Volume of products, eruption cloud height, and qualitative observations (from Gentle to Cataclysmic) are used to determine the explosivity value. The scale is open-ended and ranges from 0, for non-explosive eruptions (less than 104 cubic metres of tephra ejected), to 8, for explosive eruptions larger than any in history (1012 cubic metres of tephra and a cloud column height of over 25 km). Values higher than 8 can be determined if needed.
VEI | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Historic Eruptions | 487 | 623 | 3176 | 733 | 119 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
See also: