November 4, 1650 Eruption of Kolumbo
Kolumbo in Greece erupted on November 4, 1650 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. The eruption killed 20 people. It caused a tsunami.
Where it erupted
Kolumbo, Greece, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- November 4, 1650
- Volcano
- Kolumbo, volcanic complex
- Country
- Greece
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 4, large (eruption column 10 to 25 km)
- Killed by
- Waves or tsunami; Gas (from eruptive craters, fumaroles and solfataras)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Location
- 36.524° N, 25.483° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 20
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
On November 4, a large “short” explosion occurred, ejecting tephra to great heights. A small tsunami was reported just after the explosion. Gas clouds inundated north Thera, killing 20 people and many animals. Twenty people working in the nearby fields lost consciousness but were revived. Over the following days, activity died down. (reference #14508)
After October 10, the explosive episodes ceased, and only intermittent gas emissions were observed, the most significant of which occurred on November 4 (reference #4497)
Note: this is a submarine eruption of Kolumbo crate; impacts combined in the 1650 Sept 29 event.
Other significant eruptions of Kolumbo
More
Every eruption in 1650The 1600sKolumboEarthquakes near KolumboThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-10-01. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 7590.