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Increase in Magnitude
for VEI Numbers



VEI 0 = 100 = 1

1 = 101 = 10

2 = 102 = 100

3 = 103 = 1,000

4 = 104 = 10,000

5 = 105 = 100,000

6 = 106 = 1,000,000

7 = 107 = 10,000,000

8 = 108 = 100,000,000


VEI Numbers

The numbers 0 through 8 represent a scale of increasing volcanic explosivity. Each interval approximately increases by a factor of ten. That means an eruption with a VEI of 6 is roughly ten times more explosive than an eruption rated 5 and roughly ten times less explosive than an eruption rated 7. (The Richter scale works the same way.)



back to VEI chart



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