The tallest point in Iran is also one of the most culturally significant locations in the
country.
Standing at more than 5600 meters in elevation, Mount Damavand is a towering mountain which
can be seen from the nation's capital, Tehran.
Yet, few people who live in the area are aware that this mountain is in fact an active volcano.
If you were to hike to its summit, you would find a crater with yellow sulfur containing
fumaroles which are actively emitting volcanic gasses.
Recent research found that Damavand has erupted in the last 10,000 years, meaning that this
volcano is more active than initially thought.
As such, it may only be a matter of time before this beautiful volcano erupts again.
This video will discuss this volcano, and mention what its future hazards are.
Mount Damavand can be found in north central Iran, where it is located 67 kilometers east-northeast
of Tehran.
Mount Damavand began forming 1.78 million years ago, when magma rose through the crust
in this section of Iran.
This buoyant magma continued to rise until it erupted onto the surface, starting at an
elevation of approximately 1000 meters.
This lava did not erupt at the same location as the modern Damavand.
Rather, it erupted 7 kilometers to the east, and did so in an explosive manner.
Early eruptions from this volcano deposited numerous overlapping layers of a gray rock
type called trachyandesite.
This rock type was deposited from very slow moving lava flows which had a high viscosity.
Over the next 1 million years, repeated eruptions built a tall volcanic cone called Old Damavand
to a height of 4100 meters.
Then, 800,000 years ago, this volcano became dormant.
Over the next several tens of thousands of years, structural instability increased on
the south flank of the mountain.
Parts of the volcano turned yellow and red, as sulfur rich fluids leaked from its edifice.
Eventually, a large series of cracks appeared.
Finally, a large section of the volcano slid to the south and east in a massive landslide.
This created a prominent scarp in the landscape which remains on the volcano today.
Damavand remained dormant until 550,000 years ago, when the volcano erupted once again.
However, this time the primary vent of the volcano had shifted to the west, and stood
at the site of its modern peak.
The style of eruption did not change, as the volcano continued to produce strombolian and
vulcanian style eruptions, the latter of which is defined by short distance pyroclastic flows.
Over the next 350,000 years, these eruptions built the New Damavand cone close to its modern
height.
The most notable of the eruptions during this era occurred 288,000 years ago.
This eruption was thousands of times larger than a typical eruption, and likely sent a
plume of ash 40 kilometers into the atmosphere.
During this eruption, a large series of pyroclastic flows raced across the mountain, and large
volumes of ash fell across the surrounding landscape.
By the time this eruption had ended, some areas had been covered by more than 100 meters
of ash.
The most prominent area where this ash layer can be seen is a cliff face just north of
the highway and south of the town of Rineh.
The magnitude of this eruption had a volcanic explosivity index of 6, indicating an eruption
similar in size to the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
Since this large eruption, eruptions have become less energetic.
In the last 30,000 years, three eruptions have occurred.
Two eruptions 27,000 and then again 25,000 years ago sent lava flows 11.5 kilometers
down the south flank of the volcano.
The most recent eruption from Damavand occurred in 5350 BC, when a lava flow erupted out of
its summit, and traveled 6 kilometers to the west.
Since then, no additional eruptions have occurred.
However, we know that Damavand is still active, as not only does the volcano emit large amounts
of carbon dioxide, but beneath the volcano a large magma chamber frequently causes swarms
of earthquakes.
In summary, Damavand produces an eruption about once every 9,000 years.
The next eruption will likely be relatively small, and create another long distance lava
flow.
However, lava flows would not be the only hazard during such an eruption.
If the lava melted large volumes of snow, it could cascade down the mountain into valleys
in what is termed a lahar.
Areas adjacent to river channels would be most at risk.
With this being said, a series of recent studies has concluded that Damavand could technically
be the site of a major caldera forming eruption in the future.
I am skeptical, but do note that the east and south flanks of the volcano have prominent
hydrothermal alteration, indicating that a future summit collapse is technically possible.
I hope that you enjoyed this video!
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