Global Volcanism Program | Database Search - Eruptions

Database Search - Eruptions

"Volcanoes of the World" is a database describing the physical characteristics of volcanoes and their eruptions. This search returns a list of eruptions sorted by date. Results may be downloaded into an Excel spreadsheet. The download includes eruption type, maximum Volcanis Explosivity Index, start and end dates (when known), and the type of evidence for the eruption. A second spreadsheet page contains a list of events related to each eruption. References that contain eruption-related content used in the database is on a third page. Please cite this as: Global Volcanism Program, 2024. [Database] Volcanoes of the World (v. 5.2.8; 6 May 2025). Distributed by Smithsonian Institution, compiled by Venzke, E. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW5-2024.5.2

Eruption Search

Search is temporarily unavailable while we complete maintentance updates.
A spreadsheet is available that can be filtered as needed.

Download Excel Worksheet of Confirmed Holocene Eruptions

Clicking the Download file button will initiate a direct download. Depending on your personal settings, it may save to your local drive or open in your default application. Please cite this as: Global Volcanism Program, 2024. [Database] Volcanoes of the World (v. 5.2.8; 6 May 2025). Distributed by Smithsonian Institution, compiled by Venzke, E. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW5-2024.5.2

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). A simple 0-to-8 scale of increasing eruption explosivity, with each interval representing an order of magnitude increase. The VEI combines total volume of explosive products, eruptive cloud height, and other descriptive measures of eruption. As examples,the 1570 effusive eruption of Masaya (Nicaragua) was a VEI 0 event, the 1980 eruption of Mount St.Helens was a VEI 5, and the Pleistocene Lava Creek Tuff eruption of Yellowstone Calderas was a VEI 8. If the fields are left blank, the search will filter results based on VEI.

This field describes the compositions of rocks composing the volcano. If specific compositions are checked, the search will filter results for VOLCANOES that have that composition of rock, NOT specific eruptions of that composition. For example, checking "rhyolite" will filter for volcanoes that are composed partly of rhyolite, even if those volcanoes have also produced basaltic or andesitic eruptions. We can also get rid of the "No Data" button.

These terms filter results based upon the morphology of the volcano and specific features on or within that volcano. For example, a shield volcano may also have fissure vents, cinder cones, and a caldera. Similarly, a caldera may contain lava domes or craters.

Filters results based on what events took place during the erupsion. For example, whether lahars, pyroclastic flows, or lava flows were generated.

Discredited eruptions are observations or reports that GVP has determined were not eruptions. For example, the media may report an eruption for a steam emission. Uncertain eruptions are ambiguous eruptions. For example, an observation of "sheep's wool" in Indonesia may refer to a white or gray emission; the presence/absence of ash is uncertain

The volumes are presented as Bulk Volumes in units of m³.

Eruption date ranges should be entered with the older date first in MM/DD/YYYY format. For BCE dates, simply add a minus sign (e.g. to find the Minoan Eruption of Santorini, Greece in ~1610 BCE you might enter -1630 to -1600). For years before present (BP), check the BP box (e.g. to return all the eruptions in the last 1000 years you would check "BP" and enter 1000 to 0000). Users should be cautioned that start dates are known to the month for 53% and to the day for 41% of eruptions in the database. End dates are known for ~41% of eruptions in the database.

Only countries containing volcanoes with Holocene eruptions will be displayed in the dropdown.