Aoba Volcano

Updated: Nov 25, 2025 15:27 GMT - refresh

Shield volcano

Vanuatu, -15.4°S / 167.83°E

+Local time:

Sunrise:

Sunset:

Moonrise:

Moonset:

Summit height: 1496 m / 4,908 ft

Current status: minor activity or eruption warning (3 out of 5)

Last update: 1 Oct 2025 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)

Aoba, also known as Ambae, is a massive 2500 cu km basaltic shield volcano that is the most voluminous volcano of the New Hebrides archipelago.

[smaller] [larger]

Aoba webcams / live data | News/Updates | Earthquakes | Images

Typical eruption style: unspecified
Aoba volcano eruptions: 2017, 2011, 2005

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Nov 22, 01:23 am (Universal Time)	2? 95 km	8.6 km (5.3 mi) to the W	Penama Province, 64 km east of Luganville, Sanma Province, Vanuatu (unconfirmed)	Info
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Nov 18, 12:23 pm (Efate)	3? 130 km	22 km (14 mi) to the SW	Coral Sea, 24 km southwest of Aoba Island, Penama Province, Vanuatu (unconfirmed)	Info
Saturday, November 15, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Nov 16, 02:13 am (Efate)	3? 133 km	26 km (16 mi) to the N	Coral Sea, 73 km northeast of Luganville, Sanma Province, Vanuatu (unconfirmed)	Info
Friday, November 14, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Nov 14, 11:41 pm (GMT +11)	2? 0 km	16 km (10.2 mi) to the W	Coral Sea, 16 km west of Aoba Island, Penama Province, Vanuatu (unconfirmed)	Info

View recent quakes

Background

A pronounced NE-SW-trending rift zone dotted with scoria cones gives the 16 x 38 km island an elongated form. A broad pyroclastic cone containing three crater lakes is located at the summit of the Hawaiian-style shield volcano within the youngest of at least two nested calderas, the largest of which is 6 km in diameter. Post-caldera explosive eruptions formed the summit craters of Lake Voui (also spelled Vui) and Lake Manaro Ngoru about 360 years ago. A tuff cone was constructed within Lake Voui about 60 years later. The latest known flank eruption, about 300 years ago, destroyed the population of the Nduindui area near the western coast.
---
Smithsonian / GVP volcano information

Aoba Volcano Photos

AMBAE-yashmin_7581.jpg (Photo: Yashmin Chebli)

AMBAE-yashmin_7584.jpg (Photo: Yashmin Chebli)

AMBAE-yashmin_7597.jpg (Photo: Yashmin Chebli)

AMBAE-yashmin_7688.jpg (Photo: Yashmin Chebli)

