The Quill Volcano
Updated: Apr 3, 2025 08:14 GMT -
Stratovolcano
West Indies, Netherlands, 17.48°N / -62.96°W 
Summit height: 601 m / 1,972 ft
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
[smaller] [larger]
The Quill volcano eruptions: 250 AD ± 150 years
Latest nearby earthquakes
| Date and Time | Mag / Depth | Distance / Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Background
The Quill is a large dominantly andesitic stratovolcano that forms the SE end of St. Eustatius (Statia) Island. The 601-m-high volcano was formed about 32,000-22,000 years ago by rhyolitic eruptions on a shallow-water limestone bank 3 km offshore of an older 0.2 million years old volcanic center exposed at the NW end of the island. The interaction of rhyolitic magma with sea water produced pyroclastic-surge deposits, rich in limestone fragments, that joined the two islands and blanket the entire slopes of The Quill. The surges also swept across the older island and incorporated carbonized plant remains, shell fragments, and remains of fossil hermit crabs. A likely cryptodome tilted up limestones at Sugarloaf on the southern coast. A steep-sided crater, 760 m wide and more than 300 m deep caps The Quill; a notch on the western rim of the crater has directed the youngest pyroclastic flows towards the island's capital, Orangestad. The last dated eruption of The Quill produced pyroclastic flows about 1600 years ago.---
Smithsonian / GVP volcano information
Significant volcanic eruptions: The Quill volcano
No historic eruptions are known from The Quill volcano, but evidence from at least 3 eruptions during the past 10,000 years can be found in the geological record.
The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of The Quill volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of The Quill can be found on the news page of The Quill volcano.
| Date | Note | VEI | Deaths | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | |||||
| ? | |||||
| 4P | |||||
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
The Quill Volcano FAQ
+When was the last eruption of The Quill volcano?
The last confirmed eruption of The Quill occurred around 250 AD.
+When was the largest eruption of The Quill volcano?
The largest eruption known from the younger geological history of The Quill volcano occurred around 6140 BC. It only has a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) of , likely because it was a mainly effusive eruption generating lava flows but very little ash.
Latest satellite images
The Quill 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).
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (world scale)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (world scale)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (region scale large)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (region scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (region scale medium)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (region scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (region scale small)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (region scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (local scale large)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (local scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (local scale medium)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (local scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (local scale small)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (local scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Terrain-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of 5-10 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of The Quill volcano (scale of few kilometers)
