Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Fort Portal.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Fort Portal.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Fort Portal.

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.

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Bugumba

Tuff cone

Buhara

Tuff cone

Bwanika

Tuff cone

Hamugoma

Tuff cone

Kagode

Tuff cone

Kajongo

Tuff cone

Kalyango
Kaliango

Tuff cone

Kasekere
Rusekere

Tuff cone

1615 m

0° 44' 0" N

30° 23' 0" E

Kigere

Tuff cone

Kijongo Kalema

Tuff cone

Kijongo Katabyire

Tuff cone

Kyeganywa

Tuff cone

Mbuzi

Tuff cone

Muhoti

Tuff cone

Ndeke

Tuff cone

Nyabusozi

Tuff cone

Rwenkuba

Tuff cone

Saka

Tuff cone

Domes

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Makome

Dome

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

223001

2120 BCE

1,615 m / 5,299 ft

0.7°N
30.25°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Volcanic field
Tuff cone(s)
Maar(s)
Lava dome

Rock Types

Major
Foidite

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

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

242,914
242,914
498,815
4,167,189

Geological Summary

The carbonatite lavas and tuffs of the Fort Portal volcanic field in Uganda, NE of Mount Ruwenzori between Lake Albert and Lake Edward, consists of a group of tuff cones and maars covering an area of about 145 km². About 50 volcanic vents, some of which now contain crater lakes, were erupted through Precambrian gneiss in an WSW-ENE-trending area north of the town of Fort Portal. Several additional vents are located in the Kasekere (Rusekere) area to the NE. Radiocarbon dates of about 4,700-4,000 years ago were obtained from ash deposits in the volcanic field. Holmes (1950) noted that Kasensankaranga Crater in the Fort Portal area means "spewer of roasted material," implying observed activity.

References

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

Bailey K, Lloyd F, Kearns S, Stoppa F, Eby N, Woolley A, 2005. Melilitite at Fort Portal, Uganda: another dimension to the carbonate volcanism. Lithos, 85: 15-25.

Barker D S, Nixon P H, 1989. High-Ca, low-alkali carbonatite volcanism at Fort Portal, Uganda. Contr Mineral Petr, 103: 166-177.

Holmes A, 1950. Petrogenesis of katungite. Amer Mineral, 35: 772-792.

Holmes A, Harwood H F, 1932. Petrology of the volcanic fields east and south-east of Ruwenzori, Uganda. Quart J Geol Soc London, 88: 370-442.

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior.

Nixon P H, Hornung G, 1973. The carbonatite lavas and tuffs near Fort Portal, western Uganda. Overseas Geol Min Res, 41: 168-179.

Vinogradov V I, Krasnov A A, Kuleshov V N, Sulerzhitskiy L D, 1980. C13/C12 and O18/O16 ratios and C14 concentration in carbonatites of the Kaliango volcano (East Africa). Internatl Geol Rev, 22: 51-57.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

2120 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

2120 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

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

2750 BCE ± 75 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

2750 BCE ± 75 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

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

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Fort Portal.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Fort Portal.

Photo Gallery

These grass-covered tuff cones are among the many of the Fort Portal volcanic field in Uganda. The carbonatite lavas and tuffs were erupted from about 50 cones and maars, some of which now contain crater lakes.

Photo by Nelson Eby (University of Massachusetts).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

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.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

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

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 Fort Portal. 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 Fort Portal. 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 Fort Portal

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).