More photos

Significant volcanic eruptions: Aoba volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Aoba has had at least 11 confirmed volcanic eruptions, out of which 9 are documented by historical records, while the others can be inferred from geological evidence.
Additionally, there are 2 uncertain or discredited eruptions from Aoba volcano.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Aoba volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Aoba can be found on the news page of Aoba volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths	Damage
2024 Jun 29 - Jun 30	Historical obs./docs.	?
2023 Dec 11 - Dec 21	Historical obs./docs.	2
2023 Feb 20 - May 28	Historical obs./docs.	2
2021 Dec 5 - 2022 Aug 15 ±10 d.	Historical obs./docs.	1
2017 Sep 6 - 2018 Oct 30 ?	Pyroclastic cone in Lake Voui Historical obs./docs.	3
2018 Mar 30 (eruption 2017 Sep 6 - 2018 Oct 30 ?)	Historical obs./docs.	3	4	moderate	Info
2018 Mar 30: The active volcano on Vanuatu's Ambae island has once again begun spewing out ash and harmful smoke, and Vanuatu's government is now looking into acquiring land to permanently resettle the island's 13,000 residents. Government spokesman Hilaire Bule said a shift in wind direction brought on by Tropical Cyclone Hola last month has dramatically increased the impact of the ashfall. Photos from Ambae showed villages and forests covered in a heavy layer of ash, food gardens destroyed and water sources polluted. The extent of the ashfall has raised concerns about the health risk to residents, and Mr Ford said he had received reports of people dying. "We've been notified that four people have died on the island in the last couple of days as a result of the volcano and the acid rain," he said. "There wouldn't be any more edible crops on the island, the ash has affected all drinking water." (all above from reference #12104) Disaster authorities in Vanuatu say it is likely people severely affected by ash-fall from the Lombenben volcano will be relocated to other parts of Ambae island. The Vanuatu Geohazards Department raised the alert level for the volcano last week after increased activity at Lombenben's Manaro Voui crater. Communities in the northwestern and southern parts of Ambae have been worst affected with reports of buildings and trees collapsing under the weight of the ash. Water supplies have also been contaminated and food gardens smothered. The operations manager of the National Disaster Management Office, Peter Korisa, said assessments were still be done and affected communities might be relocated. But he said a longer term solution was needed. (reference #12077) In October 2017, the entire population (approximately 11,000 people) of Ambae, an island in the north of the Vanuatu archipelago, were temporarily evacuated due to increased volcanic activity. The population returned to their island on the 22 October 2017 after three weeks living in evacuation centres and camps. As of the 8 April, due to a change in wind direction, the North and some parts in the East of Ambae begun reporting heavy ash fall that they described as worse than any other ash fall in the past. Houses, other structures and trees have collapsed under the weight of the ash. Food gardens have been destroyed and water sources contaminated. Furthermore, large fallen trees have blocked road access to some communities in the North, while dangerous landslides believed to be linked to the heavy deposits of ashfall have since destroyed an entire village. The SOE also came with indication of the plan by the National government to assist with voluntary evacuations up until 30 April. After this, they will implement mandatory evacuations over a 2-week period until 15 May. (reference #12114) Heavy rains on 30 March caused a large lahar that significantly damaged a village on the N side of the island. A high-altitude plume on 31 March was measured at 13.7 km altitude. Significant ashfall around the island caused infrastructure damage and health hazards to humans, livestock, and plants. As reported on July 2018, BGVN 43:07. (reference #2432) Cited references #2432 Venzke, E., R.W. Wunderman, L. McClelland, T. Simkin, J.F. Luhr, L. Siebert, and G. Mayberry (eds.) (2002-): Global Volcanism, 1968 to the Present. Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program Digital Information Series, GVP-4 (http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/). #12077 Radio New Zealand (2018): Relocation likely on Vanuatu volcano island. Published 27 March 2018. Updated 7:21am. https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/353454/relocation-likely-on-vanuatu-volcano-island #12104 ABC Radio Australia (2018): Vanuatu volcano eruption intensifies covering Ambae island in ash and smoke. Published 16 April 2018. Updated 20:35 AEST. Link #12114 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (2018): Emergency Plan of Action Vanuatu: Ambae Volcanic Eruption 2018. Date of issue: 27 April 2018. #12115 UNICEF (2018): UNICEF Pacific (Vanuatu - Monaro Volcano) Humanitarian Situation Report No. 1, 26 April 2018. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
2017 Sep 23 (eruption 2017 Sep 6 - 2018 Oct 30 ?)	Historical obs./docs.	0		light	Info
2017 Sep 23: The volcano that towers 1500m above Ambae - Manaro Voui - has been rumbling for weeks, but on Saturday it started belching ash and flashes of lava in the middle of the night. Edmund Hoke, a provincial representative, said the volcano was still going and had been destructive. "All the trees they are dead, and crops dead, vegetables - we don't have any more vegetables and so on, and people are coming down to the seashore," he said. Over the past few days, authorities have been evacuating everyone in the north and south of the island to the east and west using whatever resources they have. (reference #11899) Cited references #11899 Radio New Zealand (2017): Fears supplies on Ambae not enough for evacuees. Updated 6:09pm. Published 27 September 2017. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
?? 2016 Aug 18 - Aug 19	Uncertain Eruption	?
2011 Jun 4 - Jul 10	Lake Manaro Historical obs./docs.	1
2005 Nov 27 - 2006 Feb 16 ±15 d.	Lake Voui Historical obs./docs.	2
1995 Mar 2 - Mar 3 ?	Lake Voui Historical obs./docs.	2
?? 1915 ±1 y.	Uncertain Eruption	?
1914 (eruptive episode 1914)	Historical obs./docs.	0	100		Info
1914: Lahars in about 1916 (some sources say 1914) caused by a possible eruption or a landslide killed 100 persons. (reference #9675) Cited references #9675 Siebert, Lee, Tom Simkin, Paul Kimberly (2010): Fatalities & Evacuations, Volcanoes of the World, Third Edition, Geoscience Press, Inc., University of California Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., p. 329-347. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1870 (eruption 1870 ?)	Historical obs./docs.	2	100-1,000 (*)	heavy	Info
1870: Lahars annihilated villages on SE flank about 100 years ago. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1870 ?	SE side Lake Manaro Lakua; Lake Voui? Historical obs./docs.	2?
1670 AD (eruption 1670 ? AD)	Historical obs./docs.	2	100-1,000 (*)		Info
1670 AD: Legend of lava flow with many fatalities about 300 years ago. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1670 ? AD	Lake Voui and upper west flank	2?
1530 ? AD	Lakes Voui and Manaro Ngoru	?

(*) Estimated numbers

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Aoba Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Aoba volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Aoba occurred in 2024.

+How often does Aoba volcano erupt?

Since 1870, Aoba volcano has had at least 9 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 17.2 years.
Many eruptions of Aoba have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 11 out of 155 years until now. In other words, Aoba has been active at least one in 14.1 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Aoba is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.

+How active is Aoba volcano at present?

Aoba volcano is infrequently active: Since 1900, it has had 10 eruptions, and been active during 10 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Aoba has been in eruption one in 12.6 years on average. The last eruption was in 2024 and ended 17 months ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Aoba volcano?

The largest eruption of Aoba volcano in historic times occurred during 2017 - 2018. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Aoba Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).