Didicas Volcano

Updated: Mar 24, 2025 03:50 GMT - refresh

compound volcano

North of Luzon (Philippines), 19.08°N / 122.2°E

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Summit height: 228 m / 748 ft

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

Didicas volcano is a small volcanic island 22 km NE of Camiguin Island, 60 km off the northern coast of Luzon, Philippines.
Until 1952, it was a submarine volcano that had previously formed temporary islands during eruptions. In the eruption of 1952 the submarine volcano formed a new lava dome that surfaced above sea level and has become now a permanent new island.

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News/Updates | Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: explosive
Didicas volcano eruptions: 1978, 1969, 1952, 1900, 1856-1857, 1773

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Mar 11, 07:30 pm (GMT +8)	3.0 4 km	23 km (15 mi) to the SW	Luzon, Philippines	Info

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Background

Didicas volcano now consists of a small, 244-m-high andesitic lava dome about 1.4 km in its longest diameter.
A 400-m-wide crater was formed during the 1952 eruption. The first recorded submarine eruption of Didicas occurred in 1773.
In an eruption in 1860, Didicas also built a new island, the first recorded cone of Didicas breaching the sea surface. It reached a height of 213 m in 1860, when the eruption ended, but it was soon eroded beneath the sea, because it mainly consisted of loose tephra. 3 rock masses up to 82 m high were left after an eruption in 1900. 2 more eruptions occurred since 1952 at an explosion crater on the northern side of the island.
(Source: GVP volcano information)

Significant volcanic eruptions: Didicas volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Didicas has had at least 5 confirmed eruptions, all documented by historical records or observations.
There is one uncertain or discredited eruption in 1773 from Didicas volcano.

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

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths
1978 Jan 6 - Jan 9	NNE side Historical obs./docs.	2
1969 Mar 21 - Jun 16 ±15 d.	North side Historical obs./docs.	2
1969 Mar 21 (eruption 1969 Mar 21 - Jun 16 ±15 d.)	Tsunami recorded Historical obs./docs.	2	3	Info
1969 Mar 21: 1960, March 26. 3 drowned while fishing; tsunami generated by a submarine explosion at Didicas, 70 km away. (reference #9675) Three fishermen were killed during the 1969 eruption, but the cause of their death is unknown(tsunami or pyroclastic surge?). (reference #10848) 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. #1630 Smithsonian Institution (1968-1975): Smithsonian Institution-CSLP, 1968-75. [Event notification cards]. Center for Short-Lived Phenomena (CSLP) Event Cards #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. #10848 Paris, Raphael, Adam D. Switzer, Marina Belousova, Alexander Belousov, Budianto Ontowirjo, Patrick L. Whelley, Martina Ulvrova (2014): Volcanic tsunami: a review of source mechanisms, past events and hazards in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea). Natural Hazards, vol. 70, p. 447-470. DOI:10.1007/s11069-013-0822-8 Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1952 Mar 16 or before - 1953 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2
1900	Historical obs./docs.	0?
1856 Sep 30 ±30 d. - 1860 Oct	Historical obs./docs.	2
?? 1773 Oct	Uncertain Eruption Historical obs./docs.	1?

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 Didicas volcano

1969 eruption of Didicas
A new 20 m wide crater formed on the N side of the island and was observed for the first time on 27 March 1969 during a reconnaissance flight. The crater measuring was filled with muddy boiling water, the northern half of the island was covered by thick whitish-gray ash and the sea water in front of the crater was discolored.
3 people who were fishing near the coast of Didicas Island drowned when a volcanic tsunami generated by the eruption "swollowed" them.
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Source: GVP monthly bulletin

1952 eruption: a new island is formed
Didicas was a submarine volcano until 1952, when an eruption formed a new island, that resisted erosion afterwards. It now measures up to 1.4 km in diameter and rises about 250 m above sea level.
A US pilot on a reconnaissance flight who observed the Didicas'eruption compared it to the similar submarine eruption in 1956 between the islands of Oahu and Kauai in Hawaii he and others had observed.

Didicas Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Didicas volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Didicas occurred in 1978.

+How often does Didicas volcano erupt?

Since 1856, Didicas volcano has had at least 5 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 33.8 years.
Many eruptions of Didicas have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 10 out of 169 years until now. In other words, Didicas has been active at least one in 16.9 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Didicas is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.

+How active is Didicas volcano at present?

Didicas volcano is occasionally active: Since 1900, it has had 5 eruptions, and been active during 5 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Didicas has been in eruption one in 25.2 years on average. The last eruption was in 1978 and ended 47 years ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Didicas volcano?

The largest eruption of Didicas volcano in historic times occurred in 1978. It ranks as a strombolian to vulcanian eruption with a magnitude 2 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Didicas 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).