My Top 10 Favourite Volcanoes

So being the geology nerd that I am, I thought it would be beneficial to post about my most favourite geomorphological features - Volcanoes

Yellowstone National Park - the Supervolcano, USA.

Located in Wyoming and extends through Montana and Idaho, the Yellowstone Caldera is the largest volcanic system in North America. The National Park includes the Old Faithful Geyser, and last erupted 'supervolcanically' 640 000 years ago.

Lake Toba, Indonesia

Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world, and also had the largest known explosive eruption on Earth, only 69 000 to 70 000 years ago. Yes, this too was a supervolcano.

Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons is a large shield volcano on Mars. The structure is 22km in height, triple that of Mt Everest on Earth! Olympus Mons also boasts a 10 mile in diameter summit caldera. Super Impressive!

Volcanoes on Venus

Venus has more volcanoes than any known planet within our solar system. The volcanism on Venus comprises of large shield volcanoes, pancake domes, and widespread lava flows. Venus' tallest volcano is named Maat Mons.

Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Tongariro is the oldest National Park in New Zealand, and contains three active volcanoes - Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. The region has been volcanically active for 2 million years and is the culmination of the extent of the Pacific 'ring of fire'. The Tongariro Crossing is a must do for avid hikers.

Kilauea - Hawaii, USA

Kilauea is an active shield volcano of the Hawaiian Islands, it is also the current eruptive centre of the Hawaiian-Emporer seamount chain. A personal favourite of mine, having visited Hawaii last year in August.

Icelandic Volcanoes

The island of Iceland resides along the centre of the Mid Atlantic Ridge. The most active/volatile volcano of Iceland is Grimvotn. Within the last 500 years, Icelandic volcanoes have erupted 1/3 of the total global lava output. The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull is notably famous for shrouding Europe in an ash cloud a few years ago.

Vesuvio, Italy

Monte Vesuvio - as Mt Vesuvius is known by Italians, is a stratovolcano of the Gulf of Naples. Mt Vesuvius is famous for its AD79 eruption that destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Pliny the Elder also recorded a pyroclastic flow for the first time.

Mt. Erebus - Antarctica

Mt Erebus is the southernmost active volcano, and has one of five phonolitic (long-lasting) lava lakes on Earth. It is relatively well studied due to its proximity to various stations on Ross Island. Mt Erebus erupts in a similar way to that of Stromboli in Italy

Newer Volcanic Province, Australia

Having studied a Newer Volcanics Province volcano personally and growing up in the province,the NVP had to make the list. The Newer Volcanics Province is a monogenetic field of volcanoes, that extends from North of Melbourne in Victoria to Mt Gambier in South Australia. Notable volcanoes from this region include Mt Elephant near Derinallum, Mt Napier - Hamilton, and the maar's Lake Purrumbete and Tower Hill.

Hope that you have enjoyed my short list - and Thanks to 'Pele' for the volcanism...
xo