October 12, 1918 Eruption of Katla

Name: October 12, 1918 Eruption of Katla
Start: 1918-10-12
Location: Katla, Iceland

October 12, 1918 · VEI 4

Katla in Iceland erupted on October 12, 1918 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. It caused a tsunami.

Where it erupted

Katla, Iceland, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date: October 12, 1918
Volcano: Katla, subglacial volcano
Country: Iceland
Volcanic Explosivity Index: 4, large (eruption column 10 to 25 km)
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Location: 63.633° N, 19.083° W

The toll

Damage: Limited (under about $1 million)

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.

Tephra Volume: 7 x 108m3, area of activity: south side of caldera, eruptive Characteristics: subglacial eruption, explosive eruption, damage (land, property, etc.). (reference #2432)

The eruption lasted for 3 weeks, spreading tephra widely over surrounding areas. Sheep and horses were swept away by the jokulhlaup and many people narrowly escaped. (reference #12034)

Other significant eruptions of Katla

Every eruption in 1918 The 1900s Katla Earthquakes near Katla This 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 4238.