June 15, 1991 Eruption of Pinatubo

Reference #9675

4 were killed and 4 injured prior to the catastrophic June 15-16 eruptions that killed several hundred. By Aug 20, mudflows had killed more than 100. Disease at evacuation camps had (by Sept 20) brought the total fatalities to about 800.

Reference #2432

Prior to 1991 Pinatubo volcano was a relatively unknown, heavily forested lava dome complex located 100 km NW of Manila with no records of historical eruptions. The 1991 eruption, one of the world's largest of the 20th century, ejected massive amounts of tephra and produced voluminous pyroclastic flows, forming a small, 2.5-km-wide summit caldera whose floor is now covered by a lake. Caldera formation lowered the height of the summit from 1745 to 1486 m. Although the eruption caused hundreds of fatalities and major damage with severe social and economic impact, successful monitoring efforts greatly reduced the number of fatalities. Widespread lahars that redistributed products of the 1991 eruption have continued to cause severe disruption.

March 1991. The press reported that an explosion on 2 April deposited ash over an area of about 10,000 m2, including part of one village, and that about 2,000 people were evacuated. No injuries or deaths were reported. PHIVOLCS confirmed the explosion, and later noted a SW-NE-trending line of new vents extending 0.5-1.0 km on the N side of the volcano. The vents continued to emit a gas plume 200-500 m high as of mid-April. Observers at Clark Air Force Base (~15 km E) reported sulfurous odors. A seismic net, installed following the 2 April explosion, recorded increasing seismicity, reaching 135 earthquakes on 15 April.

April 1991. On 2 April, an explosion at the E end of Pinatubo's geothermal area (about 1.5 km NW of the summit and 2/3 of the way down the flank) ejected clouds of steam and minor quantities of ash to 500-800 m height. Ash fell 2 km away, primarily to the NW and SW, and covered an area of about 10,000 m2, including part of one village, from which about 2,000 people were evacuated. No injuries or deaths were reported.

May-June 1991. After more than 2 months of increasing seismicity, deformation, and emission of small plumes, a series of strong explosions culminated in one of the largest eruptions of this century. The 15-16 June climactic phase lasted more than 15 hours, sending tephra to 30 km altitude, generating voluminous pyroclastic flows, and leaving a small caldera in the former summit region. Ten days later, the aerosol cloud formed a nearly continuous band that stretched 11,000 km from Indonesia to Central Africa. Timely evacuations saved many lives, but the combined effects of the eruption and a typhoon killed more than 300 people.

Reference #11546

By early June [1991], officials called for the evacuation of 25,000 people living in the area, including American service people at Clark Air Base and the U.S. Naval Station at Subic Bay. "By June 14 the recommended evacuation radius was 30 kilometers, which would have applied to perhaps 400,000 people," Newhall said. Never before had such a widespread evacuation attempt been made before a volcanic eruption. By the time the volcano erupted on 15 June, scientists and public officials had convinced more than 65,000 people to evacuate. More than 350 died during the eruption, but USGS and PHIVOLCS estimate that evacuation efforts saved between 5000 and 20,000 lives.

Reference #11542The eruption of Mt Pinatubo In June 1991 caused the largest perturbation this century to the particulate content of the stratosphere. The radiative influence of the injected particles put an end to several years of globally warm surface temperatures. At the same time, the combined

effect of volcanic particles and anthropogenic reactive chlorine has led to record low levels of stratospheric ozone.