Ambrym Volcano

Updated: Apr 14, 2025 23:18 GMT - refresh

shield volcano

Vanuatu, -16.25°S / 168.12°E

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Summit height: 1334 m (4,377 ft)

Current status: restless (2 out of 5)

Last update: 5 Mar 2025 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)

The crater of Benbow (Ambrym)

Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera. It is not only one of the most active volcanoes of Vanuatu, but in the world. Its most active craters often contain small lava lakes.

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Typical eruption style: Effusive, formation of lava lakes
Ambrym volcano eruptions: 1774, 1820(?), 1863, 1870(?), 1871, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1888, 1894, 1898, 1908, 1909(?), 1910, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1929, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977 (2x), 1979 (2x), 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2009 -ongoing

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Apr 4, 03:05 pm (Efate)	3? 5 km	26 km (16 mi) to the SE	Vanuatu Islands (unconfirmed)	Info
Apr 4, 01:26 pm (Efate)	3? 78 km	21 km (13 mi) to the N	Vanuatu Islands (unconfirmed)	Info
Thursday, April 3, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Apr 3, 10:42 pm (Efate)	3? 192 km	23 km (14 mi) to the NW	Vanuatu Islands (unconfirmed)	Info

View recent quakes

Background

Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera. It is not only one of the most active volcanoes of Vanuatu, but also in the world.
Ambrym's caldera is a wide, impressive moon-like landscape containing an ash plain, cut by innumerable erosion gullies and containing several active craters and recent lava flows.
The caldera is believed to have formed during a major plinian eruption with dacitic pyroclastic flows about 1900 years ago. Activity after the caldera formation was concentrated around two vents that have become large complex craters called Marum and Benbow. Often, both Marum and Benbow (as well as other craters) contain small lava lakes, which occasionally erupt lava flows onto the caldera floor, or even exit the caldera through erosion gaps.
The post-caldera eruptions have also formed a series of scoria cones and maars along a fissure system oriented ENE-WSW. Eruptions have apparently occurred almost yearly during historical time from cones within the caldera or from flank vents. However, from 1850 to 1950, reporting was mostly limited to extra-caldera eruptions that would have affected local populations.
Occasionally, explosive eruptions occur from the craters, mostly because of water-magma interaction. Such eruptions produce tall clouds of ash, and can cause serious health problems in the local population because the ash contaminates ground water.

Ambrym Volcano Photos

An usually clear view of the interior of Benbow's crater in the evening. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Highly fluid lava bursts from the vent of Benbow, Ambrym volcano, Vanuatu (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

The south (l) and north (r) pit craters containing little lava lakes. Strong spattering from the south pit. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

The deep second crater of Benbow (Photo: Yashmin Chebli)

