1840 Eruption of Tinakula
Tinakula in the Solomon Islands erupted in 1840 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3.
Where it erupted
Tinakula, Solomon Islands, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- 1840
- Volcano
- Tinakula, stratovolcano
- Country
- Solomon Islands
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Pyroclastic flows, surges and direct blasts
- Location
- 10.386° S, 165.804° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
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.
Nuees ardentes swept all sides of the island, killing all inhabitants. Heavy seas prevented escape. (reference #9675)
Other significant eruptions of Tinakula
More
Every eruption in 1840The 1800sTinakulaEarthquakes near Tinakula
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 4446.