Mount Pinatubo is located on Luzon, the Philippines’ largest and most populous island.
The volcano rises in the Zambales Mountains of Central Luzon, near the tripoint of the provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. It is therefore associated with a large island rather than with Negros, Palawan, or Mindanao, all of which are separate Philippine islands.
Pinatubo became globally significant when it erupted in 1991. Before that crisis, dense forests and its remote setting had concealed much of its eruptive history from the wider public. Scientists detected earthquakes, steam explosions, ground deformation, and rising sulfur dioxide emissions before the climactic eruption on June 15.
The VEI-6 eruption collapsed the summit into a caldera and released enormous quantities of ash and sulfur dioxide. Typhoon Yunya worsened conditions by mixing heavy rain with ash, while later lahars repeatedly flooded communities around the volcano. The eruption is remembered as one of the largest of the 20th century.