🌋VolcanoAtlas

Mount Pelée

The Volcano That Destroyed Saint-Pierre

Elevation

1,372 m

Last Eruption

1932

Type

Stratovolcano

Country

France (Martinique)

Location

Loading map...

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

  • Pyroclastic flows
  • Lava flows
  • Volcanic bombs and ballistics
  • Lahars and mudflows

Risk Level

Population at RiskLow
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary
Unknown
Silica Content
Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Unknown
Intraplate setting with hotspot or regional volcanic activity.

Age & Formation

Epoch
Unknown
Evidence
Unknown

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
Recent Activity94 years agoHistoricalRecently active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database

Current Status

Normal
No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Authority Sources

Smithsonian GVP
Official volcano database

Related Volcanoes

All France (Martinique) Volcanoes
Explore by country
Stratovolcano Volcanoes
By volcano type
Lesser Antilles, Caribbean
Regional volcanoes

Interesting Facts

🌋

The May 8, 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée killed approximately 29,000 people in minutes, making it the deadliest volcanic disaster of the 20th century and one of the deadliest in all recorded history.

🌋

The 1902 pyroclastic density current that destroyed Saint-Pierre traveled at estimated speeds of 150–200 km/h and temperatures of 300–500°C, annihilating the city in approximately one minute.

🌋

Only two or three people survived within the city limits of Saint-Pierre during the May 8 eruption; the most famous survivor, Louis-Auguste Cyparis, was protected by the thick walls of his underground prison cell.

🌋

The 1902 eruption coined the term 'Pelean eruption' in volcanology, describing eruptions characterized by dome growth, dome collapse, and lateral pyroclastic density currents (nuées ardentes).

🌋

Mount Pelée's geological record shows at least 21 VEI 4 eruptions over the past 10,000 years — one of the highest ratios of major explosive events of any volcano on Earth.

🌋

The colonial governor of Martinique refused to evacuate Saint-Pierre before the 1902 eruption, partly because local elections were scheduled for May 11 — a political decision that cost approximately 29,000 lives.

🌋

After the 1902 eruption, a spectacular lava spine called the 'Tower of Pelée' rose more than 300 m above the crater before collapsing, one of the most dramatic volcanic features ever observed.

🌋

The 1902 disaster inspired Thomas Jaggar to dedicate his career to volcano monitoring, eventually founding the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory — a direct legacy of Saint-Pierre's destruction.

🌋

Saint-Pierre was known as the 'Paris of the Caribbean' before 1902, boasting a cathedral, theater, botanical garden, and a cosmopolitan population of approximately 29,000.

🌋

The 1902 eruption of Pelée occurred on the same day as a major eruption of Soufrière Saint Vincent, 240 km to the south, which killed approximately 1,600 people — two catastrophic Caribbean eruptions in a single day.

🌋

Three major sector collapses have removed Pelée's southwestern flank since the late Pleistocene, with submarine debris fields from these collapses extending across the Caribbean seafloor.

