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Vulcano

Stratovolcano · Italy · 500m

The island of Vulcano in Italy's Aeolian Islands is seen here from the volcano observatory on the island of Lipari to the north, with the volcanic peninsula of Vulcanello, initially formed in 183 BCE, in the foreground and Fossa cone in the background. Vulcano consists of at least three volcanic complexes, each of which is truncated by a small caldera. Volcanism has migrated to the north with Fossa cone being the dominant Holocene center. The latest eruption took place from 1888 to 1890.
The island of Vulcano in Italy's Aeolian Islands is seen here from the volcano observatory on the island of Lipari to the north, with the volcanic peninsula of Vulcanello, initially formed in 183 BCE, in the foreground and Fossa cone in the background. Vulcano consists of at least three volcanic complexes, each of which is truncated by a small caldera. Volcanism has migrated to the north with Fossa cone being the dominant Holocene center. The latest eruption took place from 1888 to 1890. · Photo: Photo by Richard Waitt, 1985 (U.S. Geological Survey). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Italy
Region
European Volcanic Regions / Aeolian Volcanic Arc
Elevation
500m
Coordinates
38.404, 14.962
Last eruption
1890
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Geological summary

The word volcano is derived from Vulcano stratovolcano in Italy's Aeolian Islands. Vulcano was constructed during six stages over the past 136,000 years. Two overlapping calderas, the 2.5-km-wide Caldera del Piano on the SE and the 4-km-wide Caldera della Fossa on the NW, were formed at about 100,000 and 24,000-15,000 years ago, respectively, and volcanism has migrated north over time. La Fossa cone, active throughout the Holocene and the location of most historical eruptions, occupies the 3-km-wide Caldera della Fossa at the NW end of the elongated 3 x 7 km island. The Vulcanello lava platform is a low, roughly circular peninsula on the northern tip of Vulcano that was formed as an island beginning more than 2,000 years ago and was connected to the main island in about 1550 CE. Vulcanello is capped by three pyroclastic cones and was active intermittently until the 16th century. Explosive activity took place at the Fossa cone from 1898 to 1900.

From Wikipedia

Vulcano or Vulcan is a small volcanic island belonging to Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 20 km (12 mi) north of Sicily and located at the southernmost end of the seven Aeolian Islands. The island is known for its volcanic activity and contains several volcanic calderas, including one of the four active volcanoes in Italy that are not submarine. The English word "volcano" and its equivalents in several European languages derive from the name of this island. The name derives from the Roman belief that the tiny island was the chimney of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. In November 2021, 150 people were evacuated from the island's harbour area due to increased volcanic activity and gases; an amber alert had been issued in October 2021 after several significant changes in the volcano's parameters. In the fall of 2025, volcanic unrest increased again with strong gas emissions reported on October 15, 2025.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
6550 BCE~6269 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?3736 BCE~3455 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02892 BCE~2610 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31485 BCE~1203 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31203 BCE~922 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0641 BCE~359 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 2359 BCE~78 BCE · 6 eruptions · max VEI 478 BCE~204 · 4 eruptions · max VEI ?485~766 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 3766~1048 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31048~1329 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21329~1611 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31611~1892 · 18 eruptions · max VEI 36550 BCE4580 BCE2329 BCE359 BCE1611

Detailed timeline

  1. 1892VEI 0Geological estimate
    1892-12-14 – Ongoing
    5 km east of Vulcanello
  2. 1888VEI 3Observed
    1888-08-02 – 1890-03-22
    Fossa
  3. 1886VEI 3Observed
    1886-01-05 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  4. 1873VEI 3Observed
    1873-09 – 1879
    Fossa
  5. 1831VEI 1Geological estimate
    1831 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  6. 1822VEI 2Geological estimate
    1822 – 1823
    Fossa
  7. 1812VEI 1Geological estimate
    1812 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  8. 1786VEI 3Geological estimate
    1786 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  9. 1780VEI 2Observed
    1780 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  10. 1775VEI ?Geological estimate
    1775 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  11. 1771VEI 3Observed
    1771-02-17 – 1771-05
    Fossa
  12. 1731VEI 3Observed
    1731 – 1739
    Fossa
  13. 1727VEI 3Observed
    1727 – Ongoing
    Forgia Vecchia II and Fossa
  14. 1688VEI ?Observed
    1688 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  15. 1651VEI ?Observed
    1651 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  16. 1631VEI ?Observed
    1631 – Ongoing
  17. 1626VEI 3Observed
    1626-03 – 1626-04
  18. 1618VEI ?Observed
    1618 – Ongoing
  19. 1550VEI 3Observed
    1550 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello III
  20. 1444VEI 3Observed
    1444-02-04 – Ongoing
  21. 1230 (±20 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1230 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  22. 1200 (±75 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    1200 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello
  23. 1040 (±75 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    1040 – Ongoing
  24. 925 (±25 yrs)VEI 3Observed
    925 – Ongoing
  25. 729VEI ?Observed
    729 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  26. 526VEI 3Observed
    526 – Ongoing
    Fossa and Vulcanello III?
  27. 144VEI ?Observed
    144 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  28. 50 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Observed
    50 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  29. 10 BCE (±10 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 10 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello
  30. 24 BCE (±5 yrs)VEI ?Observed
    BCE 24 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello ?
  31. 91 BCEVEI 3Observed
    BCE 91 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello
  32. 126 BCEVEI ?Observed
    BCE 126-06 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello
  33. 150 BCE (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 150 – Ongoing
  34. 183 BCEVEI 4Observed
    BCE 183 – Ongoing
    Vulcanello
  35. 215 BCEVEI ?Observed
    BCE 215 – Ongoing
    Offshore vent
  36. 300 BCEVEI 2Observed
    BCE 300 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  37. 360 BCE (±10 yrs)VEI 2Observed
    BCE 360 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  38. 475 BCEVEI ?Observed
    BCE 475 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  39. 950 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 950 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  40. 1300 BCEVEI 3Geological estimate
    BCE 1300 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  41. 2650 BCE (±1700 yrs)VEI 3Geological estimate
    BCE 2650 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  42. 3550 BCE (±1300 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 3550 – Ongoing
    Fossa
  43. 6350 BCE (±1600 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 6350 – Ongoing
  44. 6550 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 6550 – Ongoing
    NW side (Lentia)

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.