Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Savai'i.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Savai'i.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Savai'i.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Afutina

Cone

13° 39' 18" S

172° 13' 37" W

Anaota

Cone

13° 33' 0" S

172° 46' 23" W

Asi, Mount

Cone

13° 40' 0" S

172° 11' 10" W

Eleitoga

Cone

13° 36' 7" S

172° 38' 20" W

Fa'ani

Cone

13° 34' 52" S

172° 27' 18" W

Fagalo

Cone

13° 32' 31" S

172° 42' 18" W

Fogapoa

Cone

13° 40' 5" S

172° 11' 42" W

Fualua

Cone

13° 37' 55" S

172° 19' 5" W

Fui'avea

Lava cone

13° 32' 35" S

172° 23' 10" W

Le'ele

Pyroclastic cone

Mafane

Cone

13° 39' 25" S

172° 20' 31" W

Maga

Cone

13° 31' 23" S

172° 47' 49" W

Maile

Cone

13° 34' 1" S

172° 42' 29" W

Mana'omia

Cone

13° 38' 0" S

172° 23' 53" W

Masa

Cone

13° 38' 35" S

172° 14' 49" W

Mata'aga

Cone

13° 36' 11" S

172° 27' 7" W

Matafa

Cone

13° 37' 23" S

172° 19' 5" W

Mataulano

Pyroclastic cone

13° 37' 0" S

172° 20' 0" W

Matavanu

Cone

13° 31' 59" S

172° 24' 11" W

Mauga Mu
Aopo

Pyroclastic cone

13° 36' 43" S

172° 31' 30" W

Mauga Silisili

Pyroclastic cone

13° 36' 29" S

172° 28' 26" W

Maugaloa

Pyroclastic cone

13° 33' 7" S

172° 25' 37" W

Mulimauga

Cone

13° 33' 11" S

172° 24' 18" W

Olomanu Tai

Cone

13° 38' 42" S

172° 17' 49" W

Olomanu Uta

Cone

13° 38' 42" S

172° 19' 1" W

Pule

Cone

13° 33' 47" S

172° 24' 54" W

Pulea

Cone

13° 33' 7" S

172° 44' 0" W

Puna

Cone

13° 34' 0" S

172° 19' 30" W

Saleleloga

Cone

13° 42' 47" S

172° 13' 41" W

Samau

Cone

13° 33' 0" S

172° 42' 11" W

Savai'i, Tafua

Tuff cone

13° 46' 55" S

172° 15' 11" W

Siope

Cone

13° 36' 47" S

172° 27' 18" W

Tagotala

Cone

13° 33' 47" S

172° 17' 31" W

Tapu'ele'ele

Cone

13° 37' 59" S

172° 14' 13" W

Te'elagi

Cone

13° 38' 13" S

172° 26' 0" W

To'iavea

Pyroclastic cone

13° 36' 18" S

172° 20' 53" W

Vaiala

Cone

13° 39' 43" S

172° 12' 25" W

Vaiolo

Cone

13° 40' 0" S

172° 13' 1" W

Ve'a

Cone

13° 37' 5" S

172° 19' 59" W

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Mata Ole Afi

Crater

13° 37' 0" S

172° 31' 1" W

Mauga Afi
Manga Afi
Muaga Mua

Fissure vent

13° 36' 54" S

172° 34' 19" W

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

244040

1911 CE

1,858 m / 6,096 ft

13.612°S
172.525°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Shield

Volcano Types
Shield
Pyroclastic cone(s)

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Oceanic crust (< 15 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

0
59
34,215
188,465

Geological Summary

Savai'i, the largest and highest of the Samoan islands, consists of a massive basaltic shield volcano constructed along a WNW-ESE-trending rift zone that splits into two rifts on the east side of the 75-km-long, oval-shaped island. Pliocene and Pleistocene shield formation was followed by stream and marine erosion, partial submergence, and growth of coral reefs. Late-stage Pleistocene and Holocene eruptions produced voluminous lava flows that partially buried fringing reefs. Numerous cinder cones and lava cones dot the broad crest of Savai'i, which has a low-angle, dome-like profile and reaches an elevation of 1858 m. Additional cones occur on the north-central flank, and a large number are found in the south-central part of the island. Three eruptions, including two in the 20th century, occurred in historical time, and produced voluminous lava flows that reached the northern coast along broad fronts up to about 15 km wide, destroying several villages and overtopping fringing reefs.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior.

