The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is an integer from 0 to 8 that measures the size of an eruption, chiefly by the bulk volume of its tephra: VEI 0 for less than , VEI 1 up to , then one step for every factor of ten, up to VEI 8 beyond , . Column height and descriptions of the eruption are used when the volume is not known. A non-explosive eruption has VEI 0, whatever the volume of its lava.
| VEI | bulk tephra volume () | column height () | usual style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Hawaiian | ||
| 1 | – | 0.1–1 | Hawaiian, Strombolian |
| 2 | – | 1–5 | Strombolian, Vulcanian |
| 3 | – | 3–15 | Vulcanian |
| 4 | – | 10–25 | Vulcanian, Plinian |
| 5 | – | Plinian | |
| 6 | – | Plinian | |
| 7 | – | Plinian | |
| 8 | Plinian |