Raoul Island erupted around 250 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 250 BCE.
Before and after
- 259 BCEBirth of Qin Shi Huang
- 258 BCEBattle of Sulci
- 3rd century BCEArchimedes' principle
- c. 250s BCEThe Hebrew Torah is translated into Greek at Alexandria
- c. 250 BCEEruption of Raoul Island
- 248 BCEConstruction of Terracotta Army
- from 247 BCE to 224 CEParthian Empire
- 247 BCEBirth of Hannibal
- c. 241 BCEEratosthenes measures the size of the Earth
More in Earth & climate
- c. 2,300 BCEEruption of Blanco, Cerro
- c. 1,610 BCEEruption of Santorini
- from 19 July 64 CE to 26 July 64 CEGreat Fire of Rome
- 79 CEVesuvius buries Pompeii and Herculaneum
- 24 August 79 CEEruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79
- c. 450 CEEruption of Ilopango
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century BCE.