About the volcano
For centuries Pinatubo on Luzon was regarded as a dormant, forested peak. It awoke in 1991, and on 15 June produced a VEI 6 eruption – the second largest of the 20th century. Forecasts by Philippine and American volcanologists allowed tens of thousands of people to be evacuated, including Clark Air Base, saving many lives. The eruption coincided with a passing typhoon, and wet ash collapsed roofs. Some fifteen million tonnes of sulphur dioxide in the stratosphere lowered the Earth's average temperature the following year by about half a degree.
Eruption history
VEI – Volcanic Explosivity Index: 0 = lava outpouring, 4 = like Eyjafjallajökull 2010, 6 = like Pinatubo 1991, 7 = like Tambora 1815. The scale is logarithmic – each step is about 10 times more material.
| Start | End | VEI | Vent and dating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 16 February 1993 | 16 July 1993 | 1 | Caldera floor · Observations: Reported |
| 9 July 1992 | 30 October 1992 | 1 | Center of caldera lake · Observations: Reported |
| 2 April 1991 | 2 September 1991 | 6 | Lower north flank and summit · Observations: Reported |
| 1450 ± 50 years | — | 5 | Isotopic: 14C (calibrated) |
| 1,050 BCE ± 500 years | — | 6 | Isotopic: 14C (calibrated) |
| c. 3,550 BCE | — | 6 | Isotopic: 14C (calibrated) |
| 7,030 BCE ± 300 years | — | ? | Isotopic: 14C (calibrated) |
| 7,460 BCE ± 150 years | — | 6 | Tayawan caldera · Isotopic: 14C (calibrated) |
Data: Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution (#273083) · Wikipedia (pl) · Wikipedia (en)