Hibok-Hibok Volcano

Updated: Jun 12, 2025 01:38 GMT - refresh

stratovolcano

Mindanao (Philippines), 9.2°N / 124.67°E

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Summit height: 1552 m / 5,092 ft

Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)

Hibok-Hibok volcano (also known as Catarman volcano) is the youngest and the only historically active volcano on Camiguin Island, which is located 9 km off the north coast of Mindanao Island, Philippines.
Camiguin island itself is a 292 sq km oblate, 20 km long island composed of 4 overlapping stratovolcanoes and some flank cones.
Eruptions of Hibok-Hibok volcano are often Pelean-type, i.e. dome building and the generation of nuées ardentes (= hot pyroclastic flows generated by partial dome collapse).
Prior to the 1948 eruption, sulfur was mined at the crater of Hibok-Hibok.

Note: A volcanic Island called Camiguin de Babuyanes is located north of Luzon Island.

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News/Updates | Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: explosive
Hibok-Hibok volcano eruptions: 1948-53, 1871-75, 1862, 1827

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Background

Geologic history of Camiguin Island and its volcanoes
The Camiguin volcanoes formed on an NW-SE trend, roughly parallel to the Central Mindanao Arc, with the active vents migrating from SE to NW over time. The earliest eruption center was from Camiguin Tanda volcano, now buried on the floor of the Bohol Sea. Later volcanic activity formed the now eroded Mt Butay and Ginsiliba stratovolcanoes on the SE tip of Camiguin Island, as well as the Binone cinder cone on the SE coast.
Mt. Mambajao volcano in the center forms the highest peak of Camiguin Island. Its fresh-looking shape including a summit and flank lava domes suggests a relatively age, but there are no known historic eruptions. One of its flank domes partially fills a crater breached to the NW.
Young Hibok-Hibok lies in the NW of the island about 6 km NW of Mt. Mambajao. It is andesitic-to-rhyolitic in composition and contains several lava domes, including Mt. Vulcan on its NW flank. Major eruptions during 1871-75 and 1948-53 formed flank lava domes and produced pyroclastic flows that devastated villages at the coast.

Significant volcanic eruptions: Hibok-Hibok volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Hibok-Hibok has had at least 4 confirmed eruptions, all documented by historical records or observations.
Additionally, there are 2 uncertain or discredited eruptions from Hibok-Hibok volcano.

