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Katla: eruption history

Elevation1,490 m

TypeFissure vent

Confirmed eruptions128#1 of 35 in country

Latest eruption1918-10-12

Largest VEI5

Location63.63, -19.08

Eruptions per century (since 1500)

1500–15993

1600–16993

1700–17992

1800–18992

1900–19991

2000–20990

By VEI

VEI 36

VEI 417

VEI 54

Eruptions (latest first, up to 60)

Start	VEI	End	Area
1918-10-12	4	1918	South side of caldera
1860-05-08	4	1860
1823-06-26	3	1823	Arcuate fissure in south part of caldera
1755-10-17	5	1756	E-W fissure in center of caldera
1721-05-11	5	1721
1660-11-03	4	1661
1625-09-02	5	1625
1612-10-12	4	–
1580-08-11	4	–
1550	4	–
1500	4	–
1450	–	–
1440	4	–
1416	4	–
1357	4	–	SW of Kotlugja
1311-01-18	–	–
1262	5	–
1245	4	–
1210	4	–
1177	3	–
1150	–	–
960	3	–
950	–	–
934	4	940	Eldgjá fissure system (NE flank)
920	4	–
820	–	–
780	–	–
680	–	–
610	–	–
590	–	–
540	–	–
500	–	–
400	–	–
290	–	–
270	3	–
260	–	–
200	–	–
130	–	–
30	–	–
80 BCE	–	–
250 BCE	–	–
370 BCE	–	–
430 BCE	–	–
530 BCE	–	–
550 BCE	–	–
560 BCE	–	–
600 BCE	–	–
650 BCE	–	–
700 BCE	–	–
740 BCE	–	–
780 BCE	–	–
850 BCE	4	–
860 BCE	–	–
920 BCE	–	–
990 BCE	–	–
1160 BCE	–	–
1190 BCE	–	–
1220 BCE	3	–
1280 BCE	–	–
1290 BCE	–	–

Nearby volcanoes

Volcano	Distance	Eruptions
Eyjafjallajokull	27 km	5
Torfajokull	29 km	10
Tindfjallajokull	35 km	0
Hekla	48 km	65
Vestmannaeyjar	63 km	10
Grimsnes	100 km	11
Thordarhyrna	100 km	3
Hromundartindur	121 km	0

Eruption records from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program; older eruptions may be missing. VEI = Volcanic Explosivity Index (0–8). For current alerts, check the official agency.