May 9, 1772 Eruption of Gamalama
Gamalama in Indonesia erupted on May 9, 1772 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 35 people. It caused a tsunami.
Where it erupted
Gamalama, Indonesia, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- May 9, 1772
- Volcano
- Gamalama, stratovolcano
- Country
- Indonesia
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Location
- 0.810° N, 127.332° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 35
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.
1772, May 9. 30-40 slaves working at NW foot of the volcano were killed by glowing ash and rock. (reference #9675)
Other significant eruptions of Gamalama
More
Every eruption in 1772The 1700sGamalamaEarthquakes near GamalamaThis 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 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 617.