Barren Island (India): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Barren Island, a stratovolcano located in India at an elevation of 354 meters, has a documented history of 20 confirmed eruptions spanning from prehistoric tephrochronology records up to the 21st century. Situated in a subduction zone with continental crust exceeding 25 kilometers in thickness, the volcano's recorded activity encompasses various observation methods, including tephrochronology and direct historical reporting.

Overview of Recorded Eruptions

According to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program's official record, Barren Island has a confirmed eruption count of 20 events. The earliest recorded eruption in the collection dates back to approximately 8060 BCE, determined through tephrochronology correlation with an estimated year uncertainty of 100 years. Subsequent centuries show varying frequencies of activity, with the largest recorded Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) reaching 2.0 across multiple events.

While the structured event list contains representative entries detailing specific dates—such as a VEI 2 eruption starting on March 16, 1832, and activity spanning from September 17, 2010, to June 22, 2011—the broader profile data notes that the volcano's last known eruption year extends to 2026, with a latest confirmed start date recorded on July 30, 2025, concluding on January 11, 2026.

Chronological Distribution by Century

Eruptive activity at Barren Island is distributed across several centuries in the official record:

• 81st century BCE: 1 event
• 18th century CE: 3 events
• 19th century CE: 2 events
• 20th century CE: 2 events
• 21st century CE: 12 events

The 21st century CE accounts for the highest concentration of confirmed eruptions in the dataset, reflecting more frequent modern observation and reporting.