Soufriere Guadeloupe (France): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Soufriere Guadeloupe is a stratovolcano located in France, with a summit elevation of 1,467 meters. Situated in a subduction zone within oceanic crust less than 15 kilometers thick, the volcano has a recorded history of 16 confirmed eruptions spanning thousands of years. Official records from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program document activity ranging from prehistoric radiocarbon-dated events to historical observations in the 20th century.

Geological Profile and Eruption Summary

The structured record for Soufriere Guadeloupe contains 16 confirmed eruptions. The earliest recorded event in the collection dates back to 7490 BCE (with a start year uncertainty of 150 years). Throughout its history, the volcano has produced activity across various eruption areas, including Morne Amic, La Citerne and L'Eschelle cones, La Soufrière proper, and the southeast side of the summit at Gouffre Tarissan.

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), which characterizes the size of explosive volcanic eruptions, is available for 10 of the recorded events. Among these, the largest recorded VEI is 4.0, which occurred during the eruption starting around 1530 CE (with a start year uncertainty of 30 years). Other events vary in magnitude, such as an eruption at Morne Amic with a VEI of 3.0 around 1310 BCE, and a later well-documented observational event in the 20th century.

Historical Timeline of Activity

The recorded eruptions are distributed across multiple centuries, determined via various evidence methods including calibrated radiocarbon (14C) dating and direct historical observations. Examples of the documented timeline include:

• 7490 BCE: Early confirmed eruption identified via calibrated isotopic 14C evidence.
• 1310 BCE: Eruption at the Morne Amic activity area with a VEI of 3.0.
• 370 CE: Eruption at La Citerne and L'Eschelle cones.
• 1530 CE: Large explosive eruption at La Soufrière with a VEI of 4.0.
• 1976–1977: An eruption beginning on July 8, 1976, and ending on March 1, 1977, located on the southeast side of the summit at Gouffre Tarissan, recorded with a VEI of 2.0 through direct reports and observations.

As captured in the official database, the latest recorded eruption in the collection started on July 8, 1976. The profile lists the last known eruption year as 1977, marking the conclusion of that specific observational period.