July 29, 1968 Eruption of Arenal
Arenal in Costa Rica erupted on July 29, 1968 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 80 people.
Where it erupted
Arenal, Costa Rica, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- July 29, 1968
- Volcano
- Arenal, stratovolcano
- Country
- Costa Rica
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Pyroclastic flows, surges and direct blasts; Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)
- Location
- 10.463° N, 84.703° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 80
- 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.
80 (+/-5) killed in first 3 days; many by pyroclastic flows, but perhaps half by ballistic blocks. Village of Tabacon nearly obliterated by impact craters. One source reports 78 killed in pyroclastic flows. Other sources give total ranging from 76 to > 100. (Ref #1412)
An explosion with burning clouds and lava flows made Pueblo Nuevo disappear and left about 200 victims. It affected the agricultural areas of Tilaran and San Carlos. Estimated damage losses of 100 million colones. (Ref #13481)
NOTE: It is unclear if the amount of damages reflects the entire eruptive period and if the value of the colon is based in 1968 or 1989.
Other significant eruptions of Arenal
More
Every eruption in 1968The 1900sArenalEarthquakes near ArenalThis 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 4499.