Agua de Pau
Azores-Terceira Rift Volcanic Province, Portugal. This page separates the permanent volcano catalogue, historical eruption records, and selective weekly activity reports.
- Coordinates
- 37.77° N, 25.47° W
- Elevation
- 947 m
- Last recorded eruption
- 1564 CE
- Historical eruption records
- 10
- Primary type
- Stratovolcano
- Evidence
- Eruption Observed
- GVP database
- 5.4.0
- Catalogue revision
- Revision 2
Volcano profile
- Volcanic landform
- Composite
- Tectonic setting
- Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
- Geologic epoch
- Holocene
- Major rock type
- Trachyte / Trachydacite
- Region
- Atlantic Ocean Volcanic Regions
- Subregion
- Azores-Terceira Rift Volcanic Province
Geological summary
The Agua de Pau stratovolcano in central Sao Miguel Island contains an outer 4 x 7 km caldera formed about 30,000-45,000 years ago and an inner 2.5 x 3 km caldera that was created about 15,000 years ago. The younger caldera is partially filled by the Lagoa do Fogo caldera lake. Several post-caldera lava domes were emplaced on the northern and western flanks, but activity in the caldera did not resume until about 5000 years ago. The 3 km3 Fogo-A plinian pumice fall deposit was emplaced at this time. Numerous flank cinder cones mark radial and concentric fissures, some of which have been active during historical time. The latest trachytic explosive eruption took place during 1563. Prominent hot springs are located on the NW flank.
Separate activity dataset
Weekly volcanic activity reports
Smithsonian/USGS weekly reports are selective and preliminary. They are not a comprehensive list of all eruptions or volcanic activity.
No weekly report appears on this page. Absence from the weekly report does not establish an absence of volcanic activity.
Historical catalogue records
Eruption history
Dates can be approximate, incomplete, or BCE. These are historical catalogue observations, not a statement about present activity.
| Start | End | Activity | Confirmation | VEI | Evidence | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1564-02-10 CE | 1564-02-12 CE | Confirmed EruptionLagoa do Fogo caldera | Confirmed | 2 | Observations: Reported | GVP 13033Database 5.4.0 |
| 1563-06-28 CE | 1563-07-26 CE (day uncertainty +/- 5) | Confirmed EruptionCaldera, NW flank (Cerro Queimado) | Confirmed | ?5 | Observations: Reported | GVP 13032Database 5.4.0 |
| 700 ±150 years CE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionWNW flank (Mos) | Confirmed | Not supplied | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13031Database 5.4.0 |
| 160 ±150 years CE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionNW flank (251 m) | Confirmed | Not supplied | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13030Database 5.4.0 |
| ? 1291 BCE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionLagoa do Fogo caldera | Confirmed | 4 | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13029Database 5.4.0 |
| 1851 ±500 years BCE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionEast flank (Lagoa do Congro) | Confirmed | 3 | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13028Database 5.4.0 |
| 2211 ±150 years BCE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionEast flank (East Congo maar) | Confirmed | Not supplied | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13027Database 5.4.0 |
| ? 2991 BCE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionLagoa do Fogo caldera and north flank | Confirmed | 5 | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13026Database 5.4.0 |
| 4551 ±100 years BCE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionSW flank (449 m) | Confirmed | Not supplied | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13025Database 5.4.0 |
| 6751 ±200 years BCE | Not supplied | Confirmed EruptionWest flank (Pico Joao Fernandes) | Confirmed | Not supplied | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) | GVP 13024Database 5.4.0 |
Source and attribution
Source: Data: Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, Volcanoes of the World.
View the original Smithsonian GVP recordGlobal Volcanism Program, 2026. Volcanoes of the World 5.4.0.
The GVP database is scientific documentation that changes as evidence is reviewed. Historical dates may be approximate or uncertain. This platform is not an official emergency-warning service.
Read the GVP terms of useData freshness
- Source updated
- Not supplied
- Retrieved
- 11 Oct 2026, 13:07 UTC
- GVP database version
- 5.4.0
- Catalogue revision
- 2
Source-update and retrieval times describe this catalogue record. Each weekly report carries its own publication date and preliminary status.