Jensen H I, 1906. The geology of Samoa, and the eruptions in Savaii. Proc Linnean Soc New South Wales, 31: 641-672.

Kear D, Wood B L, 1959. The geology and hydrology of western Samoa. New Zeal Geol Surv Bull, 63: 1-92.

Nemeth K, Cronin S J, 2009. Volcanic structures and oral traditions of volcanism of Western Samoa (SW Pacific) and their implications for hazard education. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 186: 223-237.

Nemeth K, Cronin S J, Lolo F, Leavasa M, Solomona D S, Nelson F, 2007. Volcanic evolution, oral traditions of volcanism of Western Samoa (SW Pacific) and their volcanic hazard implications. Geol Soc New Zeal, New Zeal Geophys Soc Joint Annual Conf, Prog Abs, p 113.

Richard J J, 1962. Kermadec, Tonga and Samoa. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 13: 1-38.

Stearns H T, 1944. Geology of the Samoan Islands. Geol Soc Amer Bull, 55: 1279-1332.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 12 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1905 Aug 4 - 1911 Nov Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

Matavanu (north flank 402 m)

1905 Aug 4 - 1911 Nov

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 11 Events for Episode 1 at Matavanu (north flank 402 m)

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	violent, strong, or large
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Entered water.
- - - -	- - - -	Lava lake
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Bombs
- - - -	- - - -	Blocks
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)	Before.
- - - -	- - - -	Tsunami
- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
1905 Aug 4	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1902 Oct 30 - 1902 Nov 17 ± 4 days Confirmed Eruption VEI: 1

Episode 1 | Eruption

Mata Ole Afi (1649 m)

1902 Oct 30 - 1902 Nov 17 ± 4 days

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 5 Events for Episode 1 at Mata Ole Afi (1649 m)

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	weak or small
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)	Before.
- - - -	- - - -	Evacuations
1902 Oct 30	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1760 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

Mauga Afi (west-central Toasivi ridge)

1760 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 6 Events for Episode 1 at Mauga Afi (west-central Toasivi ridge)

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	violent, strong, or large
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Entered water.
- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
- - - -	- - - -	Evacuations
1760	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1610 ± 200 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Le'ele

1610 ± 200 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Le'ele

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

1350 ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Tafua Savai'i?

1350 ± 50 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Tafua Savai'i?

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone

1310 ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1310 ± 50 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

1240 ± 30 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1240 ± 30 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow

1040 ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1040 ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Entered water.

0170 ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

0170 ± 100 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Entered water.

0480 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

0480 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Uncertain
- - - -	- - - -	Ash

1150 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1150 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Entered water.

1990 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

North flank (Maugaloa)

1990 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at North flank (Maugaloa)

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Savai'i.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Savai'i.

Photo Gallery

Savai'i, the largest and highest of the Samoan islands, is shown in this NASA Landsat image (N is to the top). The 75-km-long island consists of a shield volcano constructed along a WNW-ESE-trending rift zone that splits into two rifts on the E side of the island. The broad crest contains numerous scoria cones, some of which were the source of historical eruptions that produced lava flows that reached the sea.

NASA Landsat 7 image (worldwind.arc.nasa.gov)

The 75-km-long island of Savai'i, the largest and highest of the Samoan islands, is a low-angle shield volcano. Numerous scoria cones dot the broad low-profile crest. The unvegetated lava flows in the foreground were emplaced during the most recent eruption in 1905.

Photo by Karoly Nemeth (Massey University).

A major eruption of Savai'i took place from 4 August to November 1905. Voluminous lava flows from the Matavanu vent on the N flank flowed 12 km to sea, destroying several villages and many fields. This image shows a pressure ridge on the lava flow, with the N coast in the background.

Photo by Karoly Nemeth (Massey University).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Savai'i in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Savai'i. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Savai'i. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Savai'i

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).