Global Volcanism Program | Chaîne des Puys

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Chaîne des Puys.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Chaîne des Puys.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Chaîne des Puys.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Auvergne, Monts d'

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Balmet, Puy

Cone

Bannieres, Puy des

Cone

967 m

45° 53' 0" N

2° 57' 29" E

Barme, Puy de

Cone

1102 m

45° 44' 0" N

2° 56' 0" E

Chalard, Puy

Cone

840 m

45° 58' 0" N

2° 58' 30" E

Charmont, Puy de

Cone

1138 m

45° 41' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Chaumont, Puy de

Cone

1111 m

45° 50' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Combegrasse, Puy de

Cone

1120 m

45° 40' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Come, Puy de

Cone

1253 m

45° 48' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Coquille, Puy de la

Cone

1152 m

45° 50' 31" N

2° 58' 0" E

Espinasse, Puy d'

Cone

952 m

45° 52' 30" N

2° 57' 29" E

Fraisse, Puy de

Cone

1120 m

45° 48' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Gonnard, Puy

Cone

854 m

45° 54' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Goules, Puy de

Cone

1146 m

45° 49' 0" N

2° 59' 0" E

Goulie, Puy de la

Cone

944 m

45° 52' 30" N

2° 58' 0" E

Gouttes, Puy de

Cone

1134 m

45° 50' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Grand Suchet, Le

Cone

1231 m

45° 47' 31" N

2° 57' 0" E

Jumes, Puy de

Cone

1161 m

45° 51' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Lantegy, Puy de

Cone

Laschamp, Puy de

Cone

1255 m

45° 44' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Lassolas, Puy de

Cone

1187 m

45° 43' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Louchadiere, Puy de

Cone

1198 m

45° 51' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Mercoeur, Puy de

Cone

1249 m

45° 43' 0" N

2° 57' 29" E

Mey, Puy de

Cone

1136 m

45° 43' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Montchal, Puy de

Cone

1094 m

45° 42' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Montchier, Puy

Cone

1210 m

45° 45' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Montcineyre, Puy de

Cone

Montenard, Puy de

Cone

Montgy, Puy de

Cone

1131 m

45° 42' 0" N

2° 56' 0" E

Montjugeat, Puy de

Cone

1142 m

45° 42' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Nugere, Puy de la

Cone

988 m

45° 52' 0" N

2° 59' 0" E

Pariou, Puy de

Cone

1209 m

45° 48' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Paugnat, Puy de

Cone

898 m

45° 53' 0" N

2° 59' 0" E

Pelat, Puy

Cone

1208 m

45° 43' 30" N

2° 57' 0" E

Petit Puy de Dome

Cone

1264 m

45° 47' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Petit Sarcoui

Cone

1038 m

45° 50' 0" N

2° 59' 0" E

Poucharet, Puy de

Cone

1164 m

45° 43' 0" N

2° 56' 0" E

Rodde, Puy de la

Cone

1127 m

45° 40' 0" N

2° 57' 29" E

Tartaret

Cone

Taupe, Puy de la

Cone

1074 m

45° 41' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Tenusset, Puy de
Tunisset, Puy de

Cone

1056 m

45° 51' 29" N

2° 58' 0" E

Thiolet, Puy
Verrieres, Puy de

Cone

937 m

45° 54' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Toupe, Puy de la

Cone

Tressous, Puy de
Trois Sols, Puy des

Cone

983 m

45° 52' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Vache, Puy de la

Cone

1167 m

45° 42' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Vichatel, Puy de

Cone

1094 m

45° 42' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Anchal, Maar d'

Maar

750 m

Beauloup, Maar de

Maar

840 m

45° 50' 0" N

2° 54' 0" E

Beaunit, Cratere de

Maar

835 m

45° 54' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Ceyssat, Maar de

Maar

860 m

45° 46' 0" N

2° 54' 0" E

Clermont Chamalieres

Maar

390 m

45° 47' 0" N

3° 5' 0" E

Enval, Maar d'

Maar

911 m

45° 46' 0" N

3° 0' 0" E

Estivadoux, Maar d'

