🌋VolcanoAtlas

Mount Tambora

The Eruption That Changed the World

Elevation

2,850 m

Last Eruption

1967

Type

Stratovolcano

Country

Indonesia

Location

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Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

  • Pyroclastic flows
  • Lava flows
  • Volcanic bombs and ballistics
  • Lahars and mudflows

Risk Level

Population at RiskHigh
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary
Unknown
Silica Content
Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Unknown
Intraplate setting with hotspot or regional volcanic activity.

Age & Formation

Epoch
Unknown
Evidence
Unknown

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
Recent Activity59 years agoHistoricalRecently active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database

Current Status

Normal
No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Authority Sources

Smithsonian GVP
Official volcano database

Related Volcanoes

All Indonesia Volcanoes
Explore by country
Stratovolcano Volcanoes
By volcano type
Sumbawa, Lesser Sunda Islands
Regional volcanoes

Other Volcanoes in Indonesia

Interesting Facts

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The 1815 eruption ejected an estimated 150 km³ of tephra — roughly equivalent to a cube 5.3 km on each side — making it the largest eruption in recorded human history.

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Before 1815, Tambora stood approximately 4,300 m tall. The eruption removed roughly 1,450 m from the summit.

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The summit caldera is approximately 6 km in diameter and 1,250 m deep — one of the most dramatic volcanic features visible from space.

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An estimated 60,000–92,000 people died, with ~12,000 from direct effects and 49,000–80,000 from subsequent famine and disease — the deadliest eruption in recorded history.

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The April 10, 1815 explosion was heard 2,600 km away in Sumatra, leading the colonial governor of Java to dispatch military ships believing cannon fire was being heard.

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The eruption injected ~60 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, causing the Year Without a Summer in 1816.

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Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein during the cold 1816 summer at Lake Geneva — weather caused by Tambora 12,000 km away.

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The eruption destroyed the Kingdom of Tambora — one of few cases of a volcanic eruption causing extinction of a political and linguistic community.

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Pyroclastic flows reached the sea on all sides of the 60-km-wide Sanggar Peninsula, devastating ~500 km².

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The connection between Tambora and the 1816 climate anomaly was not scientifically established until the 20th century.

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Despite producing the largest recorded eruption, Tambora has only 7 confirmed eruptions — one of the least frequent but most explosive volcanoes on Earth.

