When people think of volcanoes in Europe, they tend to think of actively erupting volcanoes
in Italy such as Mount Etna.
However, there is another country in the region which also contains a geologically active
volcano, Germany.
In fact, Germany contains not one, but two volcanoes.
You might at first think that it sounds absurd for potentially active volcanoes to exist
in Germany.
Yet, if you look around western Germany you will find numerous large circular depressions
in the ground, which are too large to have been caused by warfare.
Measuring between 100 and 1000 meters wide, these explosion craters are termed maars and
are the result of explosive volcanic eruptions in the last 750,000 years.
Additionally, at several locations in the countryside large amounts of carbon dioxide
are released on the surface.
One example is the Laacher See caldera, where carbon dioxide bubbling is quite prevalent
in the lake due to a shallow body of magma underneath the water.
This video will discuss the West Eifel Volcanic Field, which erupted three times in the last
12,000 years.
The West Eifel volcanic field can be found in west central Germany where it is relatively
close to the border with Luxembourg.
Specifically, this large volcanic complex is centered around the town of Daun.
In total, it covers an area of 600 square kilometers, and contains 240 separate eruptive
centers.
Much like the Hawaiian islands, the volcanic activity in this part of Germany is caused
by a hotspot in the mantle referred to as the "eifel hotspot".
Every few tens of thousands of years, magma from this hotspot reaches the surface, thus
causing a new eruption.
Volcanic activity began in the West Eifel volcanic field approximately 730,000 years
ago, when a volume of magma from the underlying hotspot breached the surface.
Soon, intermittent small explosions began, and quantities of lava were ejected in a several
hundred meter radius.
Over time, this created an ever growing cinder cone which grew in height to 200 meters tall.
Although difficult to see today, two of the oldest cinder cones in this volcanic field
are also the tallest, which are labeled on screen.
As volcanic activity continued for hundreds of thousands of years, approximately 2/3 of
eruptions produced additional cinder cones.
However, on occasion, a volume of magma was insufficient in size to reach the surface.
However, such a small body of magma sometimes intruded into an area with abundant groundwater.
The heat of this magma then caused the groundwater to flash to steam, causing an immense amount
of pressure to build.
Eventually, this pressure became too great and the ground exploded upwards in what is
termed a phreatic eruption.
Throughout the landscape of this volcanic field you can find more than 150 large maar
explosion craters, some of which measure more than a kilometer across.
An as example, the 40,000 year old Meerfelder Maar which is now filled with a crater lake
measures 1600 meters wide and 137 meters deep.
The most recent sequence of eruptive activity began in the southern section of the field
in 8740 BC.
A large explosive eruption resulted in the creation of the several hundred meter wide
Ulmener maar.
Then, in 8300 BC, two more phreatic eruptions occurred which resulted in the creation of
adjacent maar explosion craters.
Due to the eruptive frequency within this volcanic field, it is safe to say that an
eruption is overdue.
On average, an eruption occurs about once every 3100 years.
Before the next eruption occurs, a number of warning signs will be present.
Initially, earthquakes which are not too common within Germany will increase in frequency
and get shallower and shallower.
Then, small amounts of uplift in the ground will create small cracks and be detectable
by satellite.
Third, increased emissions of carbon dioxide will become apparent.
Thus, when the next eruption occurs, it will require the complete evacuation of everyone
in a 10 kilometer radius.
Although the vast majority of eruptions in this field only produce cinder cones, the
maar forming eruptions which also occur are highly explosive.
These have regularly produced pyroclastic flows which have at times traveled 8 or more
kilometers away, incinerating everything it touches.
Using the US Geological Survey method of rating volcanoes, the West Eifel volcanic field would
be classified on the upper end of the moderate threat category.
I hope that you enjoyed this video!
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