Maar

Montchatre, Maar de

Maar

920 m

45° 48' 0" N

3° 0' 0" E

Narse D'ampoix

Maar

1050 m

45° 40' 0" N

2° 56' 0" E

Narse D'espinsasse

Maar

1086 m

45° 39' 0" N

2° 56' 0" E

Pavin

Maar

Saint-Hippolyte, Cratere de

Maar

501 m

45° 54' 29" N

3° 4' 0" E

Tazenat

Maar

713 m

45° 59' 0" N

2° 59' 31" E

Villars, Maar de

Maar

750 m

45° 47' 0" N

3° 2' 0" E

Volvic, Maar de

Maar

732 m

45° 52' 0" N

3° 2' 0" E

Domes

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Chopine, Puy

Dome

1181 m

45° 50' 0" N

2° 57' 0" E

Clierzou

Dome

1197 m

45° 48' 0" N

2° 58' 0" E

Dome, Puy de

Dome

840 m

45° 46' 30" N

2° 58' 0" E

Grand Sarcoui

Dome

1147 m

45° 49' 0" N

2° 59' 0" E

Kilian Cratere

Dome

l'Aumone, Puy de
Petit Suchet

Dome

1198 m

45° 47' 31" N

2° 58' 0" E

Vasset, Puy

Dome

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

210020

4040 BCE

1,464 m / 4,803 ft

45.786°N
2.981°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Lava dome(s)
Pyroclastic cone(s)
Maar(s)

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite

Minor
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite
Trachyte / Trachydacite

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

323,392
323,392
427,221
1,577,243

Geological Summary

The Chaîne des Puys, prominent in the history of volcanology, 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 6,000 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 eruptions as late as 1,000 BP have been discredited.

This volcano is located within the Chaîne des Puys Limagne Fault Tectonic Arena, a UNESCO World Heritage property.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Brousse R, 1973. Le volcanisme Quaternaire en France-chronologie des differentes phase eruptives de la Chaine des Puys au Quaternaire recent. Internatl Quat Assoc (INQUA) Cong, 9: 105-109.

de Goer A, Boivin P, Camus G, Gourgaud A, Kieffer G, Mergoil J, Vincent P M, 1991. Volcanologie de la Chaine des Puys. Paris: Inst Geog Natl, 127 p and 1:25,000 geol map.

Geunet P, 1986. Datation par l'analyse pollinique de l'explosion des volcans du groupe Pavin (Besse-en-Chandesse, Puy-de-Dome, France). 11 Reun Ann Sci Terre, Clermont-Ferrand, Ed Soc Geol France, p 85.

Guerin G, 1989. La thermoluminescence des plagioclases, methode de datation du volcanisme. Application au domaine volcanique Francais: Chaine des Puys, Monts-Dore, Cezallier, Bas-Vivarais. Unpublished PhD thesis, Univ Pierre et Marie Curie, 253 p.

Hetier J M, Guillet B, Brousse R, Delibrias G, Maury R C, 1983. 14-C dating of buried soils in the volcanic Chaine des Puys (France). Bull Volcanol, 46: 193-202.

Juvigne E, Bastin B, Beaulieu J L de, Etlicher M, Gewelt M, Gilot E, Goeury C, Janssen C R, Milcamps V, Van Leeuwen J, 1990. Tephrostratigraphy of the late glacial and the Holocene of the French Massif Central based on investigations in peat-bogs. IAVCEI 1990 Internatl Volc Cong, Mainz, Abs, (unpaginated).

Krafft M, 1974. Guide des Volcans d'Europe. Neuchatel: Delachaux & Niestle, 412 p.

Pelletier H, Delibrias G, Labeyrie J, Perquis M T, Rudel A, 1959. Mesure de l'age d'une des coulees volcaniques issues du Puy de la Vache (Puy de Dome) par la methode du carbone 14. CR Acad Sci Paris, Series-D, 214: 2221.

Rutten M G, 1969. The Geology of Western Europe. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 520 p.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 8 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

4040 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Montcineyre, Estivadoux, Pavin

4040 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 6 Events for Episode 1 at Montcineyre, Estivadoux, Pavin

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
- - - -	- - - -	Scoria
- - - -	- - - -	Pumice

5760 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Puy de Come, Puy Montchier

5760 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Radiogenic: Thermoluminescence

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Puy de Come, Puy Montchier

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

6020 BCE ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Puy de Lassolas, Puy de la Vache

6020 BCE ± 150 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Puy de Lassolas, Puy de la Vache

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone

6250 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Puy de Pariou

6250 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Radiogenic: Thermoluminescence

List of 8 Events for Episode 1 at Puy de Pariou

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Phreatic activity
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava lake
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Lapilli

6550 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Puys Chopine, Vasset, Cratère Kilian

6550 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Puys Chopine, Vasset, Cratère Kilian

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava dome
- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

7020 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Taphanel tephra

7020 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Taphanel tephra

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

7740 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Puy Mey

7740 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Radiogenic: Thermoluminescence

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Puy Mey

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone

7840 BCE ± 200 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Western Puy de Dôme

7840 BCE ± 200 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Western Puy de Dôme

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava dome
- - - -	- - - -	Tephra

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Chaîne des Puys.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Chaîne des Puys.

