Menengai erupted around 6,050 BCE with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, a colossal eruption that threw tens of cubic kilometres of ash and rock into the air. Eruptions of this size inject sulphur into the stratosphere and can cool the global climate for a year or more. The VEI is a logarithmic scale: each step means roughly ten times more erupted material. It took place around 6,050 BCE.
Before and after
- c. 6,600 BCEEruption of Karymsky
- from 66th century BCE to 31st century BCEPredynastic Period of Egypt
- c. 6,440 BCEEruption of Kurile Lake
- c. 6,300 BCEEruption of Aniakchak
- c. 6,050 BCEEruption of Menengai
- from 7th millennium BCE to 2nd millennium BCEUgarit
- 7th millennium BCEDiscovery of gold
- 61st century BCEThe earliest known wine is made in Georgia
- c. 5,900 BCEEruption of Crater Lake
More in Earth & climate
- c. 8,230 BCEEruption of Grimsvotn
- c. 7,460 BCEEruption of Pinatubo
- c. 4,750 BCEEruption of Hudson, Cerro
- c. 4,360 BCEEruption of Macauley
- c. 4,000 BCEEruption of Witori
- c. 3,580 BCEEruption of Taal
The era
This moment belongs to the Human prehistory (300,000 years ago to 3,200 BCE), the human story before writing.