List of largest volcanic eruptions

In a volcanic eruption, lava, volcanic bombs, ash, and various gases are expelled from a volcanic vent and fissure. While many eruptions only pose dangers to the immediately surrounding area, Earth's largest eruptions can have a major regional or even global impact, with some affecting the climate and contributing to mass extinctions. Volcanic eruptions can generally be characterized as either explosive eruptions, sudden ejections of rock and ash, or effusive eruptions, relatively gentle outpourings of lava. A separate list is given below for each type.
There have probably been many such eruptions during Earth's history beyond those shown in these lists. However erosion and plate tectonics have taken their toll, and many eruptions have not left enough evidence for geologists to establish their size. Even for the eruptions listed here, estimates of the volume erupted can be subject to considerable uncertainty.

Explosive eruptions

In explosive eruptions, the eruption of magma is driven by the rapid release of pressure, often involving the explosion of gas previously dissolved within the material. The most famous and destructive historical eruptions are mainly of this type. An eruptive phase can consist of a single eruption, or a sequence of several eruptions spread over several days, weeks or months. Explosive eruptions usually involve thick, highly viscous, silicic or felsic magma, high in volatiles like water vapor and carbon dioxide. Pyroclastic materials are the primary product, typically in the form of tuff. Eruptions the size of that at Lake Toba 74,000 years ago, at least, or the Yellowstone eruption 640,000 years ago, around, occur worldwide every 50,000 to 100,000 years.