Photo Gallery

The Gour de Tazanet maar is the northernmost volcano of the Chaîne des Puys volcanic field in central France. The lake-filled explosion crater, one of many maars in the volcanic field, was formed when magma came in contact with groundwater. Rhythmic ejection of fragments of nonvolcanic rock produced bedded ash deposits and formed a low-rimmed crater, 700-m wide and 66-m deep.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft.

The Puy de Pariou cinder cone in the foreground and the Puy de Dôme lava dome in the background are part of a long N-S chain of volcanoes forming the Chaîne des Puy volcanic field in west-central France. The Puy de Pariou was formed about 8200 years ago inside a tuff ring from an earlier eruption whose rim can be seen at the lower right.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1978.

Puy de Dôme (1464 m), the highest peak of the Chaîne des Puys volcanic field, originated during a series of eruptions about 10,000 years ago. Explosive destruction of the eastern side of a massive lava dome, whose western face is seen in this photo, was followed by growth of a second dome. Crumbling of a spine capping the second dome formed the low mound of breccia at the summit of Puy de Dôme, which has been covered by a pyroclastic-flow deposit from nearby Killian volcano.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1978.

Puy de Côme, in the France's Chaîne des Puys volcanic field, is a beautiful example of a nested pair of craters. The symmetrical crater at the summit of the cinder cone was formed by late-stage eruptions that built the small cone inside a larger crater rim produced by older eruptions.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft.

The twin breached cinder cones of Puy de Lassolas (left) and Puy de la Vache (right) were formed during eruptions about 8000 years ago. The cones were breached when moving lava flows carried away portions of them. A compound lava flow from the two cones traveled 14 km to the SE. The high peak in the distance to the north is the Puy de Dôme lava dome.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1978.

The Chaîne des Puys is a N-S-trending chain of cones, maars, and lava domes in the Auvergne region of France. The Puy de Pariou crater in the foreground is a tuff cone that grew about 8,200 years ago within an earlier tuff ring, whose rim appears immediately behind Pariou crater. A lava flow traveled 8 km W to near the present-day city of Clermont-Ferrand. The sharper peak in the background is Puy de Chopine, whose complex history ended with domal uplift.

Photo by Loïc Jahan (Parc de Volcans, published in Green and Short, 1971).

The southern flanks of Puy de Dôme, the highest peak of the Chaîne des Puys volcanic chain, rises above farmlands. Puy de Dôme originated during a series of eruptions about 10,000 years ago. Explosive destruction of the eastern side (right) of a massive lava dome was followed by growth of a second dome. Crumbling of a spine capping the second dome formed the low mound of breccia at the summit of Puy de Dôme, which has been covered by a pyroclastic flow deposit from nearby Killian volcano.

Photo by Ichio Moriya (Kanazawa University).

The central part of the Chaîne des Puys volcanic chain in the Auvergne region of France from the SW. Puy de Dôme is the rounded peak in the center, Puy de Côme is at the left, and Puy de Laschamp is the scoria cone at the right. The N-S-trending chain of basaltic and trachytic cones, basaltic maars, and trachytic lava domes in France's Massif Central has been active into the Holocene. The latest well-documented activity took place about 6,000 years ago.

Photo by Ichio Moriya (Kanazawa University).

Part of the Chaîne des Puys volcanic field is shown in this May 2016 view from the Puy de Dome. The N-S trending volcanic chain includes around 80 lava domes, scoria cones, and maars, several of which are seen here.

Photo by Arianna Soldati, 2016.

The 500-m-high Puy de Dôme of the Chaîne des Puys volcanic field formed around 11,000 years ago. The dome, with a diameter of 1.5-2 km, is surrounded by pyroclastic density current deposits.

Photo by Arianna Soldati, 2016.

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

The following 3 samples associated with this volcano can be found in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences collections, and may be availble for research (contact the Rock and Ore Collections Manager). Catalog number links will open a window with more information.

Catalog Number	Sample Description	Lava Source	Collection Date
NMNH 116691-1	Basalt Volcanic Bomb	--	--
NMNH 116691-1	Basalt Volcanic Bomb	--	--
NMNH 60678	Volcanic Bomb	--	--

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Chaîne des Puys. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Chaîne des Puys. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Chaîne des Puys

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).