Skip to main content
← Back to map
⇄ Compare

Mount Karthala

Karthala

Shield volcano · Union of the Comoros · 2350m

The greenish ~300-m-diameter Chahalé crater lake in the summit caldera complex of Karthala volcano is seen here in August 2003 before an eruption in April 2005. The photo, taken by an automatic camera located at the summit, looks from the NNE towards the SSW. Karthala is the southernmost and largest of the two shield volcanoes forming Grand Comore Island (also known as Ngazidja Island) and contains a 3 x 4 km summit caldera generated by repeated collapse. It has elongated rift zones extending to the NNW and SE.
The greenish ~300-m-diameter Chahalé crater lake in the summit caldera complex of Karthala volcano is seen here in August 2003 before an eruption in April 2005. The photo, taken by an automatic camera located at the summit, looks from the NNE towards the SSW. Karthala is the southernmost and largest of the two shield volcanoes forming Grand Comore Island (also known as Ngazidja Island) and contains a 3 x 4 km summit caldera generated by repeated collapse. It has elongated rift zones extending to the NNW and SE. · Photo: Photo by Nicolas Villenueve, 2003 (Université de la Réunion). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Shield volcano
Country
Union of the Comoros
Region
Somalian-Antarctic Volcanic Regions / Madagascar-Comoros Volcanic Province
Elevation
2350m
Coordinates
-11.766, 43.364
Last eruption
2007
Tectonic setting
Intraplate / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Shield
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary

The southernmost and largest of the two shield volcanoes forming Grand Comore Island (also known as Ngazidja Island), Karthala has two overlapping 3-4 km summit calderas generated by repeated collapse. Elongated rift zones extend NNW and SE from the summit of the basaltic shield, which has an asymmetrical profile that is steeper to the S. The lower SE rift zone forms the Massif du Badjini, a peninsula at the SE tip of the island. More than twenty eruptions have been recorded since the 19th century from the summit caldera and vents on the N and S flanks, producing many lava flows that reached the sea on both sides of the island. An 1860 CE lava flow from the summit caldera traveled ~13 km to the NW, reaching the W coast to the N of the capital city of Moroni.

From Wikipedia

Mount Karthala or Karthola is an active shield volcano and the highest point of the Comoros at 2,361 m (7,746 ft) above sea level. It is the southernmost and larger of the two volcanoes forming Grande Comore island, the largest island in the nation of Comoros. The Karthala volcano is very active, having erupted more than 20 times since the 19th century. Frequent eruptions have shaped the volcano's 3 km by 4 km summit caldera, but the island has largely escaped broad destruction. Eruptions on April 17, 2005 and May 29, 2006 ended a period of quiet.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1050~1146 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1720~1816 · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?1816~1911 · 19 eruptions · max VEI 21911~2007 · 13 eruptions · max VEI 310501241152917201911

Detailed timeline

  1. 2007VEI 2Observed
    2007-01-12 – 2007-01-15
    Chahalé crater
  2. 2006VEI 0Observed
    2006-05-28 – 2006-06-03
    Chahalé crater
  3. 2005VEI 2Observed
    2005-04-16 – 2005-04-18
    Chahalé crater
  4. 2005VEI 3Observed
    2005-11-24 – 2005-12-08
    Chahalé crater
  5. 1991VEI 2Observed
    1991-07-11 – 1991-07-11
    Choungou-Chahalé (Choungou-Chamadji)
  6. 1977VEI 1Observed
    1977-04-05 – 1977-04-10
    SW flank
  7. 1972VEI 1Observed
    1972-09-08 – 1972-10-05
    North end of summit crater
  8. 1965VEI 2Observed
    1965-07-12 – 1965-07-12
    Between Changomeni & Chahalé Craters
  9. 1956VEI 2Observed
    1956-06-01 – Ongoing
    Chahalé crater
  10. 1952VEI 2Observed
    1952-02-10 – 1952-02-12
    Chahalé crater
  11. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-04-22 – 1948-06-16
    Cheminee Nord (Changomeni)
  12. 1928 (±2 yrs)VEI 1Observed
    1928 – Ongoing
  13. 1918VEI 3Observed
    1918-08-11 – 1918-08-26
    NE flank, Changomeni, NE Chahalé
  14. 1910VEI 1Observed
    1910-03 – 1910-03
    North flank (1300 m)
  15. 1904VEI 2Observed
    1904-02-25 – 1904-04
    North flank (1300 m)
  16. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-03 – 1884
    SE flank
  17. 1880VEI 2Observed
    1880 – Ongoing
    SE flank (Badjini Massif)
  18. 1876VEI 0Observed
    1876 – Ongoing
    SE flank (Badjini Massif)
  19. 1872VEI 2Observed
    1872 – Ongoing
    NW flank (Diboini Plateau)
  20. 1865VEI 2Observed
    1865 – Ongoing
  21. 1862VEI 2Geological estimate
    1862 – Ongoing
  22. 1860VEI 0Observed
    1860-12-29 – Ongoing
    SE flank (Badjini Massif, 1200 m)
  23. 1859VEI 2Observed
    1859 – Ongoing
    NW flank (Diboini Plateau fissures)
  24. 1858VEI 2Observed
    1858 – Ongoing
    Upper NE flank (2200 m)
  25. 1857VEI 2Observed
    1857 – Ongoing
    SE flank (Badjini Massif) & summit
  26. 1855VEI 2Observed
    1855-07-01 – Ongoing
    SE flank
  27. 1850VEI 0Observed
    1850 – Ongoing
    West-SW flank (400 m)
  28. 1848VEI 0Observed
    1848 – Ongoing
    SE flank
  29. 1833VEI ?Observed
    1833 – Ongoing
    Summit caldera ?
  30. 1830VEI 2Observed
    1830 – Ongoing
  31. 1828VEI 2Observed
    1828-05 – Ongoing
  32. 1821VEI ?Observed
    1821-12-31 – Ongoing
  33. 1814VEI ?Observed
    1814-12-31 – Ongoing
  34. 1808VEI ?Observed
    1808 – Ongoing
  35. 1050 (±150 yrs)VEI ?Observed
    1050 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.