Global Volcanism Program | Atakor Volcanic Field

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Atakor Volcanic Field.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Atakor Volcanic Field.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Atakor Volcanic Field.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

225005

Unknown - Evidence Credible

2,918 m / 9,573 ft

23.33°N
5.83°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Volcanic field
Pyroclastic cone(s)
Lava dome(s)

Rock Types

Major
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Trachyte / Trachydacite
Phonolite

Minor
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite
Phono-tephrite / Tephri-phonolite

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

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

0
0
0
116,453

Geological Summary

The massive Atakor volcanic field is the largest in the Hoggar (or Ahaggar) volcanic province of southern Algeria and covers an area of 2,150 km². Quaternary basaltic (mostly basanitic) scoria cones and lava flows lie near older trachytic and phonolitic lava domes and volcanic necks that form some of the most dramatic scenery of northern Africa. The latest stage of activity began around 1.95 million years and continued almost to the present. Lava flows cover Holocene lake sediments dated at about 10,000 BP and alluvial terraces in which Neolithic artifacts have been found. Historical pottery has been found within lava flows in the Tahifet area, and oral traditions of the Tuareg people suggest that eruptions were witnessed. Sporadic fumaroles and persistent small-scale seismicity has been noted during historical time.

References

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

Assouni-Sekkal A, Bonin B, Benhallou A, Yahiaoui R, Liegeois J-P, 2007. Cenozoic alkaline volcanism of the Atakor massif, Hoggar, Algeria. In: Beccaluva L, Bianchini G, Wilson M (eds) Cenozoic Volcanism in the Mediterranean Area, Geol Soc Amer Spec Pap, 418: 321-340.

Liegeois J-P, Benhallou A, Azzouni-Sekkal A, Yahiaoui R, Bonin B, 2005. The Hoggar swell and volcanism: reactivation of the Precambrian Tuareg shield during Alpine convergence and West African Cenozoic volcanism. in: Foulger G R, Natland H H, Presnall D C, Anderson D L (eds) Plates, Plumes, and Paradigms, Geol Soc Amer Spec Pap, 388: 379-400. https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2388-4.379

Eruptive History

The Global Volcanism Program is not aware of any Holocene eruptions from Atakor Volcanic Field. If this volcano has had large eruptions (VEI >= 4) prior to 12,000 years ago, information might be found on the Atakor Volcanic Field page in the LaMEVE (Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions) database, a part of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

The Global Volcanism Program has no synonyms or subfeatures listed for Atakor Volcanic Field.

Photo Gallery

The bluish-gray area at the center of this NASA Landsat image and areas at the upper right are part of the massive Atakor volcanic field. These volcanics cover an area of 2,150 km² and includes lava domes and abundant basaltic scoria cones and lava flows. Historical pottery has been found within lava flows in the Tahifet area, and oral traditions of the Tuareg people also suggest that eruptions were witnessed. The prominent lineament at the far left is the Inter-terrane Pan-African shear zone.

NASA Landsat 7 image (worldwind.arc.nasa.gov)

The 2,150 km² Atakor Volcanic Field within the Hoggar volcanic province, Algeria, contains abundant scoria cones, lava domes, and lava flows, seen across this 15 November 2019 Sentinel-2 satellite image (N at the top). Erosion has also exposed intrusions and volcanic conduits from older activity.

Satellite image courtesy of Copernicus Sentinel Data, 2019.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Atakor Volcanic Field 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 Atakor Volcanic Field. 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 Atakor Volcanic Field. 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 Atakor Volcanic Field

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).