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

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths	Damage
1954 (eruptive episode 1954)	Historical obs./docs.	0	2		Info
1954: 2 killed by mudflows caused by typhoon rains. (reference #9675) 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. #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
1948 Sep 1 - 1953 Jul 16 ±15 d.	Upper NE flank of Hibok-Hibok Historical obs./docs.	3
1951 Dec 4 (eruption 1948 Sep 1 - 1953 Jul 16 ±15 d.)	Historical obs./docs.	3	500		Info
1951 Dec 4: Time (12/17/51) gives 500 killed, 266 bodies found and maybe 1,500 unaccounted for. Alcaraz gives 500 killed & 3 more on 12/06. (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
1950 Sep 15 (eruption 1948 Sep 1 - 1953 Jul 16 ±15 d.)	Historical obs./docs.	3	68		Info
1950 Sep 15: Macdonald and Alcaraz note only several killed (lime 12117/51, p36 gives 68) by pyroclastic flow and that clothing was not burned. Witham lists range of 66-84 fatalities. (reference #9675) 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. #1624 Alcaraz, A., L.F. Abad, and J.C. Quema (1952): Hibok-Hibok volcano, Philippine Islands, and activity since 1948. The Volcano Letter, 516: 1-6 & 517: 1-4 #1653 Macdonald, G.A., Alcaraz A (1956): Nuees ardentes of the 1948-1953 eruption of Hibok-Hibok. Bulletin of Volcanology, vol. 18, p. 169-178. #1654 Macdonald, G.A., and A. Alcaraz (1954): Philippine volcanoes during 1953 and 1954. The Volcano Letter, 523:1-5 #1673 Time (1951): Tragedy at Hibok-Hibok. Time Magazine, December 17, 1951. #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
1949 Jun (eruption 1948 Sep 1 - 1953 Jul 16 ±15 d.)	Historical obs./docs.	3	2		Info
1949 Jun: Witham lists 2 fatalities, possibly from pyroclastic flows. (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
1902 Jul 27	Discredited Eruption
1897	Discredited Eruption
1871 Apr 30 - 1875	Lower NW flank of Hibok-Hibok (Mt. Vulcan) Historical obs./docs.	2
1871 Apr 30 (eruption 1871 Apr 30 - 1875)	Tsunami recorded Historical obs./docs.	2	1-50 (*)	heavy	Info
1871 Apr 30: One account says nearby townspeople fled during frequent earthquake activity, so there were very few victims even though destruction reached Catarman. Another says very considerable number of victims. (reference #9675) In the first months of this year [1871], about February 16, earthquakes became very frequent; shortly after the inhabitants of Mambajao and Catarman became convinced that the radiating center of the seismic disturbance was located in their little island, and not very far distant in the same mountain, whose fertile side, covered with verdure, had never been suspected of harboring a dangerous enemy... On the 21st [Feb] at 4 oclock a. m. a violent earthquake shook the island, causing considerable damage to the stone buildings. On the flank of the mountain the sight was dreadful. The rolling masses of stone were destroying trees and plantations, while the opening of fissures caused a noise like that of a great storm. The inhabitants of the town were terrified and from this moment began to escape in their boats to the neighboring coasts of Mindanao and Bohol in search of safety... During the months of March and April earthquakes succeeded one another with the same frequency and were accompanied by effects identical with those just described... The inhabitants of the towns in the neighborhood of Mt. Catarman, with the exception of a few of the bolder spirits and some of the very poor, fled from their houses. Hence it is that when the eruption actually took place it found very few victims. At last the shocks suddenly ceased. When day broke on April 30, at the foot of Mt. Catarman, which had been so shaken by the preceding earthquakes that it exposed its skeleton through the landslides and fissures, a column of thick vapor was seen rising up into the sky near the sea and about 400 yards distant from the town of Catarman. This column of vapor disappeared completely some hours afterwards. At about 7 p. m. of the same day a tremendous explosion was heard in the direction of the above-mentioned spot, accompanied by a dense cloud of smoke, which came from the same place. Everything roundabout was set on fire. At the same time a shower of stones, earth, and ashes was vomited forth from the recently made openings. The ashes rose to a considerable height, spreading out and reaching Cebu and other islands 110 miles away. Within a radius of 2 miles from the new crater the destruction caused by the shower of fire, stones, earth, and ashes was almost complete; but fortunately there is no report of many human victims, evidently because the inhabitants of Catarman, which the destruction reached, had fled in due time to safer quarters. The eruption continued for six or seven days, after which the paroxysm died down, but the silent flowing of the semifluid lava continued, building up a rough cone, which in two or three weeks' time measured some eight feet in height... (above from reference #2070) 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. #2070 Maso, S.J., Rev. Miguel Saderra (1904): Volcanoes and Seismic Centers of the Philippine Archipelago, Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of the Census of the Philippine Islands, 80 p. #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
1862	Hibok-Hibok Historical obs./docs.	2
1827	Hibok-Hibok Historical obs./docs.	2

(*) 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

Eruptions of Hibok-Hibok volcano

1948-1953 eruption of Hibok-Hibok volcano
A significant eruption started on 1 September 1948. A large explosion from the summit crater of Hibok-Hibok volcano, preceded by a week of intense earthquakes. The explosion created a cauliflower-shaped eruption plume and produced devastating pyroclastic flows and lahars down the NE side of the volcano. 8 suare km land were invaded and destroyed. In May 1949, a new lava dome started to grow in the crater.
The new lava dome continued to grow during the next 2 years dome and had become a prominent feature by late 1951. On 4 December 1951 pyroclastic flows went down the NE flank of the mountain and reached the outskirts of Mambajao town where 500 people were killed.
Large amounts of pumice and ash were found in the deposits, indicating that these pyroclastic flows were generated primarily by the explosion of fresh magma rather than dome collapse.
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Source: Gordon A. Macdonald and Arturo Alcaraz (1956) "Nuées ardentes of the 1948–1953 eruption of Hibok-Hibok", Bull. Volc, v.18(1), pp 169-178

Hibok-Hibok Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Hibok-Hibok volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Hibok-Hibok occurred during 1948 - 1953.

+How often does Hibok-Hibok volcano erupt?

Since 1827, Hibok-Hibok volcano has had at least 4 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 50 years.
Many eruptions of Hibok-Hibok have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 13 out of 198 years until now. In other words, Hibok-Hibok has been active at least one in 15.2 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Hibok-Hibok is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.

+How active is Hibok-Hibok volcano at present?

Hibok-Hibok volcano is occasionally active: Since 1900, it has had 6 eruptions, and been active during 6 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Hibok-Hibok has been in eruption one in 21 years on average. The last eruption was from 1948 until 1953 and ended 72 years ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Hibok-Hibok volcano?

The largest eruption of Hibok-Hibok volcano in historic times occurred during 1948 - 1953. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

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Hibok-Hibok 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).