And the Winner of the Volcanic Event of 2016 Is...
You voted. Now let's count down the top 10 volcanic events of 2016.
TIBTA PANGIN/AFP/Getty Images
The voting is done, so it's time to look back at the biggest volcanic events of 2016. It was a late arrival on to the scene that ended up taking the prize, but plenty of lifetime achievers are found across the list as well. Check out the volcanoes that were the finalists for the 2016 Pliny for Volcanic Event of the Year!
NASA Earth ObservatoryHonorable Mentions
Let's start with some of the runner-ups. Each had brief moments of activity that caught our attention in 2016: [Masaya](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=344100) (Nicaragua), [Sabancaya](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=354006) (Peru—right, [seen from Sentinel-2 on November 16, 2016](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89149)), [Kliuchevskoi](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=300260) (Russia), [Rinjani](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=264030) (Indonesia), [Zavodovski](http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=390130) (South Sandwich Islands), [Aso](http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=282110) (Japan), [Sakurajima](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=282080) (Japan).
RICHARD BOUHET/AFP/Getty ImagesPiton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island (tie)
The year at [Piton de la Fournaise](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=233020) was busy, with multiple [fissure eruptions producing long lava flows on the slopes](https://www.wired.com/2016/05/lava-flows-abound-kilauea-piton-de-la-fournaise/) of the large Indian Ocean shield volcano. Unlike its cousin on Hawaii, Piton de la Fournaise doesn't get the same tourist attention, but in terms of exciting eruptions, the volcano of Reunion Island gives Kilauea a run for its money.
OVSICORITurrialba, Costa Rica (tie)
[Turrialba](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=345070) had some of its largest explosive eruptions since it reawakened in 2010. The biggest hazard that Costa Rica experienced was [the ashy mess that these explosions produced](https://www.wired.com/2016/09/costa-ricas-turrialba-volcano-makes-ashy-mess-airports/), but the continued unrest at Turrilba has Costa Rican officials on their toes for any changes.
NASA Earth ObservatoryCampi Flegrei, Italy (tie)
Considering that the [Campi Flegrei](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=211010) on the edge (and under) the Bay of Naples didn't actually erupt in 2016, the caldera did shockingly well in the Pliny voting. That's probably because, like Yellowstone in the US, the Campi Flegrei could produce a massive, highly destructive eruption. The emphasis, though, is on *could*. Although [recent studies suggest that something might be brewing](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/12/supervolcano-campi-flegrei-stirs-under-naples-italy/) at the Campi Flegrei, the most likely event might be a small cinder cone like [Monte Nuovo in 1538](http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/monte-nuovo), rather than than massive explosive eruption like the [Campanian Ignimbrite](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0065839). However, any caldera on the outskirts of a [city with a population in excess of 3 million people](https://www.wired.com/2015/07/worlds-dangerous-volcano-threatens-huge-city/) should garner our full attention.
NASA Earth ObservatoryPopocatépetl, Mexico (tie)
The first of Mexico's two top 10 entries, [Popocatépetl](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=341090), has been actively producing explosive eruptions all year. The [prototype stratovolcano](https://www.wired.com/2016/07/annotated-volcano-volcanos-shape-can-tell-will-erupt/), Popocatépetl has caused some problems with the ash from these blasts, but mostly remained nothing more than an occasional nuisance ... and you can safely ignore any article you see that tries to connect the volcano with aliens or UFOs.
HVO/USGSKilauea, Hawaii and Etna, Italy (tie)
The volcanoes tied for #5 are like the Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep of the Pliny's. Sure, they might not have had their biggest year or most dramatic eruptions, but they still capture the imagination. [Etna](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=211060), in fact, had one of its most quiet years in decades. [Kilauea](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=332010) did have [some interesting lava flow breakouts](https://www.wired.com/2016/05/lava-flows-abound-kilauea-piton-de-la-fournaise/) and [collapses of lava benches](https://www.wired.com/2016/12/bogoslof-volcano-alaska-unexpectedly-erupts/), along with the usual [rising and falling of the lava lakes](https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/) at Halema'uma'u and Pu'u O'o. Perennial favorites scored well in 2016.
TIBTA PANGIN/AFP/Getty ImagesSinabung, Indonesia (tie)
We are now entering the 7th year of the humanitarian crisis at [Sinabung](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=261080) in Indonesia. [Repeated pyroclastic flows](https://www.wired.com/2016/01/volcanic-unrest-in-indonesia-is-forcing-evacuations/) have caused most people living near the volcano to evacuate to temporary shelters for what is now been years. This prolonged period of disruption means some people try to sneak back into the restricted zones, with [deadly consequences](https://www.wired.com/2016/05/please-dont-blame-mars-weeks-explosive-volcanic-eruptions/).
NASA Earth ObservatoryFuego, Guatemala (tie)
Nestled next to Guatemala City, [Fuego](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=342090) put on quite a show in 2016. [Strombolian explosions marked the year's activity](https://www.wired.com/2016/06/central-american-volcanoes-let-spectacular-eruptions/) while lava flows snaked down the slopes of the volcano (see right) and heavy rains at times during the year [remobilized ash and debris to create dangerous volcanic mudflows (lahars)](https://www.wired.com/2016/08/anatomy-volcanic-blast-guatemalas-santiaguito/)
Dario Lopez-Mills/APColima, Mexico
This year's runner up for the Pliny was last year's champion. Marked a repeated explosive eruptions, [Colima](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=341040) was one of the most watched volcanoes of 2016. The cycle of lava dome formation and destruction was the story at Colima for the year, with [big explosive blasts and some pyroclastic flows](https://www.wired.com/2016/10/iceland-katla-volcano-mexico-colima/). People living near Colima had to be evacuated as the activity waxed and waned. Luckily, the biggest news for the Mexican volcano might have been [some of the spectacular shots of the eruptions](https://www.wired.com/2016/02/sergio-tapiro-lava-ash-lightning-perfect-volcano-photo/).
Dave Schneider/AVO/USGSBogoslof, Alaska
It didn't start erupting (that we know of) until December 16, but with only a fortnight to erupt before the year ended, [Bogoslof](https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=311300) in the Aleutian Islands ran away with the __2016 Pliny for Volcanic Event of the Year__. The eruption itself hasn't even been clearly seen from anywhere on the ground and cloud cover has made satellite observations difficult as well. However, we do know that the mostly submarine volcano whose summit is peaking out of the Bering Sea has had a series of big explosions that reached over 10 kilometers (30,000 feet) over the volcano. These explosions are likely being helped along by a lot of magma-water interactions and as of right now, the Alaska Volcano Observatory expects these explosions to keep coming at Bogoslof ... so Bogoslof might make the list for the 2017 Pliny as well!
Welcome to Eruptions, a blog about all things volcanic. Eruption is written and maintained by Erik Klemetti, an assistant professor of Geosciences at Denison University. His passion in geology is volcanoes, and he has studied them all over the world. You can follow Erik on Twitter, where you'll get volcano ... Read More