🌋

Pelée's most recent eruption in 1929–1932 caused no fatalities, demonstrating the life-saving value of the lessons learned from the 1902 catastrophe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mount Pelée still active?
Mount Pelée is classified as active by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program. Although the volcano has not erupted since 1929–1932, it continues to exhibit low-level fumarolic activity at the summit and periodic seismic unrest beneath the edifice. In December 2020, the Observatoire Volcanologique et Sismologique de Martinique detected increased seismic activity and temporarily raised the alert level to yellow vigilance. Pelée's geological record shows VEI 4 eruptions recurring approximately every 400–500 years, and the current repose period of approximately 90 years is well within normal inter-eruptive intervals. Volcanologists consider another eruption within the coming century to be a credible scenario, most likely involving renewed dome growth similar to the 1929–1932 event.
How many people died in the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée?
Approximately 29,000 people died in the catastrophic eruption of May 8, 1902, when a pyroclastic density current destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre in minutes. Nearly the entire population of the city perished, with only two or three confirmed survivors within the city limits. The death toll makes the 1902 Pelée eruption the deadliest volcanic disaster of the 20th century and one of the top five deadliest eruptions in recorded history. Most victims died from thermal shock and asphyxiation as the superheated cloud — at temperatures between 300°C and 500°C — swept through the city at speeds estimated at 150–200 km/h.
When did Mount Pelée last erupt?
Mount Pelée's most recent eruption occurred from September 1929 to November 1932, classified as VEI 3 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. The eruption produced a new lava dome within the l'Étang Sec summit crater and generated minor pyroclastic flows, but crucially caused no fatalities — authorities implemented evacuation measures informed by the lessons of the devastating 1902 disaster. This eruption demonstrated that Pelée's magmatic system could reactivate on timescales of just a few decades. The volcano has been in a quiescent phase since 1932, though ongoing fumarolic activity and periodic seismic unrest indicate the underlying magmatic system remains active.
What type of volcano is Mount Pelée?
Mount Pelée is classified as a stratovolcano (composite volcano), constructed from alternating layers of andesitic lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, and volcanic debris. Pelée's eruption style is characterized by the growth and collapse of viscous lava domes within the summit crater, producing the devastating pyroclastic density currents (nuées ardentes) for which the volcano is famous. This eruptive behavior is so distinctive that it has been named after the volcano: 'Pelean eruptions' are recognized as a specific eruption type in volcanological classification.
Can you visit Mount Pelée?
Yes, Mount Pelée is a popular hiking destination on Martinique. The summit can be reached via the Grande Randonnée trail from L'Aileron on the western flank, a moderately strenuous hike of approximately 3–4 hours round trip that passes through tropical forest and cloud forest to the l'Étang Sec crater. At the summit, visitors can see the lava domes from the 1902 and 1929 eruptions. In Saint-Pierre, the Musée Volcanologique Frank A. Perret displays artifacts from the 1902 disaster, and the ruins of the pre-eruption city can be explored on foot. Martinique is served by Aimé Césaire International Airport, and Saint-Pierre is approximately 40 minutes by car from Fort-de-France.
Could Mount Pelée erupt again?
Volcanologists consider another eruption of Mount Pelée to be a credible scenario within the coming century. The volcano's geological record shows that VEI 4 eruptions have recurred approximately every 400–500 years over the past 5,000 years, and the most recent VEI 4 event occurred in 1902 — only about 120 years ago. Smaller eruptions like the 1929–1932 dome-building event can occur on shorter timescales. The most probable future eruption scenario involves renewed dome growth and dome-collapse pyroclastic flows, though a larger eruption comparable to 1902 cannot be excluded. OVSM continuously monitors the volcano, and French authorities maintain detailed emergency plans.
What is a Pelean eruption?
A Pelean eruption is a type of volcanic eruption named after Mount Pelée, characterized by the growth of viscous lava domes within a crater or on a volcano's summit, followed by the gravitational or explosive collapse of these domes to produce fast-moving pyroclastic density currents (historically called nuées ardentes or 'glowing clouds'). These pyroclastic flows are channeled down the volcano's slopes by topography and can travel at speeds exceeding 100 km/h at temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius. The 1902 eruption of Pelée that destroyed Saint-Pierre was the event that defined this eruption type, introduced by the French volcanologist Alfred Lacroix.
Who survived the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée?
The most famous survivor of the May 8, 1902 pyroclastic surge was Louis-Auguste Cyparis (also spelled Sylbaris), a prisoner held in an underground dungeon cell in the Saint-Pierre jail. The thick stone walls and below-ground position of his cell shielded him from the worst of the superheated pyroclastic current, though he sustained severe burns across much of his body. Cyparis was rescued four days after the eruption and went on to become internationally famous, eventually touring with the Barnum & Bailey circus. A shoemaker named Léon Compère-Léandre, who lived at the edge of the city, is also documented as having survived.
How far is Saint-Pierre from Mount Pelée?
Saint-Pierre is located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) south-southwest of the summit of Mount Pelée. This proximity proved catastrophic on May 8, 1902, when the pyroclastic density current from the eruption reached the city in approximately one minute. The modern town of Saint-Pierre, rebuilt on the ruins of the pre-1902 city, has a population of approximately 4,000. Other communities in northern Martinique within Pelée's potential hazard zone include Le Prêcheur (approximately 5 km to the west), Le Morne-Rouge (approximately 5 km to the south), and Basse-Pointe (approximately 10 km to the northeast).
Why didn't people evacuate before the 1902 eruption?
The failure to evacuate Saint-Pierre before the May 8, 1902 eruption resulted from a tragic combination of political interference, scientific uncertainty, and false reassurance. The colonial governor, Louis Mouttet, was reluctant to order an evacuation partly because local elections were scheduled for May 11. A scientific commission concluded that Saint-Pierre was not at risk, a judgment that proved fatally wrong. Authorities published reassuring notices in local newspapers. Governor Mouttet himself died in the eruption along with approximately 29,000 others. The disaster became a defining cautionary tale about the dangers of political interference in scientific hazard assessment.