Volcano in Indian Ocean
McDonald Islands volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of McDonald Islands is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of McDonald Islands: 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
- 230 m 755 ft
- Type
- Complex volcano
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 0 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Hobart 5418 km ESE
Is McDonald Islands erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for McDonald Islands 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 McDonald Islands
USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of McDonald Islands 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 McDonald Islands
McDonald Islands is a complex volcano in Indian O-S, Indian Ocean, rising to 230 m (755 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
Complex volcanoes have several vents or overlapping cones, so activity can shift between craters.
The volcano is remote: the nearest city in our list is Hobart, 5418 km away.
Flights and volcanic ash
No major hub airport is within 400 km (the closest is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, 3844 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 Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean has 2 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Heard, 62 km away.
Nearby volcanoes
Volcanoes in Indian Ocean
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Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.