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Morne Watt

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Primary Volcano Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  •  
  • 15.307°N
  • 61.305°W

  • 1224 m
    4016 ft

  • 360101
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports for Morne Watt.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Morne Watt.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Morne Watt.

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.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 5 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1997 Jul 15 - 1997 Jul 15 Confirmed Eruption Max VEI: 1

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)
1997 Jul 15 - 1997 Jul 15 Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
1997 Jul 15    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

1880 Jan 4 - 1880 Jan 4 Confirmed Eruption Max VEI: 2 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)
1880 Jan 4 - 1880 Jan 4 Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity
   - - - -    - - - - Ash weak or small
   - - - -    - - - - Lahar or Mudflow
1880 Jan 4    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

0640 ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode West flank of Morne Watt
0640 ± 150 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 5 Events for Episode 1 at West flank of Morne Watt

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Bombs
   - - - -    - - - - Blocks
   - - - -    - - - - Lahar or Mudflow

0950 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)
0950 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity
   - - - -    - - - - Ash

1800 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)
1800 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at NE of Watt Mtn (Valley of Desolation)

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Morne Watt.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Morne Watt.

Photo Gallery

Steam rises from Boiling Lake, a geothermal area on the NE flank of Morne Watt volcano. This phreatomagmatic explosion crater is filled by a bubbling lake about 85 x 75 m wide, with a typical depth of about 10-15 m. Both water level and temperature have varied widely during historical time. The lake was almost empty following the 1880 phreatic eruption, and again temporarily almost emptied in December 2004, when water levels dropped 10 m or more below the high-water mark.

Photo by Paul Jackson, 1998 (Seismic Research Unit, University of West Indies).
Fumarolic clouds mark the Valley of Desolation and Boiling Lake thermal areas, NE of Morne Watt (Watt Mountain) volcano in SE Dominica. The Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake are major tourist attractions within the national park east of Roseau. A major eruption from Morne Watt produced pyroclastic flows about 930 years ago. The only historical eruptions on the island of Dominica were a moderately large phreatic explosion at the Valley of Desolation thermal area in 1880 and a smaller phreatic explosion in July 1997.

Photo by Paul Jackson, 1998 (Seismic Research Unit, University of West Indies).
Steep-sided Morne Watt, seen here from the NW, is a lava-dome complex surrounded by block-and-ash flow deposits. The 1224-m-high volcano was constructed south of the Wotten Waven caldera and is flanked by Morne Anglais (4 km to the SW) and the Grand Soufrière Hills volcano, 3 km to the east. The renowned Valley of Depression geothermal area cuts the NE flank of Morne Watt and lies out of view to the left.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 2002 (Smithsonian Institution).
GVP Map Holdings

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included. The maps database originated over 30 years ago, but was only recently updated and connected to our main database. We welcome users to tell us if they see incorrect information or other problems with the maps; please use the Contact GVP link at the bottom of the page to send us email.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Morne Watt in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites