Indonesia | 2014 | 26 | 0.2–0.3[41] | 7 | Ash was ejected to an altitude exceeding 26 km. 7 people were killed and at least 100,000 people were evacuated. At least one commercial aircraft flew into the plume, later landing safely but incurring costly engine damage.[42] | |||
| 4 | Mount Sinabung[43] | Indonesia | 2013-2019 | 16.8 | 23 | Mount Sinabung's eruptions caused many pyroclastic flows, one resulting in the loss of 16 lives.[44] An eruption on May 22, 2016, resulted in the loss of 7 lives.[45] | ||||
| 4 | Nabro[46] | Eritrea | 2011 | 18 | 0.47[47] | 31[48] | 2011 Nabro eruption | |||
| 5 | Cordón Caulle[49] | Chile | 2011-2012 | 14 | 0.75–1.3[50] | The 2011–2012 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption began on June 4, 2011, causing major flight disruptions across the southern hemisphere, including South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. | ||||
| 4 | Grímsvötn[51] | Iceland | 2011 | 20 | 0.7[52] | 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn | ||||
| 4 | Mount Merapi[53] | Indonesia | 2010 | 18.3 | 353 | 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi | ||||
| 4 | Eyjafjallajökull[54] | Iceland | 2010 | 9 | 0.25[55] | A series of eruptions between March and June caused the worst flight disruption over Europe since the Second World War.[56] Over an eight-day period, an estimated 107,000 flights, representing 48% of total air traffic and 10 million passengers, were canceled.[57] According to the IATA, The total loss to the airline industry was around $1.7 billion.[58] | ||||
| 4 | Sarychev Peak[59] | Russia | 2009 | 21 | 0.4[60] | |||||
| 3 | Mount Redoubt[61] | Alaska, United States | 2009 | 20 | 2009 Mount Redoubt eruptive activity | |||||
| 4 | Kasatochi[62] | Alaska, United States | 2008 | 13.7 | 0.15–0.28[63] | |||||
| 4 | Chaitén[64] | Chile | 2008 | 30 | 0.5–1[65] | 1[66] | The town of Chaitén, located about 10 km southwest of the eruption site, was blanketed with ash. About 4,000 people who lived there were evacuated by boat. One elderly person died during the evacuation efforts. On May 6, the eruption became more forceful and generated a wider and darker gray ash plume to an estimated altitude of 30,000 m (98,400 ft) into the stratosphere. All remaining people in Chaitén were ordered to evacuate, as well as anyone within 50 km of the volcano. | |||
| 4 | Mount Okmok[67] | Alaska, United States | 2008 | 20 | 0.26[68] | |||||
| 4 | Mount Tavurvur[69] | Papua New Guinea | 2006-2010 | 18 | ||||||
| 4 | Manam[70] | Papua New Guinea | 2004 | 24 | ||||||
| 4 | Volcán el Reventador[71] | Ecuador | 2002 | 17 | 0.37[72] | |||||
| 4 | Mount Ruang[73] | Indonesia | 2002 | 16 |
| VEI | Volcano | Country | Year | data-sort-type="number" | Fatalities | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mount Marapi[74] | Indonesia | 2023 | 23[75] | 2023 eruption of Mount Marapi | |
| 2 | Popocatépetl[76] | Mexico | 2022 | 1 | One woman was killed and 2 other climbers were injured after being hit by hot volcanic rock during an ascent to the crater on June 22.[77] | |
| 2 | Whakaari / White Island[78] | New Zealand | 2019 | 22 | On 9 December a phreatic eruption launched rock and ash into the air, killing 22 of the 47 people on the island, including two who are missing and declared dead. A further twenty-five people suffered injuries, including severe burns. | |
| 2 | Mount Stromboli[79] | Italy | 2019 | 1 | A hiker was killed and several others were injured after the volcano's strongest eruption since 2002. The Italian Navy was deployed and evacuated dozens of the island's residents.[80] | |
| 3 | Krakatoa[81] | Indonesia | 2018 | 426 | A major eruption triggered a tsunami that killed at least 420 people and injured 14,000 others.[82] [83] As a result of the landslide, the height of the volcano was reduced from 338 meters to 110 meters.[84] | |
