The volcano on Martinique that erupted in 1902 and destroyed St. Pierre was Mount Pelée.
Mount Pelée is an active stratovolcano at the northern end of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. Its catastrophic eruption began with ash, earthquakes, and steam-driven explosions in April 1902. On May 8, a fast-moving pyroclastic surge swept down the volcano’s flank and reached the city of Saint-Pierre in minutes.
The searing cloud destroyed buildings, ignited fires, and killed approximately 29,000 to 30,000 people, making the event the deadliest volcanic disaster of the twentieth century. The eruption continued intermittently until 1905, and another major phase in August killed additional people in nearby settlements.
Mount Pelée gave its name to the term “Peléan eruption,” used for explosive eruptions that generate destructive pyroclastic flows or surges and may produce lava domes. The disaster also became a landmark in volcanology because scientists carefully documented the behavior of the volcano and its deadly currents.