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Água de Pau

Agua de Pau

Stratovolcano · Portugal · 947m

Lagoa do Fogo, seen here from the west, partially fills the younger of two Pleistocene calderas on Agua de Pau stratovolcano in central Sao Miguel Island. The walls of the caldera surrounding the lake rise to a maximum of about 370 m above the surface. Eruptions have occurred both inside the caldera and on the flanks, where multiple cones and domes can be found. Two major explosive eruptions have occurred in the Holocene from the caldera: the Ribeira Cha (8,000 to 12,000 years ago) and Fogo A (about 4,600 years ago).
Lagoa do Fogo, seen here from the west, partially fills the younger of two Pleistocene calderas on Agua de Pau stratovolcano in central Sao Miguel Island. The walls of the caldera surrounding the lake rise to a maximum of about 370 m above the surface. Eruptions have occurred both inside the caldera and on the flanks, where multiple cones and domes can be found. Two major explosive eruptions have occurred in the Holocene from the caldera: the Ribeira Cha (8,000 to 12,000 years ago) and Fogo A (about 4,600 years ago). · Photo: Photo by Rick Wunderman, 1977 (Smithsonian Institution). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Portugal
Region
Atlantic Ocean Volcanic Regions / Azores-Terceira Rift Volcanic Province
Elevation
947m
Coordinates
37.770, -25.470
Last eruption
1564
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Trachyte / Trachydacite
Geological summary

The Agua de Pau stratovolcano in central Sao Miguel Island contains an outer 4 x 7 km caldera formed about 30,000-45,000 years ago and an inner 2.5 x 3 km caldera that was created about 15,000 years ago. The younger caldera is partially filled by the Lagoa do Fogo caldera lake. Several post-caldera lava domes were emplaced on the northern and western flanks, but activity in the caldera did not resume until about 5000 years ago. The 3 km3 Fogo-A plinian pumice fall deposit was emplaced at this time. Numerous flank cinder cones mark radial and concentric fissures, some of which have been active during historical time. The latest trachytic explosive eruption took place during 1563. Prominent hot springs are located on the NW flank.

From Wikipedia

Água de Pau Massif is a stratovolcanic complex, located in the central part of the island of São Miguel, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. More recognizable for the Lagoa do Fogo at its centre, the volcanic complex includes centuries of geomorphological structures that include lava domes, cones and encrusted lava flows that have marked its history from, the last, 45,000 years BC.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
6750 BCE~6473 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?4810 BCE~4533 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?3147 BCE~2870 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 52316 BCE~2039 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?2039 BCE~1762 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31484 BCE~1207 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 499 BCE~178 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?455~733 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1287~1564 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 56750 BCE4810 BCE2593 BCE653 BCE1287

Detailed timeline

  1. 1564VEI 2Observed
    1564-02-10 – 1564-02-12
    Lagoa do Fogo caldera
  2. 1563VEI 5Observed
    1563-06-28 – 1563-07-26
    Caldera, NW flank (Cerro Queimado)
  3. 700 (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    700 – Ongoing
    WNW flank (Mos)
  4. 160 (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    160 – Ongoing
    NW flank (251 m)
  5. 1290 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    BCE 1290 – Ongoing
    Lagoa do Fogo caldera
  6. 1850 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI 3Geological estimate
    BCE 1850 – Ongoing
    East flank (Lagoa do Congro)
  7. 2210 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 2210 – Ongoing
    East flank (East Congo maar)
  8. 2990 BCEVEI 5Geological estimate
    BCE 2990 – Ongoing
    Lagoa do Fogo caldera and north flank
  9. 4550 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 4550 – Ongoing
    SW flank (449 m)
  10. 6750 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 6750 – Ongoing
    West flank (Pico Joao Fernandes)

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.