March 17, 1963 Eruption of Irazu

Name: March 17, 1963 Eruption of Irazu
Start: 1963-03-17
Location: Irazu, Costa Rica

March 17, 1963 · VEI 3 · 15 deaths

Irazu in Costa Rica erupted on March 17, 1963 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 15 people.

Where it erupted

Irazu, Costa Rica, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date: March 17, 1963
Volcano: Irazu, stratovolcano
Country: Costa Rica
Volcanic Explosivity Index: 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
Killed by: Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)
Location: 9.979° N, 83.852° W

The toll

Deaths: 15

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.

Witham lists 15 fatalities, with range of 5-15. (reference #9675)

Other significant eruptions of Irazu

Every eruption in 1963 The 1900s Irazu Earthquakes near Irazu 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 6607.