September 12, 1979 Eruption of Etna

Date

September 12, 1979

Volcano

Etna, stratovolcano

Country

Italy

Volcanic Explosivity Index

3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)

Killed by

Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)

Location

37.748° N, 14.999° E

Deaths

9

Injuries

23

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.

• December 26, 2018VEI 2 · $115 million · 15 houses destroyed
• March 15, 2017
• October 28, 2002VEI 3
• July 26, 2001VEI 2
• May 14, 2001VEI 3 · 1 death
• December 14, 1991VEI 2 · $2.5 million
• April 17, 1987VEI 2 · 2 deaths
• December 19, 1985VEI 1 · 1 death
• October 16, 1984VEI 3 · 1 death
• March 17, 1981VEI 2 · $10 million
• August 2, 1929VEI 1 · 2 deaths
• November 8, 1928VEI 1 · 5 deaths
• September 5, 1868tsunami
• November 25, 1843VEI 2 · 59 deaths
• November 1, 1832VEI 2 · Deaths: some
• January 9, 1693
• March 19, 1669VEI 3 · 2 deaths
• March 11, 1669VEI 3 · Deaths: many
• March 26, 1536VEI 3 · 1 death
• July 15, 1329VEI 3 · Deaths: many
• June 28, 1329VEI 3 · tsunami
• February 11, 1169tsunami
• February 4, 116916,000 deaths · tsunami
• 141 BC40 deaths

Every eruption in 1979The 1900sEtnaEarthquakes near EtnaThis day in weather history

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 30.