Volcano—eruption	Age	Location	Volume	Notes
Guarapuava —Tamarana—Sarusas		Paraná and Etendeka traps	8,600	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found. Additionally, the Sarusas quartz latite may have been erupted by multiple eruptions.
Santa Maria—Fria		Paraná and Etendeka traps	7,800	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Lake Toba Caldera—Youngest Toba Tuff		Sunda Arc, Indonesia	'	Largest known eruption on earth in at least the last million years with most estimates placing it at 2800 cubic kilometers, possibly responsible for a population bottleneck of the human species
Guarapuava —Ventura		Paraná and Etendeka traps	7,600	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Flat Landing Brook Eruption		Flat Landing Brook Formation	'	One of the largest and oldest supereruptions. Existence as a single eruption is controversial. Possibly a multiple 2,000+ km³ event under a million years.
Sam Ignimbrite and Green Tuff		Yemen		Volume includes 5550 km³ of distal tuffs. This estimate is uncertain to a factor of 2 or 3.
Goboboseb–Messum volcanic centre—Springbok quartz latite unit		Paraná and Etendeka traps, Brazil and Namibia	6,340	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Wah Wah Springs Tuff		Indian Peak-Caliente Caldera Complex		The largest of the Indian Peak-Caliente Caldera Complex, and includes flows over 4,000 meters thick at the most.
Caxias do Sul—Grootberg		Paraná and Etendeka traps	5,650	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
La Garita Caldera—Fish Canyon Tuff		San Juan volcanic field, Colorado	5,000	Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma.
Lund Tuff	29.2	Indian Peak-Caliente Caldera Complex	4,400	Formed the White Rock Caldera, one of the largest eruptions of the Mid-Tertiary Ignimbrite flareup.
Jacui—Goboboseb II		Paraná and Etendeka traps	4,350	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Ourinhos—Khoraseb		Paraná and Etendeka traps	3,900	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Jabal Kura'a Ignimbrite		Yemen		Volume estimate is uncertain to a factor of 2 or 3.
Windows Butte tuff		William's Ridge, central Nevada	3,500	Part of the Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up
Anita Garibaldi—Beacon		Paraná and Etendeka traps	3,450	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Oxaya ignimbrites		Chile	3,000	Really a regional correlation of many ignimbrites originally thought to be distinct
Gakkel Ridge Caldera		Gakkel Ridge	3,000	It is the only known supervolcano located directly on the mid-ocean ridge.
Grey's Landing Supereruption		Located in southern Idaho	>2,800	One of 2 previously unknown Yellowstone hotspot Supereruptions; Largest Yellowstone eruption.
Pacana Caldera—Atana ignimbrite		Chile	>3,500	Forms a resurgent caldera.
Mangakino Caldera—Kidnappers ignimbrite		Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand	2,760
Iftar Alkalb—Tephra 4 W		Afro-Arabian	2,700
Yellowstone Caldera—Huckleberry Ridge Tuff		Yellowstone hotspot		One of the largest Yellowstone eruptions on record
Nohi Rhyolite—Gero Ash-Flow Sheet		Honshū, Japan	2,200	Nohi Rhyolite total volume over 7,000 km³ in 70 to 72 Ma, Gero Ash-Flow Sheet being the largest
Whakamaru		Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand	2,000	Largest in the Southern Hemisphere in the Late Quaternary
Palmas BRA-21—Wereldsend		Paraná and Etendeka traps	1,900	The nature of eruption is disputed. Paraná Province suggests an effusive origin from local sources. No ashfall deposits have been found, and the erupted volume could be 2-3 times larger than listed if any ashfall deposits are found.
Kilgore tuff		Near Kilgore, Idaho	1,800	Last of the eruptions from the Heise volcanic field
McMullen Supereruption		Located in southern Idaho	>1,700	One of 2 previously unknown Yellowstone hotspot eruptions.
Sana'a Ignimbrite—Tephra 2W63		Afro-Arabian	1,600
Deicke and Millbrig		England, exposed in Northern Europe and Eastern US	1,509	One of the oldest large eruptions preserved
Blacktail tuff		Blacktail, Idaho	1,500	First of several eruptions from the Heise volcanic field
Mangakino Caldera—Rocky Hill		Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand	1,495
Aso Caldera		Kyushu, Japan	930–1,860	Aso-4 ignimbrite
Emory Caldera—Kneeling Nun tuff		Mogollon-Datil volcanic field	1,310
Omine-Odai Caldera—Murou pyroclastic flow		Honshū, Japan	1,260	A part of the large eruptions that occurred in southwest Japan to 13 to 15 Ma.
Timber Mountain tuff		Southwestern Nevada	1,200	Also includes a 900 cubic km tuff as a second member in the tuff
Paintbrush tuff		Southwestern Nevada	1,200	Related to a 1000 cubic km tuff as another member in the Paintbrush tuff
Bachelor—Carpenter Ridge tuff		San Juan volcanic field	1,200	Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma
Bursum—Apache Springs Tuff		Mogollon-Datil volcanic field	1,200	Related to a 1050 cubic km tuff, the Bloodgood Canyon tuff
Taupō Volcano—Oruanui eruption		Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand	1,170	Most recent VEI 8 eruption
Mangakino Caldera—Ongatiti–Mangatewaiiti		Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand	1,150
Huaylillas Ignimbrite		Bolivia	1,100	Predates half of the uplift of the central Andes
Bursum—Bloodgood Canyon Tuff		Mogollon-Datil volcanic field	1,050	Related to a 1200 cubic km tuff, the Apache Springs tuff
Okueyama Caldera		Kyūshū, Japan	1,030	A part of the large eruptions that occurred in southwest Japan to 13 to 15 Ma.
Yellowstone Caldera—Lava Creek Tuff		Yellowstone hotspot	1,000	Last large eruption in the Yellowstone National Park area estimated energy yield 875,000 megatons of tnt
Awasa Caldera		Main Ethiopian Rift	1,000
Cerro Galán		Catamarca Province, Argentina	1,000	Elliptical caldera is ~35 km wide
Paintbrush tuff		Southwestern Nevada	1,000	Related to a 1200 cubic km tuff as another member in the Paintbrush tuff
San Juan—Sapinero Mesa Tuff		San Juan volcanic field	1,000	Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma
Uncompahgre—Dillon & Sapinero Mesa Tuffs		San Juan volcanic field	1,000	Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma
Platoro—Chiquito Peak tuff		San Juan volcanic field	1,000	Part of at least 20 large caldera-forming eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field and surrounding area that formed around 26 to 35 Ma
Mount Princeton—Wall Mountain tuff		Thirtynine Mile volcanic area, Colorado	1,000	Helped cause the exceptional preservation at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Aira Caldera		Kyushu, Japan	940–1,040	Osumi pumice fall deposit, Ito ignimbrite, and Aira-Tanzawa ash fall deposit

Effusive eruptions

Effusive eruptions involve a relatively gentle, steady outpouring of lava rather than large explosions. They can continue for years or decades, producing extensive fluid mafic lava flows. For example, Kīlauea on Hawaii continuously erupted from 1983 to 2018, producing of lava covering more than. Despite their ostensibly benign appearance, effusive eruptions can be as dangerous as explosive ones: one of the largest effusive eruptions in history occurred in Iceland during the 1783–1784 eruption of Laki, which produced about of lava and killed one fifth of Iceland's population. The ensuing disruptions to the climate may also have killed millions elsewhere. Still larger were the Icelandic eruptions of Katla circa 934, with of erupted lava, and the Þjórsárhraun eruption of Bárðarbunga circa 6700 BCE, with lava erupted, the latter being the largest effusive eruption in the last 10,000 years. The lava fields of these eruptions measure 565 km², 700 km² and 950 km².

