Pinatubo Volcano

Updated: Nov 25, 2025 16:28 GMT - refresh

stratovolcano

Luzon Island (Philippines), 15.13°N / 120.35°E

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Summit height: 1486 m / 4,875 feet

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

Last update: 28 Sep 2022 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)

The June 12, 1991 eruption column from Mount Pinatubo taken from the east side of Clark Air Base. U.S. Geological Survey Photograph taken on June 12, 1991, 08:51 hours, by Dave Harlow.

Pinatubo volcano exploded spectacularly on 15 June 1991. The Pinatubo eruption on 15 June 1991 was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
Pinatubo is a complex of lava domes located 100 km NW of Manila city, Luzon Island, Philippines.
Prior to the eruption, Pinatubo was a little known volcano and it had been dormant for 400 years. There were no known historic eruptions. Before the eruption in 1991 Pinatubo was 1745 m high (ca. 250 m more than now), and was only 200 m higher than the nearby peaks, which are remnants of older volcanic edifices of Mt Pinatubo and hid it from views from distance. Pinatubo mostly noted for a failed geothermal development project.

Eruptions of Mount Pinatubo
Pinatubo has had at least 6 periods of activity with large explosive eruptions in its past 35,000 years prior to the 1991 eruption. The 1991 eruption in this context actually ranks as one of the smaller eruptions. An eruption, which occurred 35,000 years ago and probably created the caldera, was likely much bigger.

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News/Updates | Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: explosive
Pinatubo volcano eruptions: 2021?, 1992, 1991 (Plinian eruption), 1450 ± 50 years, 1050 BC ± 500, 3550 BC (?), 7030 BC ± 300, 7460 BC ± 150, 15,000 BC, 33,000 BC

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Nov 19, 08:49 pm (Universal Time)	2.7 115 km	18 km (11 mi) to the N	021 km N 75° W of Mabalacat City (Pampanga)	Info

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Background

Geology of Mt Pinatubo volcano

Regional setting:
Pinatubo is flanked to the west and probably underlain by by the Zambales Ophiolite Complex, an easterly-dipping section of Eocene oceanic crust which was uplifted in the late Oligocene.
The second unit are sediments of the Tarlac Formation, mostly sandstone and siltstone in the older parts, and conglomerates and volcanic sediments and dikes in the younger. The Tarlac formation is found in the north, east and southeast of Pinatubo and formed contemporary with the oldest known volcanic centers in the area, including Mount Mataba or the diorite of the Dizon Mine, the sub-surface remnant of an ancient vent.
The ancient volcanoes of the Tarlac Formation originated from the same east-dipping subduction along the Manila trench that continues to the present.

Ancient Pinatubo:
Pinatubo was formed in 2 stages. The ancestral Pinatubo started to form about 1 million years ago, and built an andesite - dacite stratovolcano whose center was at the same location as today. Remnants of this precessor are seen in the ancient 3.5x4.5 wide caldera. Ancient Pinatubo had a number of flank vents, that formed the domes of Mount Negron, Mount Cuadrado, Mataba, Bituin plug, and the volcanic plug of Tapungho.
Deep erosion in the Sacobia, Porac, Marimla, and Porac River valleys, and weathering of the lavas suggests that activity of the ancestral volcano ended several tens of thousands of years (or more) before the caldera-forming eruption and initial growth of the modern Pinatubo (ca. 35,000 years ago).

Modern Pinataubo:
After the 1991 eruption, scientists (mainly from PHILVOLCS & USGS) carried out intensive fieldwork on the deposits of present-day Pinatubo to analyze its eruptive history. They distinguished at least 6 eruptive periods of modern Pinatubo, characterized by repeated, large explosive eruptions:

Inararo Eruptive Period -- >35,000 14C yr B.P.
The largest eruption in the history of modern Pinatubo occurred 35,000 (radiocarbon) years ago. It deposited up to 100 m or more of pumice and ash flows on all sides of Mount Pinatubo.

Sacobia Eruptive Period -- ~17,000 yr B.P.
A phase of explosive eruptions occurred 17,000 years ago and produced 2 debris flow deposits which are visible on the north bank of the Sacobia River.

Pasbul Eruptive Period -- ~9,000 yr B.P.
A large explosive eruption occurred ca. 9000 years ago. It produced pyroclastic-flow and tephra-fall layers exposed along the road between Sitio Pasbul, Camias, Porac, and the Gumain River. The pyroclastic flows overtopped the southeastern rim of the Tayawan caldera and nearly or completely filled the valley of the Gumain River.

Crow Valley Eruptive Period -- ~6,000-5,000 yr B.P.
Large eruptions 6,000-5,000 years ago produced pyroclastic flow deposits on both sides of upper Crow valley.

