June 20, 1940 Eruption of Karangetang
Karangetang in Indonesia erupted on June 20, 1940 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. The eruption killed 1 person.
Where it erupted
Karangetang, Indonesia, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- June 20, 1940
- Volcano
- Karangetang, stratovolcano
- Country
- Indonesia
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
- Location
- 2.781° N, 125.407° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 2
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.
1 killed, 2 wounded. Date is variably given as Aug 23 or March in same source.
Other significant eruptions of Karangetang
More
Every eruption in 1940The 1900sKarangetangEarthquakes near KarangetangThis 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 552.