Volcano in South Africa
Marion Island volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Marion Island is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of Marion Island: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.
- Status now
- No open report
- Last eruption
- 1964 or later
- Elevation
- 1,230 m 4,036 ft
- Type
- Shield volcano
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 0 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- East London 1754 km NNW
Is Marion Island erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Marion Island right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.
No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).
Earthquakes near Marion Island
USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Marion Island in the past 30 days. Outside the United States USGS mainly lists quakes above about M4, so small volcanic tremors recorded by the local observatory will not appear here.
About Marion Island
Marion Island is a shield volcano in Indian O-S, South Africa, rising to 1,230 m (4,036 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
Shield volcanoes have broad, gentle slopes built by fluid lava flows; eruptions are usually effusive (lava fountains and flows) rather than explosive.
The volcano is remote: the nearest city in our list is East London, 1754 km away.
Flights and volcanic ash
No major hub airport is within 400 km (the closest is Cape Town, 2156 km away), but ash clouds from explosive eruptions can drift for thousands of kilometres along flight routes.
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.
Other volcanoes in South Africa
South Africa has 1 volcano on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now.
More
Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.