Eruptive fissures can follow the direction of regional faults, such as this New Zealand fissure that cuts diagonally across the photo. The 8-km-long fissure continues beneath the lake and was the source of a major explosive eruption in 1886 from Tarawera volcano. Most commonly, fissure vents extend radially down the flanks of a volcano from its summit. In some cases, circumferential fissures open around the rim of a volcanic caldera.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1986.

Copyrighted image used with permission. All Rights Reserved. Contact photographer for any usage requests.

Okataina