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Gunungapi Island

Banda Api

Caldera · Indonesia · 596m

The 640-m-high symmetrical volcano of Banda Api, the most active of a chain of volcanoes in Indonesia's Banda Sea, forms a small 3-km-wide island within a largely submerged 7-km-wide caldera. This May 19, 1988, view from the south shows vegetation damage from the 1988 eruption and the southern half of a prominent arcuate fissure that extended from the south coast through the summit to 200 m above the north coast. The still-steaming narrow black lava flow entering the sea to the left of center is one of four erupted in 1988.
The 640-m-high symmetrical volcano of Banda Api, the most active of a chain of volcanoes in Indonesia's Banda Sea, forms a small 3-km-wide island within a largely submerged 7-km-wide caldera. This May 19, 1988, view from the south shows vegetation damage from the 1988 eruption and the southern half of a prominent arcuate fissure that extended from the south coast through the summit to 200 m above the north coast. The still-steaming narrow black lava flow entering the sea to the left of center is one of four erupted in 1988. · Photo: Photo by Tom Casadevall, 1988 (U.S. Geological Survey). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Caldera
Country
Indonesia
Region
Sunda-Banda Volcanic Regions / Inner Banda Volcanic Arc
Elevation
596m
Coordinates
-4.523, 129.881
Last eruption
1988
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Dacite
Geological summary

The 3-km-wide island of Banda Api is the northern-most volcano in the Banda arc and has a long period of recorded observation because of its key location in the Portuguese and Dutch spice trade. The basaltic-to-rhyodacitic volcano is located in the SW corner of a mostly submerged 7 km caldera. At least two episodes of caldera formation are thought to have occurred, with the arcuate islands of Lonthor and Neira considered to be pre-caldera remnants. A conical peak rises to about 600 m at the center of the island. Eruptions have been recorded since 1586 CE, mostly consisting of Strombolian eruptions from the summit crater, but larger explosive eruptions have occurred and occasional lava flows have reached the coast.

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1586~1626 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 31626~1666 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31666~1707 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31707~1747 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21747~1787 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 21787~1827 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 21827~1867 · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?1867~1908 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21948~1988 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 315861666178718671948

Detailed timeline

  1. 1988VEI 3Observed
    1988-05-09 – 1988-05-17
    Summit, north and south flanks
  2. 1902VEI ?Geological estimate
    1902-03-20 – Ongoing
  3. 1901VEI 2Observed
    1901-05-18 – Ongoing
    Summit and north flank
  4. 1890VEI 2Observed
    1890-11-23 – 1890-11-23
  5. 1855VEI ?Geological estimate
    1855-12-29 – 1855-12-30
  6. 1835VEI ?Geological estimate
    1835-10 – Ongoing
  7. 1825VEI 1Observed
    1825 – 1831
  8. 1824VEI 2Observed
    1824-04-22 – 1824-06-28
    North side
  9. 1820VEI 2Observed
    1820-06-11 – 1820-08-08
    Summit, south and NNW flanks
  10. 1816VEI 2Observed
    1816-10-11 – 1816-12
  11. 1778VEI 2Observed
    1778 – Ongoing
  12. 1775VEI 2Observed
    1775 – Ongoing
  13. 1773VEI 2Observed
    1773-02-06 – Ongoing
  14. 1765VEI 2Observed
    1765-04-19 – 1766-10
  15. 1762VEI 2Observed
    1762 – Ongoing
  16. 1749VEI 2Observed
    1749 – Ongoing
  17. 1722VEI 2Observed
    1722 – Ongoing
  18. 1712VEI 2Observed
    1712-05 – 1712-12
  19. 1690VEI 3Observed
    1690 – 1696-05-22
  20. 1683VEI 3Observed
    1683 – Ongoing
  21. 1635VEI 1Observed
    1635-11-18 – Ongoing
  22. 1632VEI 3Observed
    1632-12-16 – Ongoing
  23. 1615VEI 3Observed
    1615-03-16 – 1615-04
  24. 1614VEI ?Geological estimate
    1614 – Ongoing
  25. 1609VEI 3Observed
    1609 – Ongoing
  26. 1598VEI 3Observed
    1598 – 1602
  27. 1586VEI 3Observed
    1586-04-17 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.