Volcanic field

A volcanic field is an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity. They usually consist of clusters of 10 to 100 volcanoes such as cinder cones. Lava flows may also occur. They may occur as a monogenetic volcanic field or a polygenetic volcanic field.

The north face of Mount Garibaldi rises above The Table and Garibaldi Lake in the Garibaldi Lake volcanic field.

Description

Alexander von Humboldt observed in 1823 that geologically young volcanoes are not distributed uniformly across the Earth's surface, but tend to be clustered into specific regions. Young volcanoes are rarely found within cratons, but are characteristic of subduction zones, rift zones, or in ocean basins. Intraplate volcanoes are clustered along hotspot traces.[1]

Within regions of volcanic activity, volcanic fields are clusters of volcanoes that share a common magma source.[2] Scoria cones are particularly prone to cluster into volcanic fields, which are typically 30–80 kilometers (19–50 mi) in diameter and consist of several tens to several hundred individual cones. The unusually large Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt has nearly 1000 cones covering an area of 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 sq mi).[3]

Examples
Karapınar Field in Turkey
SP Crater in the San Francisco volcanic field is a cinder cone with a basalt lava flow that extends for 4 miles (6 km).
El Muweilih Crater in Sudan with natron-rich clay on the crater floor

Canada

United States

Mexico

Others

References
  1. Schmincke, Hans-Ulrich (2003). Volcanism. Berlin: Springer. pp. 17–19. ISBN 9783540436508.
  2. "Volcanic Fields". Capulin Volcano. National Park Service. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. Schmincke 2003, p.100

See also



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