July 3, 1991 Eruption of Karthala

Name: July 3, 1991 Eruption of Karthala
Start: 1991-07-03
Location: Karthala, Comoros

July 3, 1991 · VEI 2

Karthala in the Comoros erupted on July 3, 1991 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2.

Where it erupted

Karthala, Comoros, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date: July 3, 1991
Volcano: Karthala, shield volcano
Country: Comoros
Volcanic Explosivity Index: 2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
Location: 11.750° S, 43.380° E

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.

July 3, 1991. An active volcano on the Grande Comore spewed out sulphurous gases, some damages and respiratory problems. (reference #1250)

July 11, 1991. Central vent eruption, explosive eruption, phreatic explosion(s), evacuation, VEI 2. (reference #2432)

Other significant eruptions of Karthala

Every eruption in 1991 The 1900s Karthala Earthquakes near Karthala This 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 5005.