March 17, 2006 Eruption of Raoul Island
Raoul Island in New Zealand erupted on March 17, 2006 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 1. The eruption killed 1 person.
Where it erupted
Raoul Island, New Zealand, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- March 17, 2006
- Volcano
- Raoul Island, stratovolcano
- Country
- New Zealand
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 1, small (eruption column 100 m to 1 km)
- Killed by
- Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)
- Location
- 29.270° S, 177.920° W
The toll
- 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.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
One person making water-temperature measurements at Green Lake was killed by sudden explosion. (reference #9675)
Sources have reported the rescue of five New Zealand Department of Conservation workers from Raoul Island on 17 March, following an eruption. One other person, who had been making measurements at the crater lake, is still missing. The reports indicated that the crater holding Green Lake erupted at 0821 local time, generating a steam-and-ash plume and ejecting mud. The last eruption from the Green Lake area occurred during November 1964-April 1965. (reference #2379)
Other significant eruptions of Raoul Island
More
Every eruption in 2006The 2000sRaoul IslandEarthquakes near Raoul IslandThis 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 4521.