More photos

Significant volcanic eruptions: Ambrym volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Ambrym has had at least 57 confirmed volcanic eruptions, out of which 56 are documented by historical records, while the others can be inferred from geological evidence.
There is one uncertain or discredited eruption in 1870 from Ambrym volcano.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Ambrym volcano since around 1900. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Ambrym can be found on the news page of Ambrym volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths	Damage
2024 Oct 3 - Nov 12	Historical obs./docs.	?
2024 Jan 13 - Jan 16	Historical obs./docs.	?
2022 Jan 25 - Feb 2 ±1 d.	Benbow Crater Historical obs./docs.	1
2008 May 23 - 2018 Dec 17	Benbow and Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
2018 Dec 15 (eruption 2008 May 23 - 2018 Dec 17)	Historical obs./docs.	2		moderate	Info
2018 Dec 15: VMGD observations and seismic data analysis confirm an ongoing emission of ash and gas from eruptive vents from Benbow and Marum craters and ongoing localized earthquake activity in the south eastern part of Ambrym. This earthquake activity is related to the current volcano eruption. Ash fall and gases have been observed primarily over the North Eastern side of the island. Earthquake activity has caused cracks on buildings and land in some areas, especially in the South East Ambrym area. Roads, water supplies, buildings and gardens have been damaged. (reference #12309) The entire 159 Pamel community members in Southeast Ambrym have relocated themselves to Ulei village nearby as there were some damaged due to earthquake damages in their infrastructures. (reference #12351) 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/). #12309 Vanuatu Disaster Management Office (2018): NEOC Situation Update - Ambrym Volcanic Activity. 19 December 2018. #12351 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (2018): Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA), Vanuatu: Ambrym Volcano & Earthquake. DREF # MDRVU007. Date of issue: 28 December 2018. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
2006 Nov 8 - 2007 Dec 27 or later	Marum (Mbwelesu) Historical obs./docs.	2
1996 Jun 16 ±15 d. - 2005 Aug 16 ±15 d.	Benbow, Marum, Niri Mbelesu, Mbwelesu Historical obs./docs.	1
1994 Dec 16 ±15 d.	Benbow and Marum Historical obs./docs.	1?
1990 Sep 16 ±15 d. - 1991 Jul 16 ±15 d.	Mbwelesu, Niri Mbwelesu, Niri Taten Historical obs./docs.	2
1989 Apr 24 - Dec 23	Marum, Benbow, Niri Mbwelesu Taten Historical obs./docs.	2
1988 Feb 12 ? - Aug 23	Benbow, Mbwelesu, Marum, Niri Taten Historical obs./docs.	3
1986 Nov 13 - Nov 19 ?	New cone 3 km east of Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1984 Jul 2 ±182 d. - 1986 Mar 8 or later	Historical obs./docs.	2
1983 Jul 2 ±182 d.	Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1981 Feb 20 - Sep 30	Benbow, Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1980 May 16 - Aug 18	Marum Historical obs./docs.	3
1979 Jun 6 - Sep 16 ±15 d.	Benbow, Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1979 Jan 26 ±5 d. - Feb 18 ?	Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1977 Aug 16 ±15 d. - Sep 30	Historical obs./docs.	2
1977 Jan 20 ±5 d. - Jan 28 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2
1973 Apr 15 ±5 d. - 1976 Oct 14	Benbow, Mbuelesu, Marum Historical obs./docs.	3
1972 Apr 15 - Aug 15	Benbow, Marum Historical obs./docs.	3
1971 Feb 3 - Nov 5	Marum, Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1967 Jul 16 ±15 d. - 1970 Aug 29	Marum, Benbow, Mbuelesu Historical obs./docs.	2
1964 Feb 16 ±15 d. - 1966 Sep 16 ±15 d.	Marum, Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1963 Aug 30 - Sep 23 or later	Benbow, Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1961 Aug 15 - 1963 Apr 3	Benbow, Marum, south of Marum Historical obs./docs.	3
1960 Sep 17	Mbuelesu, Benbow, near Marum Historical obs./docs.	1?
1959 Apr 16 ±15 d.	Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1958 Nov 18	Benbow and Marum Historical obs./docs.	2?
1957 Aug 26 ±5 d. - Oct 16 ±15 d.	Benbow, Marum Historical obs./docs.	1?
1955 Jul 2 ±182 d.	Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1954 Jul 2 ±182 d.	Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1953 May 16 ±15 d. - Oct 13 ?	Benbow, Mbuelesu, S flank of Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1952 Aug 10 - Dec 26 ±5 d.	Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1950 Dec 6 - 1951 Nov 25 ±5 d.	Benbow Historical obs./docs.	4+
1942 Jun 6	NW flank of Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1938	Benbow, Marum ? Historical obs./docs.	2
1937 Mar 27 - Apr	Benbow and west flank Historical obs./docs.	2
1935 Sep - 1936 Jan	Benbow Historical obs./docs.	2
1929 Jun 28 - Jul 1	Benbow, west flank, Marum Historical obs./docs.	2
1915 Oct 20	Marum, crater at SE point Historical obs./docs.	2
1913 Dec 6 (eruption 1913 Oct 14 - 1914)	Historical obs./docs.	3	21	heavy	Info
1913 Dec 6: Several villages were destroyed; explosions destroyed the mission hospital at Dip Point, killing 21 persons. 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
1913 Oct 14 - 1914	Benbow, west flank, Marum Historical obs./docs.	3
1912	Marum ?, west flank ? Historical obs./docs.	?
1910	Base of Marum Historical obs./docs.	0?
1909 Jul 28 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2?
1908	Historical obs./docs.	2?

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

Ambrym Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Ambrym volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Ambrym occurred in 2024.

+How often does Ambrym volcano erupt?

Since 1774, Ambrym volcano has had at least 56 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 4.5 years.
Many eruptions of Ambrym have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 89 out of 251 years until now. In other words, Ambrym has been active at least one in 2.8 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Ambrym is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.

+How active is Ambrym volcano at present?

Ambrym volcano is extremely active: Since 1900, it has been frequently active, showing eruptive activity during 77 years out of 126 as of now. The last eruption was in 2024 and ended 5 months ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Ambrym volcano?

The largest eruption known from the younger geological history of Ambrym volcano occurred around 50 AD. It ranks as a sub-plinian eruption with a magnitude 4 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

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Ambrym Volcano Tours

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Ambrym 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).