August 8, 1991 Eruption of Cerro Hudson
Cerro Hudson in Chile erupted on August 8, 1991 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 5.
Where it erupted
Cerro Hudson, Chile, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- August 8, 1991
- Volcano
- Cerro Hudson, stratovolcano
- Country
- Chile
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 5, very large (eruption column over 25 km)
- Location
- 45.900° S, 72.970° W
The toll
- 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.
Tephra Volume: 4.3x109 m3. Central vent eruption, Radial fissure eruption, Subglacial eruption, Explosive eruption, Pyroclastic flow(s), Lava flow(s), Damage (land, property, etc.), Mudflow(s) (lahars), Evacuation. (reference #2432)
The Hudson volcano lies 995 miles (1,600 kilometers) south of Chile's capital, Santiago. It last erupted in August 1991, causing millions in damages to local farms and killing an estimated 1.5 million sheep. (reference #9673)
Other significant eruptions of Cerro Hudson
More
Every eruption in 1991The 1900sCerro HudsonEarthquakes near Cerro HudsonThis 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 4442.