Whakaari/White Island (New Zealand): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Whakaari/White Island is a stratovolcano situated in New Zealand at a subduction zone setting with a continental crust exceeding 25 km in thickness, reaching an elevation of 294 meters. According to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, the official record documents 39 confirmed eruptions spanning from 1826 CE to 2026 CE. Across this record, the largest measured size reached a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 3.0.

Historical Eruption Distribution by Century

Volcanic activity at Whakaari/White Island has been documented across three centuries CE. The historical record indicates varying frequencies of confirmed eruptions over time:

• 19th century CE: 4 confirmed eruptions, beginning with the earliest recorded event on December 1, 1826 CE (VEI 2.0).
• 20th century CE: 27 confirmed eruptions, including activity at the foot of the crater ridge during a 1933 CE event (VEI 3.0) and activity at the Rudolf vent between August 16, 1969 CE, and September 16, 1969 CE (VEI 2.0).
• 21st century CE: 8 confirmed eruptions, featuring activity at the MH vent from March 7, 2000 CE, to September 5, 2000 CE (VEI 3.0), and a confirmed eruption sequence starting on March 10, 2026 CE, and ending on March 24, 2026 CE.

Selected Historical Eruptions

The structured eruption catalog includes a range of documented events verified through reported observations. The following table highlights representative recorded eruptions from the official database, illustrating different activity areas and measured parameters where available.

Note: The table above displays a representative sample of 5 records out of a total collection of 39 confirmed eruptions. The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) classifies the relative size or magnitude of explosive volcanic eruptions on an open-ended scale, though not every event in the historical record includes a calculated VEI or explicit end date.