Seismic event linked to renewed eruption at Barren Island volcano, India
A minor eruption was reported at Barren Island volcano in the Andaman Sea at around 10:15 LT (04:45 UTC) on September 20, 2025, two days after a shallow M4.2 earthquake in the region. The National Centre for Seismology suggested the quake may have disturbed the magma system, although no independent confirmation of the link is available.
Satellite image of Barren Island volcano, India on April 14, 2025. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers
A minor eruption was reported at Barren Island volcano, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, at 10:15 LT (04:45 UTC) on September 20. The eruption followed a M4.2 earthquake (registered as M4.9 by USGS) detected two days earlier in the vicinity. The epicenter of the earthquake was 160 km (100 miles) east of the volcano.
According to O. P. Mishra, director of the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), seismic shaking may have disturbed the magma chamber, initiating the release.
The event consisted of short-lived explosive activity and gas emissions, with no damage or risk to human settlements reported, as the island is uninhabited.
Barren Island is India’s only confirmed active volcano. The volcanic edifice rises from the seafloor of the Andaman Sea, with parts of the island reaching several hundred meters above sea level. The island has a diameter of approximately 3 km (1.8 miles). It is part of the Andaman–Nicobar volcanic arc, generated by subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Sunda plate.
Documented eruptions occurred in 1787, 1991, 2004, and 2005, with intermittent activity continuing since. The May 2005 eruption followed the December 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, leading some researchers to examine whether large seismic events can influence magmatic systems in the region.
Scientific studies indicate that while seismic activity can alter stress fields and sometimes modulate magma ascent, establishing direct causation remains difficult. A 2021 study by Gunda et al. found that earthquake rates near Barren Island increased significantly between 1990 and 2020, but concluded that causality between seismicity and eruptions requires further evidence.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program lists the volcano as being in an ongoing eruptive phase since late 2022, characterized by thermal anomalies, minor explosions, and gas emissions. Activity in 2025 has included reports of ash plumes and satellite-detected hotspots.
No recent activity has been reported from Narcondam, another volcanic island in the Andaman Sea.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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