Maraunot Eruptive Period -- ~3,900(?)-2,300 yr B.P.
Eruptions in this period produced pyroclastic flows and lahars.

Buag Eruptive Period -- ca. 1450 AD
The last activity cycle prior to the 1991 eruption was in 1450 ± 50 AD. It produced pyroclastic flows that entered all valley of Pinatubo except the Gumain and Porac rivers.

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Sources of information
The most comprehensive information about Pinatubo volcano is collected in 62 scientific papers in the following volume:
- Newhall et al (1996) "Eruptive history of Mount Pinatubo", in NEWHALL, C.G. and PUNONGBAYAN, R.G. (eds.) (1996) "FIRE AND MUD: ERUPTIONS AND LAHARS OF MOUNT PINATUBO, PHILIPPINES", Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) / USGS / University of Washington Press (online at pubs.usgs.gov/pinatubo/index.html)
- GVP Pinatubo volcano information
- Mount Pinatubo, Philippines USGS / CVO website about Pinatubo
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Pinatubo Aeta people

The forested area of Pinatubo mountain was also known as home for a tribe of the Aeta people,- the small, dark skinned, and kinky haired people believed to be the nearest descendants of the original inhabitants of the Philippines, who arrived through land bridges that linked the Philippines with the Asian mainland some 30,000 years ago. They considered the mountain the home of Apo Namalyari, the Great Protector and Provider. (Source: CCP Encyclopedia of Arts)

Significant volcanic eruptions: Pinatubo volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Pinatubo has had at least 9 confirmed volcanic eruptions, out of which 4 are documented by historical records, while the others can be inferred from geological evidence.

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

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths	Damage
2021 Nov 30	Historical obs./docs.	1
1993 Oct 4 (eruption 1993 Feb 16 ±15 d. - Jul 16 ±15 d.)	Historical obs./docs.	0	14		Info
1993 Oct 4: (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
1993 Feb 16 ±15 d. - Jul 16 ±15 d.	Caldera floor Historical obs./docs.	1
1993 Jun 26 (eruption 1993 Feb 16 ±15 d. - Jul 16 ±15 d.)	Historical obs./docs.	1	4		Info
1993 Jun 26: (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
1992 Jul 9 or before - Oct 30	Center of caldera lake Historical obs./docs.	1
1992 Jul 12 (eruption 1992 Jul 9 or before - Oct 30)	Historical obs./docs.	1	6		Info
1992 Jul 12: Secondary lahars from 1991 deposits killed 2 on July 12, 1992. Total fatalities during the 1992 rainy season were reported by one source to be 60, but the official fugure was listed as 6. 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
1991 Apr 2 - Sep 2	Lower north flank and summit Historical obs./docs.	6
1991 Jun 15 (eruption 1991 Apr 2 - Sep 2)	Historical obs./docs.	6	800	heavy	Info
1991 Jun 15: Reference #9675 4 were killed and 4 injured prior to the catastrophic June 15-16 eruptions that killed several hundred. By Aug 20, mudflows had killed more than 100. Disease at evacuation camps had (by Sept 20) brought the total fatalities to about 800. Reference #2432 Prior to 1991 Pinatubo volcano was a relatively unknown, heavily forested lava dome complex located 100 km NW of Manila with no records of historical eruptions. The 1991 eruption, one of the world's largest of the 20th century, ejected massive amounts of tephra and produced voluminous pyroclastic flows, forming a small, 2.5-km-wide summit caldera whose floor is now covered by a lake. Caldera formation lowered the height of the summit from 1745 to 1486 m. Although the eruption caused hundreds of fatalities and major damage with severe social and economic impact, successful monitoring efforts greatly reduced the number of fatalities. Widespread lahars that redistributed products of the 1991 eruption have continued to cause severe disruption. March 1991. The press reported that an explosion on 2 April deposited ash over an area of about 10,000 m2, including part of one village, and that about 2,000 people were evacuated. No injuries or deaths were reported. PHIVOLCS confirmed the explosion, and later noted a SW-NE-trending line of new vents extending 0.5-1.0 km on the N side of the volcano. The vents continued to emit a gas plume 200-500 m high as of mid-April. Observers at Clark Air Force Base (~15 km E) reported sulfurous odors. A seismic net, installed following the 2 April explosion, recorded increasing seismicity, reaching 135 earthquakes on 15 April. April 1991. On 2 April, an explosion at the E end of Pinatubo's geothermal area (about 1.5 km NW of the summit and 2/3 of the way down the flank) ejected clouds of steam and minor quantities of ash to 500-800 m height. Ash fell 2 km away, primarily to the NW and SW, and covered an area of about 10,000 m2, including part of one village, from which about 2,000 people were evacuated. No injuries or deaths were reported. May-June 1991. After more than 2 months of increasing seismicity, deformation, and emission of small plumes, a series of strong explosions culminated in one of the largest eruptions of this century. The 15-16 June climactic phase lasted more than 15 hours, sending tephra to 30 km altitude, generating voluminous pyroclastic flows, and leaving a small caldera in the former summit region. Ten days later, the aerosol cloud formed a nearly continuous band that stretched 11,000 km from Indonesia to Central Africa. Timely evacuations saved many lives, but the combined effects of the eruption and a typhoon killed more than 300 people. Reference #11546 By early June [1991], officials called for the evacuation of 25,000 people living in the area, including American service people at Clark Air Base and the U.S. Naval Station at Subic Bay. "By June 14 the recommended evacuation radius was 30 kilometers, which would have applied to perhaps 400,000 people," Newhall said. Never before had such a widespread evacuation attempt been made before a volcanic eruption. By the time the volcano erupted on 15 June, scientists and public officials had convinced more than 65,000 people to evacuate. More than 350 died during the eruption, but USGS and PHIVOLCS estimate that evacuation efforts saved between 5000 and 20,000 lives. Reference #11542 The eruption of Mt Pinatubo In June 1991 caused the largest perturbation this century to the particulate content of the stratosphere. The radiative influence of the injected particles put an end to several years of globally warm surface temperatures. At the same time, the combined effect of volcanic particles and anthropogenic reactive chlorine has led to record low levels of stratospheric ozone. Cited references #1053 National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) (1971 to 2013): Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE), a weekly and monthly publication, National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado, 1971 to 2013. #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/). #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. #11542 McCormick, M., Patrick, Larry W. Thomason, Charles R. Trepte (1995): Atmospheric effects of the Mt Pinatubo eruption. Nature, vol. 373, p. 399-404. DOI:10.1038/373399a0 #11546 Wendel, JoAnna, Mohi Kumar (2016): Pinatubo 25 Years Later: Eight Ways the Eruption Broke Ground. EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, vol. 97, no. 12. DOI:10.1029/2016EO053889 #11563 McGraw, Marie C., Elizabeth A. Barnes, Clara Deser (2016): Reconciling the observed and modeled Southern Hemisphere circulation response to volcanic eruptions. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 43, no. 13, p. 7259-7266. DOI:10.1002/2016GL069835 Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1450 ±50 y. AD		5?
-1050 BC (eruption 1050 ±500 y. BC)	Historical obs./docs.	6			Info
-1050 BC: 1050 BC +/ 500 years during the Maraunot eruptive period. 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/). Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1050 ±500 y. BC		6
-3550 BC (eruption 3550 ? BC)	Historical obs./docs.	6			Info
-3550 BC: Crow Valley eruptive period. 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/). Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
3550 ? BC		6
7030 ±300 y. BC		?
7460 ±150 y. BC	Tayawan caldera	6?

