December 19, 1985 Eruption of Etna

Date

December 19, 1985

Volcano

Etna, stratovolcano

Country

Italy

Volcanic Explosivity Index

1, small (eruption column 100 m to 1 km)

Killed by

Seismic, or volcanic earthquake (tectonic earthquake deaths excluded)

Location

37.748° N, 14.999° E

Deaths

1

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
• October 16, 1984VEI 3 · 1 death
• March 17, 1981VEI 2 · $10 million
• September 12, 1979VEI 3 · 9 deaths
• 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 1985The 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 1628.