Alamagan

Mariana Islands


SUMMARY

Type: composite
Activity: dormant
Last Eruption: 1887
Rock Type: ?
Eruptive Volume: ?
Location Map from Xerox PARC
Latitude: 17.60 N
Longitude: 145.83 E


Geologic Background:

Alamagan is the emergent summit of a large stratovolcano with a roughly 350-m-deep summit crater east of the center of the island. The exposed cone is largely Holocene in age. A 1.6 x 1 km graben cuts the southwest flank. A voluminous basaltic-andesite lava flow has extended the northern coast of the island, and a lava platform also occurs on the south flank. Pyroclastic-flow deposits erupted about 1000 years ago have been dated.

Historic Activity:

  • Most of the recent eruptions have been violently explosive; thick pyroclastic-flow deposits cover most of the island. A small eruption was reported in 1864, and another was thought to have taken place in 1887 or a few years earlier, but these historical reports are considered to be invalid..

Recent Activity:

  • Fumarolic activity

Data Sources:

  • Global Volcanism Network (V. 17, No. 6)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


Last Update: 12/12/00