The estimated height of Mount Samalas before its 1257 eruption was . According to a 2013 study, the eruption destroyed the mountain by ejecting up to of Dense rock equivalent or of rock into the atmosphere. The eruption was one of the largest during the last few thousand years, with a probable Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7. The eruption may have been the cause of decreased global temperatures for a few years and may have even been a triggering factor for the Little Ice Age.