Skip to main content
Back to map
CompareShow on map

Vanuatu · Caldera

Kuwae

Type
Caldera
Elevation
2m (submarine)
Last eruption
1974
Kuwae
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Caldera
Country
Vanuatu
Region
Southwestern Pacific / Vanuatu Volcanic Arc
Elevation
2m (submarine)
Coordinates
-16.830, 168.523
Last eruption
1974
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Intermediate crust (15-25 km)
Landform
Caldera
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-basalt

Geological summary

The largely submarine Kuwae caldera occupies the area between Epi and Tongoa islands. The 6 x 12 km caldera contains two basins that cut the NW end of Tongoa Island and the flank of the Tavani Ruru volcano on the SE peninsula of Epi Island.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

Kuwae was a landmass that existed in the vicinity of Tongoa and was destroyed by volcanic eruption in the fifteenth century, probably through caldera subsidence. Its exact location is debated. A submarine caldera now known as the Kuwae caldera is a candidate, located between the Epi and Tongoa islands and cutting through the flank of the Tavani Ruru volcano on Epi and the northwestern end of Tongoa. Another candidate is a proposed caldera between Tongoa and Tongariki.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

18 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
12
Uncertain eruptions
6
Span of confirmed record
1425 (±5 yrs) – 1974
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 3 (1949, the most recent of 2)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
10
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
1425~1481 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1869~1925 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21925~1980 · 15 eruptions · max VEI 314251536170318141925

Detailed timeline

  1. 1980VEI 0Method not stated
    1980-08-20 – end unknown
    Karua
  2. 1979VEI 0Method not stated
    1979-09-16 – end unknown
    Karua
  3. 1977VEI 0Method not stated
    1977-02-01 – end unknown
    Karua
  4. 1974VEI 0Observed
    1974-02-04 – 1974-09-16
    Karua
  5. 1973VEI 0Method not stated
    1973-05-05 – 1973-10-16
    Karua
  6. 1972VEI 0Method not stated
    1972-03-05 – 1972-05-15
    Karua
  7. 1971VEI 2Observed
    1971-02-22 – 1971-02-22
    Karua
  8. 1970VEI 0Method not stated
    1970-09-12 – 1970-09-20
    Karua
  9. 1959VEI 2Observed
    1959-09-18 – 1959-09-20
    Karua
  10. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-10-07 – 1958-12-18
    Karua
  11. 1953VEI 1Observed
    1953-02-12 – end unknown
    Karua
  12. 1952VEI 1Observed
    1952-10-03 – 1952-10-03
    Karua
  13. 1949VEI 3Observed
    1949-04-16 – end unknown
    Karua
  14. 1949VEI 3Observed
    1949-10-16 – 1949-12-16
    Karua
  15. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-09-22 – 1948-09-29
    Karua
  16. 1923VEI 2Observed
    1923-07-02 – 1925-07-02
    Karua
  17. 1897VEI 1Observed
    1897-05-25 – 1901-07-02
    Karua
  18. 1425 (±5 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1425 – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.