Stromboli volcano, Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie), Sicily, Italy

Major historic eruptive events, 1558-1996

This is mainly based on the list given in the appendix of Barberi et al. (1993) but contains info also from other sources as well as more recent (post-summer-1990) events. Lava flow emissions, pyroclastic flows and highly explosive events are emphasized in boldface. Capitals indicate inactivity.

• 1558 -- arable land destroyed
• 1619 -- ejection of pumice
• 27 Mar 1638 -- ashfall
• 5 May 1688 -- ashfall
• 1 Sep 1693 -- increased activity
• Mar 1744 -- lava flow
• Oct 1768 -- lava flow and vegetation ignited
• 1770 -- submarine eruption with lava flow
• 1-2 Mar 1778 -- increased activity
• 5-7 Feb 1783 -- strong explosions
• 1788 -- ashfall
• 22 Oct 1822 -- strong explosions, pyroclastic flows and destruction of arable land
• 1830 -- lava flow
• 1831 -- lava flow
• 1833 -- increased activity
• 1834 -- lava flow
• Sep 1834 -- increased activity
• 25 Jul 1836 -- lava flow
• 1839 -- lava flow
• 1850 -- strong explosions , block fallout, one house damaged
• 3-4 Oct 1855 -- lava fountains and scoria fall
• 1857 -- NO ACTIVITY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
• 26 Jan - 5 Feb 1865 -- increased activity
• Sep 1865 -- increased activity
• 1870 -- increased activity (plume seen from Panarea)
• Jun 1874 -- strong explosions
• 1 Sep 1874 -- increased activity
• 4-5 Feb 1879 -- strong explosions , ashfalls, ejection of pumice; tsunami
• 3-8 Jun 1879 -- strong explosions , ashfalls, vegetation ignited, lava fountains
• 15-18 Oct 1881 -- ash and block fallout
• 30 Jan 1882 -- ash and block fallout
• 13 Mar 1882 -- increased activity
• 25 Apr 1882 -- increased activity
• 17-30 Nov 1882 -- strong explosions , new vents active, block fallout and landslides
• 8-9 Feb 1883 -- increased activity
• 16 Mar 1883 -- ejection of "pumice"
• 22 Jan 1886 -- increased activity
• 31 Jan 1887 -- increased activity
• 31 Mar 1887 -- strong explosions , ejection of "pumice"
• 18 Nov 1887 -- ejection of "pumice"
• Oct 1888 - June 1889 -- lava flow
• 23 Oct 1888 -- strong lava fountaining
• June 1889 - 1890 -- NO ACTIVITY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
• 24-28 Jul 1891 -- lava flow, strong explosions, block fallout and one house damaged by air shock
• 31 Aug 1891 -- strong spatter ejections , vegetation ignited
• 5 Nov 1892 -- increased activity
• 30 Jan 1893 -- increased activity
• 11 Aug 1893 -- increased activity
• 29 Mar 1895 -- increased activity
• 13 Jul 1897 -- increased activity
• 17 Jul 1897 -- increased activity
• 24-25 Aug 1898 -- strong spattering forming rootless ("secondary") lava flow
• 20 Oct 1898 -- increased activity
• 25 Oct 1898 -- increased activity
• Apr-Oct 1900 -- lava flow
• 10 Apr 1900 -- increased activity
• 20 May 1900 -- increased activity
• 19 Jul 1900 -- increased activity
• 22 Aug 1900 -- ashfall
• 19 Oct 1900 -- pyroclastic flows (? "hot avalanches") and ashfall
• 8 Mar 1901 -- increased activity
• 29 Dec 1901 -- increased activity
• Jan-Jul 1903 -- lava flow
• 22 Jan 1903 -- increased activity
• 9 Mar 1903 -- increased activity
• 14 Mar 1903 -- increased activity
• Oct 1903 -- lava flow
• 11 Nov 1903 -- increased activity
• 19 Mar 1904 -- increased activity
• 22 Aug 1904 -- increased activity
• Feb-Dec 1905 -- intermittent lava flows
• 25 Feb 1905 -- possible lava flows for 6 hours
• 15 Mar 1905 -- lava flow
• 17 Mar 1905 -- increased activity
• 16 Apr 1905 -- strong explosions with lapilli falls to 4 km away; one person injured
• 27 Sep 1905 -- ashfall
• 19 Jan 1906 -- "secondary" lava flows
• 11-16 Jul 1906 -- strong explosions and pyroclastic flows , vegetation ignited
• 11 Jan 1907 -- ashfall
• 27-31 Jan 1907 -- lava flow to the sea
• 13 Apr 1907 -- increased activity
• 27 Apr 1907 -- very powerful explosions causing ashfalls as far as Messina (some 80 km away), some damage to buildings on the island, vegetation ignited
• June 1907 - May 1910 -- PERIOD OF INACTIVITY
• Jun-Aug 1912 -- very strong explosive activity with lava fountains 700 m high, ashfalls to Calabria and Sicily
• 27-31 Aug 1912 -- strong activity
• Oct-Nov 1912 -- block falls on village of Stromboli
• 25 Oct 1912 -- eruption from radial fissure on Sciara del Fuoco
• Apr-Nov 1914 -- intermittent lava flows
• 18 Jun - 20 Dec 1915 -- intermittent lava flows, strong explosions and possible pyroclastic flows
• 25 Dec 1915 -- increased activity
• 5 Jan 1916 -- increased activity
• Jun 1916 -- very strong explosions and lava flows
