The Cameroon volcano is a stratovolcano located in Cameroon, rising to an elevation of 4,095 meters. It sits in an intraplate tectonic setting on continental crust exceeding 25 kilometers in thickness. According to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program's official record, the volcano has a history consisting of 19 confirmed eruptions spanning from ancient antiquity through the year 2000 CE.
Overview of Recorded Eruptions
The structured record for the Cameroon volcano tracks 19 confirmed eruptions characterized by reported observations. These events vary in scale, with a largest recorded Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 3.0 out of 18 VEI-observed eruptions. The historical record indicates activity distributed unevenly across multiple centuries, beginning as early as the 5th century BCE.
Chronological Distribution of Activity
The 19 confirmed eruptions are distributed across specific centuries in the official record:
- 5th century BCE: 1 confirmed eruption
- 17th century CE: 1 confirmed eruption
- 19th century CE: 8 confirmed eruptions
- 20th century CE: 9 confirmed eruptions
The earliest recorded eruption in the collection occurred around 450 BCE with a start year uncertainty of 50 years and a VEI of 3.0. Later historical activity includes events such as a south flank eruption starting on July 2, 1807 (with an 8-year uncertainty), an eruption near Fako on December 31, 1838, and an eruption on July 2, 1871. Both the 1838 and 1871 events recorded a VEI of 2.0.
Latest Recorded Activity
The latest confirmed eruption in the official record began on May 28, 2000, and ended on September 15, 2000. This event took place on the upper southwest flank—with activity noted at elevations including 4,000 meters and 2,750 meters—and carried a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2.0 based on reported observations. The profile's last known eruption year is listed as 2000.
Image credits
- Adesolive — Wikimedia Commons source — CC0
Sources and further context
Official datasets support the event-specific facts.