Volcanoes where we don’t expect them – GARROTXA VOLCANIC FIELD, NE Spain

Castellfollit de la Roca: The confluence of the rivers Fluvià and Toronell created this stunning geological monument between them: a 1 km long and 50 m high basaltic lava crag, consisting of two superimposed lava flows with columnar jointing. (© Nasobema lyricum 2006, via Wikimedia)

View to the north over the northern part of Garrotxa VF, with the town of Olot in the left middleground. In the background the snow covered Pyrenees can be seen. (© turismegarrotxa.com)

Today our fancy takes us to the NE of Spain. Just to the corner where the Pyrenees mountain range meets the Mediterranean Sea, to the province of Girona in Catalonia. For millions of us European tourists the Mediterranean Costa Brava with its golden beaches is a household name. As in so many other touristic spots in the world, one could ask, how many of the sun worshippers would have known that, some 60 km inland, there is a volcanic field to be visited?

Makushin Volcano, Alaska. The 9th Most Dangerous Volcano in the US?

Active fumaroles on Makushin Volcano from Dutch Harbor July 2018. Photo courtesy Abi Woodbridge, via AVO

NEMRUT DAğI* 🇹🇷 – ANOTHER CANDIDATE FOR A FUTURE “DECADE VOLCANO”?

View over the caldera of Nemrut Dağı. (© Emin Noyan; screengrab from GEarth photo)

The spectacular caldera of Nemrut Dağı: light snow cover enhances all the volcanic features inside. (NASA image ISS001-E-6354 taken on 2001.02.13)

Preliminary note:
I have started work on this post long before the latest unacceptable political developments, so, it is pure coincidence that it’s getting published just now. In the region around Nemrut Dağı live Kurdish, Turkish and Armenian people. I wish peace for them all – and hopefully, my post will inspire interest in this wonderful part of the world.

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Nemrut Dağı* volcano has so many interesting features within and outside its caldera that it would probably take a several-week-long holiday do visit and explore them all. It has produced many colourful layers in ignimbrites during its various, mainly Plinian eruptions, as well as lava domes and obsidian flows, open fissures, steam chimneys, lava caves, what have you. I think this will become my favourite volcano!

2007 – 2014 Uplift Episode at Laguna del Maule

Laguna del Maule Volcanic Complex. Image courtesy Sernageomin

Sitting on a Hot Blob – TECUAMBURROW (󠁧🇬🇹)

Tecuamburro volcano: View across Laguna Ixpaco towards the S, with the lava dome Cerro Peña Blanca in the background. (© Oscar Villarreal, via former Panoramio)

About everybody knows that Guatemala has three very active volcanoes: Fuego, Pacaya and Santa Maria’s dome Santiaguito – but did you know that a staggering 324 eruptive centers have been identified in that country?

Usu, Nakajima and the Toya Caldera, Hokkaido, Japan (Hokkaido 1)

Panoramic photo of Lake Toya and Toya Caldera looking west. Nakajima Island(s) are located in the lake in the right portion of the image. Usu volcano is left of the lake straddling the land between the lake to the right and the ocean to the left. Image courtesy Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark

Cut, Corroded and Collapsed – Gunung PAPANDAYAN (🇮🇩)

“Vulkan Papandajan auf Java” (1905). Painting by the German zoologist and naturalist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919).

G. Papandayan seen from the north. Complete mountain range on the left; zoom into the main crater with the head scarp of the 1772 collapse on the right. (© GMaps)

Papandayan is the volcano you can actually see on satellite images (e.g. Google Earth) even from a view point 800 km above ground – it is the white patch of a collapse scar that stands out in stark contrast from the dark green forest. The volcano sits at the southern end of the Kendang-Papandayan mountain range.

G. Papandayan is generally said to be 2665 m high but there seems to be some confusion as to location and actual height

Lago Ilopango – an El Salvador Caldera (updated and reposted)

Ilopango Caldera

 

Update, Aug. 2019:

In the five years since this was first posted, science continues to grind away, answering a few questions which in turn create a bunch more questions.  The Baillie tree ring / ice core team is increasingly of the opinion that the 535 – 540 AD global cooldown was caused by huge volcanic eruptions, at least two of them bracketing the period.  A team including Robert A Dull published a paper August 16 entitled “Radiocarbon and geologic evidence reveal ilopango volcano as the source of the colossal ‘mystery’ eruption of 539/40 CE” that appears to nicely define the most recent end of that bracket.

Are there Volcanoes in FIJI 🇫🇯 ?

(https://www.tourismfiji.com)

When the news reported multiple volcanoes erupting in Vanuatu – when new volcanoes appeared near Tonga Islands – when earthquakes shook most of Melanesia left right and center – I have often wondered if, or why, there are no volcanoes on the Fiji Islands? Well, you probably guess the answer – of course there are! They are just not very busy at the moment, so they may escape our attention, and may lull the residents in false security, too. The three that are mentioned by the GVP are Taveuni and Koro Islands, and Nabukelevu which occupies the SW end of Kadavu Island.

Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska – Neighbor to Fisher Caldera

Shishaldin from 11 km altitude. Note the steam from the ice-free crater. Image courtesy AVO, Jun 2015.