A strong explosive eruption of a world volcano, one of the strongest of 2026, largely went unnoticed. It occurred in Vanuatu at its Ambae shield volcano, specifically on August 25th and August 31st. Today's video provides footage courtesy of the ExtremePursuit YouTube channel taken in late June 2026, and analyzes what might have triggered these strong, but not initially strong as expected explosive eruptions. Thumbnail Photo Credit: Frame gram from a video by ExtremePursuit, Channel link: YouTube.com/@ExtremePursuit, Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzGJ8EmxSAI, used with permission A special thanks to the Extreme Pursuit YouTube channel for granting me permission to use clips of his footage! Video Sources from the Extreme Pursuit YouTube channel: [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOxDwmoE8ng [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzGJ8EmxSAI [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_d1g39Bt6o Extreme Pursuit channel link: https://www.youtube.com/ExtremePursuit NASA EOSDIS Worldview satellite imagery Copyright © 2012-2026 United States Government as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. All Rights Reserved. Associated license for NASA EOSDIS Worldview: https://github.com/nasa-gibs/worldview/blob/main/LICENSE.md We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). We acknowledge the use of imagery from the NASA Worldview application (https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/), part of the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). If you would like to support this channel, consider using one of the following links: (Patreon: http://patreon.com/geologyhub) (YouTube membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYeGh5VML5XPr5jYnzh3J6g/join) (Gemstone & Mineral Etsy store: http://prospectingarizona.etsy.com) (GeologyHub Merch Etsy store: http://geologyhub.etsy.com) Google Earth imagery used in this video: ©Google & Data Providers This video is protected under "fair use". If you see an image and/or video which is your own in this video, and/or think my discussion of a scientific paper (and/or discussion/mentioning of the data/information within a scientific paper) does not fall under the fair use doctrine, and wish for it to be censored or removed, contact me by email at [email protected] and I will make the necessary changes. Sources/Citations: [1] NASA Worldview, EOSDIS Worldview, (Satellite imagery: NOAA-20 / VIIRS, Aqua / MODIS), at https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/ [2] Vanuatu Meteorology & Geo-hazards Department [3] VEIs, dates/years, composition, tephra layer name, DRE estimates, and bulk tephra volume estimates for volcanic eruptions shown in this video which were assigned a VEI 4 or larger and are not the 2026 Krakatau eruption are sourced from the LaMEVE database (British Geological Survey © UKRI), https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/vogripa/view/controller.cfc?method=lameve, Used with Permission [4] Source of Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) methodology and criteria: Newhall, C. G., and Self, S. (1982), The volcanic explosivity index (VEI) an estimate of explosive magnitude for historical volcanism, J. Geophys. Res., 87(C2), 1231–1238, doi:10.1029/JC087iC02p01231. Accessed / Read by Youtube.com/GeologyHub on Oct 5th, 2022. 0:00 Ambae Eruption 0:48 Eruption Plume Heights 2:21 2026 Lava Flows 4:51 VEI Estimate 5:03 Exclusion Zone