La Palma

October 28, 1971 Eruption of La Palma

October 28, 1971 · VEI 2 · Deaths: few

La Palma in Spain erupted on October 28, 1971 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2.

Where it erupted

La Palma, Spain, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date
October 28, 1971
Volcano
La Palma, stratovolcano
Country
Spain
Volcanic Explosivity Index
2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
Location
28.570° N, 17.830° W

The toll

Deaths
Few (about 1 to 50)
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.

Casualties occurred but very little damage reported. (reference #9675)

Other significant eruptions of La Palma

More

Every eruption in 1971The 1900sLa PalmaEarthquakes near La PalmaThis 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 4371.