A plinian eruption is a powerful ejection of gas, ash and scoria creating a tall eruption column. Plinian eruptions are an order of magnitude larger than vulcanian eruptions. Examples of plinian eruptions are Mt Pinatubo in 1991, and Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Basaltic Plinian eruptions occasionally occur. They have been identified at Mt Etna, Italy (122 BC), Masaya, Nicaragua, and Tarawera, New Zealand (1887).