What was the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century?
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USGS Frequently Asked Questions
Question:
What was the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century?
Answer:
The largest
eruption in the world this century occurred in 1912 at Novarupta
on the Alaska Peninsula. An estimated 15 cubic kilometers of
magma was explosively erupted during 60 hours beginning on June 6 --
(which is equivalent to 230 years of
eruption at Kilauea (Hawaii)
or, about 30 times the volume erupted by Mount St. Helens (Washington) in 1980.)
-- From:
Wright and Pierson, 1992, USGS Circular 1073, and
Brantley, 1994, Volcanoes of the United States: USGS General
Interest Publication.
