Chaîne des Puys Volcano

Updated: Jun 17, 2024 12:22 GMT - refresh

Lava dome(s), Pyroclastic cone(s), Maar(s) 1464 m / 4802 ft
Massif Central, France, 45.78°N / 2.97°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)

The Chaîne des Puys in the Massif Central of southern France is one of Europe's youngest volcanic fields. It consists of numerous cinder cones and maars roughly arranged on a N-S trending line. The last activity occurred only about 6000 years ago, which is why the volcanoes should be considered still active although there are no signs at present of any new activity to be expected in any near future.

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Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: explosive, monogenetic
Chaîne des Puys volcano eruptions: approx. 6000 years ago near Besse-en-Chandesse

Latest nearby earthquakes

Time	Mag. / Depth	Distance / Location
Jun 12, 11:04 am (Paris)	1.2 0 km	28 km (18 mi) to the SE	France: near Clermont-Ferrand (quarry blast)	Info
Sunday, June 9, 2024 GMT (1 quake)
Jun 9, 09:35 am (Paris)	1.1 14 km	7.6 km (4.7 mi) to the S	near Clermont-Ferrand	Info
Thursday, June 6, 2024 GMT (2 quakes)
Jun 6, 10:48 am (Paris)	1.6 5 km	20 km (12 mi) to the SE	France: near Cournon-d'Auvergne	Info
Jun 6, 10:00 am (Paris)	2.0 0 km	29 km (18 mi) to the SE	21 km southeast of Augustonemetum, Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France	Info

View recent quakes

Background

The Chaîne des Puys form a N-S-trending chain of basaltic and trachytic cinder cones, basaltic maars, and trachytic lava domes in France's Massif Central that has been active into the Holocene.
Construction of the present-day Chaîne des Puys began about 70,000 years before present (BP), and was largely completed by the beginning of the Holocene. Holocene eruptions constructed lava domes such as the Puy de Dôme, whose growth was accompanied by pyroclastic flows, cinder cones that fed lengthy lava flows, and maars. The latest well-documented activity took place about 6000 BP near Besse-en-Chandesse and included the powerful explosions that formed the Lac Pavin maar.
The dating of younger tephras has not yet been confirmed, and reports of historical eruptions as late as 1000 BP have been discredited.