2420 BC Eruption of Vesuvius

Date

2420 BC

Volcano

Vesuvius, complex volcano

Country

Italy

Volcanic Explosivity Index

5, very large (eruption column over 25 km)

Killed by

Pyroclastic flows, surges and direct blasts; Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)

Location

40.821° N, 14.426° E

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this eruption.

• March 27, 1944VEI 3 · 27 deaths
• April 4, 1906VEI 3 · 350 deaths · tsunami
• March 10, 1905VEI 2 · 1 death
• 18739 deaths
• April 24, 1872VEI 3 · 9 deaths
• May 1813VEI 2 · tsunami
• August 11, 1805VEI 2 · 4 deaths
• June 15, 1794VEI 3 · 400 deaths
• August 8, 1779VEI 3 · Deaths: few
• May 20, 1737VEI 3 · 2 deaths
• June 30, 1714tsunami
• May 1698VEI 3 · tsunami
• February 3, 1690VEI 3 · tsunami
• August 12, 1682VEI 3 · 4 deaths
• December 16, 1631VEI 5 · 4,000 deaths · tsunami
• 787VEI 3 · Deaths: few
• August 25, 79VEI 5 · 2,100 deaths · tsunami

Every eruption in 2420 BCThe 2400s BCVesuviusEarthquakes near Vesuvius

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 6646.