Choose your eruption parameters and watch the devastation unfold
Volcano Simulator is a free online eruption simulation that lets you trigger volcanic eruptions from gentle VEI 1 lava flows to catastrophic VEI 8 supervolcano explosions. Choose the explosivity index, eruption type, and location to see pyroclastic flows, ash plumes, climate effects, and comparisons to history's most famous eruptions.
Select the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI 1-8), eruption type (effusive, explosive, or phreatic), and location setting. The simulator calculates ejecta volume, plume height, pyroclastic flow range, ash fall distance, climate impact, and casualty estimates based on real volcanological data. Watch the eruption animation, then explore detailed results cards.
The VEI rates eruptions from 0 (gentle) to 8 (mega-colossal supervolcano). Each level represents roughly a 10x increase in ejected material. VEI 1-2 eruptions happen weekly worldwide. VEI 8 eruptions occur roughly every 100,000 years and can alter global climate.
A VEI 8 supervolcano eruption would eject over 1,000 cubic kilometers of material, create pyroclastic flows covering thousands of square kilometers, and launch enough ash into the atmosphere to cause a volcanic winter lasting years. Global temperatures could drop 5-10°C, devastating agriculture worldwide.
The most dangerous include Yellowstone (USA), Campi Flegrei (Italy), Lake Toba (Indonesia), and Mount Vesuvius (Italy). Yellowstone last erupted as a supervolcano 640,000 years ago. Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD and still threatens 3 million people in Naples.
If you enjoyed this, try these: Earthquake Simulator · Tornado Simulator · Asteroid Impact Simulator · Nuclear Explosion Simulator
Last updated: March 2026 · whatifs.fun — Free interactive games, experiments & simulations