• 2 Jul 1916 -- powerful explosions
• 3 Jul 1916 -- lava flows and strong explosions
• 4 Jul 1916 -- strong explosions , ash and block fallout and vegetation ignited
• 4-29 Jul 1916 -- lava flow into the sea
• 22 May 1919 -- Major explosion, large bombs and blocks on Stromboli and Ginostra villages, ash to Sicily, tsunami, great damage; FOUR PEOPLE KILLED and several injured
• 16 Jun 1921 -- increased activity
• 22 Jun 1921 -- increased activity
• 20 Aug 1922 -- increased activity
• Dec 1923 -- increased activity
• Apr 1924 -- lava flow
• 1929 -- lava flow
• 3-6 Feb 1930 -- lava flow and ashfall
• 11 Sep 1930 -- most disastrous eruption on record: violent explosions, pyroclastic flows to the sea, numerous buildings destroyed, lava flows; SIX PEOPLE KILLED and 22 injured see detailed description of this eruption
• 22 Oct 1930 -- strong explosions and lava fountains, vegetation ignited
• 1-2 Dec 1930 -- lava flow
• 23 Apr 1931 -- increased activity
• 7 Jul 1931 -- increased activity
• Jul 1931 - May 1932 -- NO ACTIVITY
• 3 Jun 1932 -- increased activity
• Jun 1932 - Feb 1933 -- NO ACTIVITY
• Mar 1933 - Feb 1934 -- NO ACTIVITY
• 2 Feb 1934 -- powerful explosive activity and block fallout near Stromboli village, houses damaged by air shock
• 21 Aug 1934 -- increased activity
• 21 Jul - 27 Aug 1935 -- lava flow
• 31 Jan 1936 -- strong explosions and lava flow , vegetation ignited and some structural damage
• 12 May 1936 -- increased activity
• 22 Aug 1936 -- increased activity
• 26-27 Oct 1936 -- strong explosions
• 11 Jan - 12 Nov 1938 -- intermittent lava flows
• 10 Jan - 8 Jun 1939 -- intermittent lava flows
• 22 Aug 1941 -- violent lava fountaining (to 1000 m above craters!) and block fallout near villages, houses damaged by air shock
• Dec 1943 - Oct 1944 -- intermittent lava flows
• 3 Dec 1943 -- powerful explosions , vegetation ingnited, houses damaged
• 25 Jan 1944 -- increased activity, vegetation ignited
• 20 Aug 1944 -- strong explosions, pyroclastic flows and tsunami; one house destroyed
• 1946 -- lava flow
• 6-9 Jun 1949 -- lava flow
• 20-23 Oct 1950 -- strong explosions , vegetation ignited
• 7 Jun 1952 -- ashfall on Ginostra
• 7-22 Jun 1952 -- intermittent lava flows
• 25 Nov 1953 -- increased activity
• 30 Jan 1954 -- increased activity
• 1 Feb 1954 -- strong explosions, pyroclastic flow , ashfall and tsunami
• 1 Feb - 13 Mar 1954 -- lava flow
• 28 Feb - 22 Mar 1955 -- lava extrusion at base of Sciara del Fuoco (fed from lava tunnel from summit craters?)
• 1 Jan - 16 Mar 1956 -- intermittent lava flows
• 5-12 Feb 1958 -- strong explosions, lava flow
• 31 May - 5 June 1958 -- lava flow
• 19 May 1959 -- strong explosions
• 8-11 Jul 1959 -- strong explosions
• 12-13 Aug 1959 -- minor lava emissions
• 6-10 Sep 1959 -- strong explosions, lava flow
• 9-12 Apr 1966 -- lava flow
• 19 Apr - 13 Aug 1967 -- continuous lava effusion
• mid-Aug 1967 - May 1968 -- NO ERUPTIVE ACTIVITY
• 31 Mar 1971 -- lava flow and increased explosive activity
• 1 May 1971 -- lava flow and increased explosive activity
• Dec 1972 -- ashfall in Stromboli village
• May 1973 -- increased activity
• 19 Sep 1974 -- strong explosion
• 4 Nov 1975 -- ashfall
• 4-24 Nov 1975 -- lava flow
• 6 Dec 1985 -- strong explosions, pyroclastic flow
• 6 Dec 1985 - 26 Apr 1986 -- continuous lava outflow
• Jul 1986 -- tourist killed at the craters
• 30 Aug 1988 -- increased activity
• 25 Mar 1989 -- strong explosions, one person injured ; vegetation ignited
• 15 Apr 1990 -- increased activity, ashfall in Stromboli village
• Jun-Nov 1990 -- strongly increased explosive activity
• Feb 1993 -- strong explosions , ashfall in Ginostra village
• May 1993 -- strongly increased explosive activity, intermittent lava flows
• 16 Oct 1993 -- strong explosions, one person injured
• 23 Oct 1993 -- Explosion reported in GVN Bulletin vol 18 No 10 is actually a confusion with the 16 October 1993 episode
• Jul-Oct 1994 -- strongly increased explosive activity; small lava flow
• 5 Mar 1995 -- strong explosions
• 16 Feb 1996 -- strong explosions
• 17 Apr - 1 Jun 1996 -- strongly increased explosive activity
• 1 Jun 1996 -- strong explosions; four people injured and bush fires

Continue with:

1. Before 1930

2. The eruption of 1930

3. Activity from 1930 until 1985

4. 1985-1995: A decade of Stromboli eruptive history (Part 1: General developments)

5. 1985-1995: A decade of Stromboli eruptive history (Part 2: The story in detail)

5. 1985-1995: A decade of Stromboli eruptive history (Part 3: images)

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