Mount Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa erupted explosively on April 10-11, 1815, ejecting more than 150 cubic kilometers of material in a blast rated 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, the largest eruption directly observed and recorded by humans. Sulfur it threw into the atmosphere cooled the planet enough to cause the "Year Without a Summer" in 1816, bringing crop failures across the Northern Hemisphere.
Record no. MRB-2026-005723
Largest Volcanic Eruption in Recorded History
Reference Record – Not Certified
This record is compiled from publicly available sources for reference. It has not been examined or certified by The Book of World Records.