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Turner’s dramatic sunset paintings of the 1810s–1820s are now understood to reflect the atmospheric effects of Tambora’s stratospheric aerosol veil.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened during the 1815 eruption of Tambora?
The April 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora was the largest volcanic eruption in recorded human history. After precursory activity from 1812, a major explosive phase began on April 5, 1815, with the climactic paroxysm on April 10–11. The eruption column reached approximately 43 km into the stratosphere. Pyroclastic flows swept all flanks, reaching the sea on every side. The eruption ejected approximately 150 km³ of tephra, reduced the summit from ~4,300 m to 2,850 m, and created a caldera 6 km wide and 1,250 m deep. An estimated 60,000–92,000 people died from direct effects and subsequent famine. The eruption caused the Year Without a Summer in 1816 through stratospheric sulfate aerosols.
What was the Year Without a Summer?
The Year Without a Summer refers to 1816, when global temperatures dropped by approximately 0.4–0.7°C due to stratospheric sulfur dioxide from Tambora’s 1815 eruption. In Europe, it was the coldest summer on record, with frost and snow in June and July. Crop failures caused the last great European subsistence famine, with food riots in France, Switzerland, and Germany. In northeastern North America, frost occurred in every month. The agricultural crisis caused widespread economic hardship, accelerated westward migration in the United States, and inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein during the cold, stormy summer at Lake Geneva.
Is Mount Tambora still active?
Yes, Mount Tambora is classified as an active volcano, though it is in a long period of repose. The most recent volcanic activity occurred on July 2, 1967 — minor steam emissions from the caldera floor. The caldera hosts fumarolic vents emitting steam and volcanic gases, and seismic monitoring detects occasional volcanic earthquakes. A repeat of the 1815 VEI 7 event is considered extremely unlikely on human timescales. More plausible near-term scenarios include minor phreatic eruptions or lava dome growth within the caldera.
How many people died in the 1815 Tambora eruption?
The total estimated death toll is approximately 60,000 to 92,000, making it the deadliest volcanic eruption in recorded history. Approximately 12,000 people were killed directly by pyroclastic flows, tephra fall, and tsunamis. The remaining 49,000–80,000 deaths occurred from famine and epidemic disease caused by widespread crop destruction across Sumbawa, Lombok, and eastern Java. The Kingdom of Tambora — a sultanate of approximately 10,000 people — was entirely wiped out. These figures do not include deaths caused globally by the Year Without a Summer famines.
How tall is Mount Tambora?
Mount Tambora currently stands at 2,850 m (9,350 ft). Before the 1815 eruption, it reached approximately 4,300 m (14,100 ft), one of the tallest peaks in Indonesia. The eruption removed roughly 1,450 m from the summit and created a caldera 6 km wide and 1,250 m deep. This dramatic reduction — losing more than a third of its elevation in a single event — is one of the most striking geological transformations in recorded volcanic history.
How does Tambora compare to Krakatau?
Tambora 1815 was significantly larger than Krakatau 1883. Tambora was VEI 7 vs Krakatau VEI 6 — a tenfold difference on the logarithmic scale. Tambora ejected ~150 km³ of tephra (~41 km³ DRE) vs Krakatau’s ~25 km³ (~12 km³ DRE). Tambora’s death toll (60,000–92,000) was higher than Krakatau’s (~36,000, mostly from tsunamis). Tambora’s climate impact was also more severe. Despite being larger, Tambora is less famous because the 1883 eruption occurred in the age of telegraphy and was reported globally in real-time.
Can you visit Mount Tambora?
Yes, though Tambora is remote compared to Bali or Java volcanoes. The standard ascent from Pancasila village on the southern flank takes 2 days, gaining ~2,300 m through tropical forest to the caldera rim. Views into the 6-km-wide, 1,250-m-deep crater are staggering. Reaching the trailhead requires flying to Bima on Sumbawa (from Bali or Lombok), then driving 3–4 hours. Local guides are essential. The dry season (May–October) is best. The Pompeii of the East archaeological site on the northern flank is an additional attraction.
How did Tambora’s eruption create Frankenstein?
The connection is indirect but well-documented. Tambora’s 1815 eruption created stratospheric aerosols that made the summer of 1816 the coldest on record in Europe. In June 1816, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori were at the Villa Diodati near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The relentless cold and rain kept them indoors, and Byron proposed a ghost-story competition. This inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein (published 1818) and Polidori to write The Vampyre. The dreary weather was a direct consequence of Tambora’s eruption 12,000 km away.
Could the 1815 eruption happen again?
A repeat VEI 7 eruption is considered extremely unlikely on human timescales but not impossible on geological ones. Such eruptions typically require thousands to tens of thousands of years to accumulate sufficient magma. Only ~210 years have passed since 1815. More plausible scenarios involve minor phreatic eruptions or lava dome growth. However, if a VEI 7 eruption occurred again — at Tambora or any volcano — it would cause a global climate crisis potentially disrupting food production for 2–3 years, with consequences far more severe than 1816 given today’s interconnected global food system.
What type of volcano is Tambora?
Mount Tambora is a stratovolcano (composite volcano) with an unusual alkalic magma composition. Its lavas are dominantly trachybasaltic to trachyandesitic, richer in alkali elements than typical Indonesian volcanoes. The massive edifice forms the entire 60-km-wide Sanggar Peninsula — an enormous volcanic structure. The 1815 eruption transformed it from a towering stratovolcano (~4,300 m) to a caldera-topped truncated cone (2,850 m), illustrating the destructive potential of large composite volcanoes above subduction zones.