| 3 | Ambae[85] | Vanuatu | 2018 | During a series of eruptions, volcanic ash blackened the sky, buried crops and destroyed homes. Over the course of the year, the island's 11,000 population was forced to evacuate several times.[86] | ||
| 3 | Mount Agung[87] | Indonesia | 2017-2019 | Eruptions from 2017 - 2019 caused thousands to be evacuated, disrupted flights and a decline in tourism to Bali. | ||
| 1 | Dieng Volcanic Complex[88] | Indonesia | 2017 | 8 | On July 2 a rescue helicopter crashed, killing all 4 crewmen and 4 rescuers on board. 11 tourists near the crater were injured.[89] | |
| 2 | Mount Etna[90] | Italy | 2017 | An eruption on 16 March injured 10 people, including a BBC News television crew, after magma exploded upon contact with snow.[91] [92] | ||
| 3 | Mount Ontake[93] | Japan | 2014 | 63 | A phreatic eruption and pyroclastic flow occurred without warning, killing 63 people. Deadliest eruption in Japan since 1902, first volcano-related deaths in Japan since 1991. | |
| 2 | Gamalama[94] | Indonesia | 2011 | 4[95] | ||
| 3 | Pacaya[96] | Guatemala | 2010 | 3[97] | On May 27, at approximately 20:00 hours there was a strong eruption ejecting debris and ash columns up to followed by several tremors. Ash rained down in many cities to the northwest of the volcano, including Guatemala City.[98] The volcanic ash fall pelted the capital and La Aurora International Airport. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) declared a red alert for the communities near the volcano and recommended the evacuation of some of them. Noti7 reporter Anibal Archila, one of the first to cover the event, was reportedly killed by volcanic debris.[99] | |
| 3 | Jabal al-Tair[100] | Yemen | 2007 | 7 | An eruption on the Red Sea island killed at least 7 soldiers and spewed lava and ash hundreds of metres into the air.[101] | |
| 1 | Raoul Island[102] | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 2006 | 1 | An eruption on 17 March killed conservation worker Mark Kearney, who was measuring the water temperature of Green Lake.[103] | |
| 3 | Santa Ana[104] | El Salvador | 2005 | 2 | Two farmers were killed when chunks of earth and boiling water flowed down the slopes of the volcano.[105] | |
| 2 | Mount Bromo[106] | Indonesia | 2004 | 2 | An eruption on June 8 killed two people who had been hit by rocks from the explosion.[107] |
| VEI | Volcano | Country | Year | data-sort-type="number" | Fatalities | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Sundhnúkur[108] | Iceland | 2023-2024 | 2023–2024 Sundhnúkur eruptions | ||
| 0 | Mauna Loa[109] | Hawaii, United States | 2022 | 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa | ||
| 3 | Cumbre Vieja[110] | Canary Islands, Spain | 2021 | 1 | Strombolian fissure eruption resulting in one person dead, over one billion dollars in damage and the destruction of over 2,500 buildings. | |
| 1 | Mount Nyiragongo | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2021 | 32 | Effusive eruption resulting in the destruction of 1,000 homes. | |
| 3 | Kilauea[111] | Hawaii, United States | 2018 | Most destructive volcanic event in the United States since the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Lava flows forced the evacuation of populated areas, destroyed over 700 homes, roads and utilities, causing at least $800 million (2018 USD) of property damage. | ||
| 3 | Pico do Fogo[112] | Cape Verde | 2014-2015 | 2014–15 Fogo eruption | ||
| 0 | Holuhraun[113] | Iceland | 2014-2015 | 2014–2015 eruption of Bárðarbunga | ||
| 1 | Havre Seamount[114] | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 2012 | 2012 Kermadec Islands eruption | ||
| 2 | Tagoro[115] | Canary Islands, Spain | 2011-2012 | 2011–12 El Hierro eruption | ||
| 1 | Mount Nyiragongo[116] | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2002 | 245 | Large effusive eruption. At least 15% of Goma comprising 4,500 buildings was destroyed, leaving about 120,000 people homeless. |