4000 BC Eruption of Witori

Name: 4000 BC Eruption of Witori
Location: Witori, Papua New Guinea

4000 BC · VEI 6 · Deaths: few

Witori in Papua New Guinea erupted in 4000 BC with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 6.

Where it erupted

Witori, Papua New Guinea, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date: 4000 BC
Volcano: Witori, caldera
Country: Papua New Guinea
Volcanic Explosivity Index: 6, paroxysmal (eruption column over 25 km)
Killed by: Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)
Location: 5.575° S, 150.516° E

The toll

Deaths: Few (about 1 to 50)
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.

The Buru caldera cuts the SW flank of Witori volcano. The gently sloping outer flanks of Witori volcano consist primarily of dacitic pyroclastic-flow and airfall deposits produced during a series of five major explosive eruptions from about 5600 to 1200 years ago, many of which may have been associated with caldera formation. Eruption occurred 4000 BC +/- 200 years. Eruptive caused fatalities and damage to land and property. (reference #2432)

-3680 BC Details of fatalities are unknown. (reference #9675)

Other significant eruptions of Witori

Every eruption in 4000 BC The 4000s BC Witori Earthquakes near Witori

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 5230.