Eruption	Age	Location	Volume	Notes	Refs
Mahabaleshwar–Rajahmundry Traps		Deccan Traps, India	9,300
Wapshilla Ridge flows		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	5,000–10,000	Member comprises 8–10 flows with a total volume of ~50,000 km³
McCoy Canyon flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	4,300
Umtanum flows		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	2,750	Two flows with a total volume of 5,500 km³
Sand Hollow flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	2,660
Pruitt Draw flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	2,350
Museum flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	2,350
Moonaree Dacite		Gawler Range Volcanics, Australia	2,050	One of the oldest large eruptions preserved
Rosalia flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	1,900
Joseph Creek flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	1,850
Ginkgo Basalt		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	1,600
California Creek–Airway Heights flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	1,500
Stember Creek flow		Columbia River Basalt Group, United States	1,200

Large igneous provinces

Highly active periods of volcanism in what are called large igneous provinces have produced huge oceanic plateaus and flood basalts in the past. These can comprise hundreds of large eruptions, producing millions of cubic kilometers of lava in total. No large eruptions of flood basalts have occurred in human history, the most recent having occurred over 10 million years ago. They are often associated with breakup of supercontinents such as Pangea in the geologic record, and may have contributed to a number of mass extinctions. Most large igneous provinces have either not been studied thoroughly enough to establish the size of their component eruptions, or are not preserved well enough to make this possible. Many of the eruptions listed above thus come from just two large igneous provinces: the Paraná and Etendeka traps and the Columbia River Basalt Group. The latter is the most recent large igneous province, and also one of the smallest. A list of large igneous provinces follows to provide some indication of how many large eruptions may be missing from the lists given here.

Igneous province	Age	Location	Volume	Notes	Refs
Ontong Java–Manihiki–Hikurangi Plateau	121	Southwest Pacific Ocean		Largest igneous body on Earth, later split into three widely separated oceanic plateaus, with a fourth component perhaps now accreted onto South America. Possibly linked to the Louisville hotspot.
Kerguelen Plateau–Broken Ridge	112	South Indian Ocean, Kerguelen Islands		Linked to the Kerguelen hotspot. Volume includes Broken Ridge and the Southern and Central Kerguelen Plateau, but not the Northern Kerguelen Plateau.
North Atlantic Igneous Province	55.5	North Atlantic Ocean		Linked to the Iceland hotspot.
Mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up	32.5	Southwest United States: mainly in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico		Mostly andesite to rhyolite explosive to effusive eruptions, 25–40 Ma. Includes many volcanic centers, including the San Juan volcanic field.
Caribbean large igneous province	88	Caribbean–Colombian oceanic plateau		Linked to the Galápagos hotspot.
Siberian Traps	249.4	Siberia, Russia		A large outpouring of lava on land, believed to have caused the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest mass extinction ever.
Karoo-Ferrar	183	Mainly Southern Africa and Antarctica. Also South America, India, Australia and New Zealand		Formed as Gondwana broke up
Paraná and Etendeka traps	133	Brazil/Angola and Namibia		Linked to the Tristan hotspot
Central Atlantic magmatic province	200	Laurasia continents		Believed to be the cause of the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. Formed as Pangaea broke up
Deccan Traps	66	Deccan Plateau, India		A large igneous province of west-central India, believed to have been one of the causes of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Linked to the Réunion hotspot.
Emeishan Traps	256.5	Southwestern China		Possible cause of Capitanian mass extinction event, later may have contributed to the Permian–Triassic extinction event along with Siberian Traps.
Coppermine River Group	1267	Mackenzie Large Igneous Province/Canadian Shield		Consists of at least 150 individual flows.
Ethiopia-Yemen Continental Flood Basalts	28.5	Ethiopia/Yemen/Afar, Arabian-Nubian Shield		Associated with silicic, explosive tuffs
Columbia River Basalt Group	16	Pacific Northwest, United States		Well exposed by Missoula Floods in the Channeled Scablands.