Stromboli erupting from several vents, June 1992

Stromboli volcano, Isole Eolie, Sicily, Italy

volcano number: 0101-04= (according to Volcanoes of the World, 1994 edition)

summit elevation: 924 m (or 926 m)

location: 38.789°N, 15.213°E

Stromboli is one of the few volcanoes on earth displaying continuous eruptive activity over a period longer than a few years or decades. Its historic record goes back to more than 2500 years before present, and there is evidence that its persistent activity has been going on for as long as 5000 years.

Most of this activity is of a very moderate size, consisting of brief and small bursts of glowing lava fragments to heights of rarely more than 150 m above the vents. Occasionally, there are periods of stronger, more continuous activity, with fountaining lasting several hours, violent ejection of blocks and large bombs, and, still more rarely, lava outflow. Twice during this century (in 1919 and 1930) there have been large eruptions that caused significant damage and killed persons other than those staying in the immediate vicinity of the craters.

Although it is visited almost daily by numerous people, Stromboli is far from being observed in a manner like the volcanoes of Hawaii, and there is no complete documentation of its activity even today. Seismic monitoring is being done by the Istituto Internazionale di Vulcanologia at Catania and Dipartimento di Georisorse e Territorio of the Universitá di Udine, but there is by no means a complete record of visual observations that could serve to complement the instrumental record. Thus, as recently as summer 1994, the emission of a small volume of lava from the northernmost of Stromboli's presently three craters was not reported to the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network.

This page provides information about:

GEOGRAPHY: WHERE AND HOW?

GEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF STROMBOLI

ERUPTIVE HISTORY

• List of major historic eruptive events

• Before 1930

• The eruption of 1930

• Activity from 1930 until 1985

• 1985-1995: A decade of Stromboli eruptive history (Part 1: General developments)

• 1985-1995: A decade of Stromboli eruptive history (Part 2: The story in detail)
  • The 1985-1986 eruption
  • 1986-1988: normal activity
  • 1989-1991: variations between normal and increased activity
  • 1992-1993: the first lava flow since 1986
  • 1994-1995: a period of dramatic changes

• 1985-1995: A decade of Stromboli eruptive history (Part 3: images)

• Stromboli in 1996
  • Photos of Stromboli in eruption, June 1996

For more information about Stromboli, its volcanic activity and its people as well as a wealth of other interesting stuff regarding the volcano, go visit STROMBOLI ON-LINE! This amazing WWW site is also available in Italian and German. You will see more amazing photos and details about the seismic monitoring of the volcano, but you will as well get to know some particulars about the island and the volcano that go beyond the scope of the site you are presently visiting. Want to see Stromboli covered with snow? Go here (scroll down to "Climate"). Want to learn about a famous love affair on Stromboli? Take a look here! And if you want to see Stromboli in action, get the Eruption Movie (1.5 MB MPEG file)!