May 7, 2015 Eruption of Karangetang
Karangetang in Indonesia erupted on May 7, 2015 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2.
Where it erupted
Karangetang, Indonesia, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- May 7, 2015
- Volcano
- Karangetang, stratovolcano
- Country
- Indonesia
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
- Location
- 2.781° N, 125.407° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
An increase in activity occurred during the past days, resulting in dangerous pyroclastic flows that swept 3 km down the steep southern slope of the volcano.
The cause was elevated strombolian activity combined with effusion of a viscous flow from the summit crater, which resulted in partial collapses of the lava flow.
People living in villages near the volcano were evacuated and it seems no fatalities occurred, although houses in the village of Kora Kora were destroyed by the pyroclastic flow on 7 May. Significant ash fall occurred on the northern flank of the volcano. (reference #11209)
Other significant eruptions of Karangetang
More
Every eruption in 2015The 2000sKarangetangEarthquakes near KarangetangThis 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 6144.