The longest continuously erupting volcano is generally considered to be Stromboli in Italy, known as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean," which has had nearly constant lava fountaining for over 2,000 years. However, Hawaii's Kīlauea is famous for its exceptionally long single eruptive phase, with a near-continuous eruption from 1983 to 2018, creating new land and dramatically reshaping the landscape, making it a benchmark for modern volcanic studies.
Stromboli, one of the Eolian Islands north of Sicily, is the undisputed champion. Known as the "lighthouse of the Mediterranean" by Roman and Greek sailors, Stromboli has apparently been erupting almost continuously for more than 2,400 years.
A Yellowstone super-eruption would unleash devastating pyroclastic flows near the park, blanketing much of the U.S. in thick ash, crippling infrastructure, destroying crops, and contaminating water, while sulfur dioxide creates a global "volcanic winter," blocking sunlight and causing widespread cooling and famine for years, leading to catastrophic global impacts. The chances of such an eruption are extremely small in the near future, but the effects would be globally catastrophic, altering climate and agriculture for years, say USGS scientists.
Ask medieval historian Michael McCormick which year was the worst to be alive, and he's got an answer: "536." In that year, a mysterious fog plunged Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia into darkness, day and night—for 18 months.
Mount Edgecumbe (Alaska) Mount Edgecumbe (Tlingit: Lʼúx, Russian: Эджком) is a dormant stratovolcano located at the southern end of Kruzof Island, Alaska, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Sitka. The volcano has been dormant for over 800 years.
Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano, which erupted around 340 million years ago.
The Taftan volcano, located in Southeastern Iran, which has been classified as dormant for the last 700,000 years has begun to show signs of life. The 13,000 foot summit has risen around 3.5 inches from Jul. 2023 to May 2024.
Historian Michael McCormick has called the year 536 "the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year."
1816, also known as the 'Year Without Summer,' 'Poverty Year,' and 'Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death. ' The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 triggered a change in the global climate. The heavier material fell to the ground and the ocean's surface.
The Worst Times to Be Alive: History's Most Dangerous Decades
Can we survive a Yellowstone eruption? A massive eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would spread deadly ash for thousands of miles, killing plant life and affecting humans in its path. Humans who were in its path would surely die, but it would not mean the extinction of the entire human race.
What is a supervolcano? While the exact number isn't certain, there's thought to be around 20 supervolcanoes on Earth. However, 'supervolcano' isn't a scientific term.
The most recent period of dormancy has already lasted 70,000 years and may continue for thousands of additional years. “Yellowstone will reawaken someday to host more eruptions. But volcanoes like Yellowstone don't erupt without warning. We'd expect months of intense activity prior to any future eruption.”
The diagram below shows that the three largest Yellowstone eruptions emitted much more material than the eruptions of Mount St. Helens (1980), Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines (1991), Krakatau in Indonesia (1883, incorrectly known as Krakatoa), and Tambora in Indonesia (1815).
1815 eruption of Mount Tambora. In April 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia (then part of the Dutch East Indies), erupted in what is now considered the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded human history.
The May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was the most expensive in US history, costing about $1 billion in damages. The eruption killed 57 people, approximately 7,000 big game animals, and about 12 million fingerlings in hatcheries.
Earth's temperature has risen by an average of 0.11° Fahrenheit (0.06° Celsius) per decade since 1850, or about 2° F in total. The rate of warming since 1982 is more than three times as fast: 0.36° F (0.20° C) per decade.
New England's Dark Day occurred on May 19, 1780, when an unusual darkening of the daytime sky was observed over the New England states and parts of eastern Canada. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog, and cloud cover.
June 20th is most significantly known as World Refugee Day, a United Nations observance honoring refugees' strength and raising awareness about their plight, established in 2001 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Refugee Convention. It also marks historical events like the Jaws movie release (1975), Nicole Kidman's birth (1967), and World Productivity Day, promoting efficiency and good work habits.
According to medieval historian Michael McCormick, the year 536 stands out as the worst period to be alive. This year was associated with the beginning of an 18-month-long darkness caused by a mysterious fog, leading to disastrous events across Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
' Falling in the time known as the 'Dark Ages', the year 536 AD fully embraced this moniker as Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia were plunged into 24-hour darkness for 18 months. Summer temperatures plummeted between 1.5-2.5°C causing crops to fail and millions to starve to death.
#1 1346 and The Black Death
Some estimates of the death toll of the Black Plague reach up to 200 million souls.
Prophetic passages in the Old Testament warn mankind of phenomena described very similarly to what we call volcanoes today. "You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire" (Isaiah 29:6).
Yellowstone's famous caldera, which last went off more than 640,000 years ago, can lay claim as North America's most well-known supervolcano. But it isn't the continent's largest — a more ancient one found near the small southwestern Utah town of Enterprise, was about 30 times bigger.
It could erupt again. In fact, the last eruption, which occurred on the southwest flank along a rift zone, was only 400-600 years ago. In the past 1,000 years, Haleakalā has erupted at least 10 times. Currently the volcano seems content to rest.