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 Pinatubo volcano

2009 earthquake & lahars
On 31 October 2009 a magnitude 5.0 tectonic earthquake with a depth of 79 km hit 37 km WSW of the summit of Pinatubo volcano.
Heavy monsoon rains caused by typhoon Kiko generated heavy floods in August 2009. 12 people were killed in the town of Botolan in August 2009.

2001-2004: caldera lake changes
During 2001 the caldera lake on Mt Pinatubo rose to dangerous levels and the water changed color in January 2004.

1991 Plinian eruption of Pinatubo - the 2nd largest in the 20th century
The June 15, 1991 eruption was probably the second largest explosive eruption of the 20th century, second in size only to the Katmai 1912 eruption in Alaska. It was about ten times larger than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
->Chronology of the 1991 eruption ...more info

Pinatubo Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Pinatubo volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Pinatubo occurred in 2021.

+How often does Pinatubo volcano erupt?

There are no known historic eruptions, but evidence from geologic records shows that it has had at least 9 eruptions over the past 10,000 years. This number is likely much higher because many past eruptions might not have left evidence recognizeable today and/or the volcano might not have been studied in too much detail. Using the available data, a very conservative estimate is that Pinatubo volcano erupts every 1,100 years.

+How active is Pinatubo volcano at present?

Pinatubo volcano is occasionally active: Since 1900, it has had 4 eruptions, and been active during 4 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Pinatubo has been in eruption one in 31.5 years on average. The last eruption was in 2021 and ended 4 years ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Pinatubo volcano?

The largest eruption of Pinatubo volcano in historic times occurred in 1991. It ranks as a plinian eruption with a magnitude 6 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale. Eruption of this size are often catastrophic on a regional scale.

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See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

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Pinatubo 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).