Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Mayotte.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Mayotte.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Mayotte.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

233005

2019 CE

660 m / 2,165 ft

12.83°S
45.17°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Shield

Volcano Types
Shield
Maar(s)

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Trachyte / Trachydacite
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Phonolite

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate
Oceanic crust (< 15 km)

Geological Summary

Mayotte, located in the Mozambique Channel between the northern tip of Madagascar and the eastern coast of Africa, consists two main volcanic islands, Grande Terre and Petite Terre, and roughly twenty islets within a barrier-reef lagoon complex (Zinke et al., 2005; Pelleter et al., 2014). Volcanism began roughly 15-10 million years ago (Pelleter et al., 2014; Nougier et al., 1986), and has included basaltic lava flows, nephelinite, tephrite, phonolitic domes, and pyroclastic deposits (Nehlig et al., 2013). Lavas on the NE were active from about 4.7 to 1.4 million years and on the south from about 7.7 to 2.7 million years. Mafic activity resumed on the north from about 2.9 to 1.2 million years and on the south from about 2 to 1.5 million years. Several pumice layers found in cores on the barrier reef-lagoon complex indicate that volcanism likely occurred less than 7,000 years ago (Zinke et al., 2003). More recent activity that began in May 2018 consisted of seismicity and ground deformation occurring offshore E of Mayotte Island (Lemoine et al., 2019). One year later, in May 2019, a new subaqueous edifice and associated lava flows were observed 50 km E of Petite Terre during an oceanographic campaign.

References

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

Debeuf D, Bachelery P, Sigmarsson O, 2003. Two contemporaneous magma series on Mayotte Island, Comores Archipelago, Indian Ocean. EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assemb, Nice, France, 6-11 April 2003, abstr 9625.

Lemoine A, Bertil D, Roulle A, Briole P, 2019. The volcano-tectonic crisis of 2018 east of Mayotte, Comoros islands. Preprint submitted to EarthArXiv, 28 February 2019. https://doi.org/10.31223/osf.io/d46xj

Nehlig P, Lacquement F, Bernard J, Caroff M, Deparis J, Jaouen T, Pelleter A-A, Perrin J, Prognon C, Vittecoq B, 2013. Notice de la carte géologique de Mayotte. BRGM/RP-61803-FR, 135 p., 45 ill., 1 ann. 2013.

Nougier J, Cantagrel J M, Karchie J P, 1986. The Comores archipelago in the western Indian Ocean: volcanology, geochronology and geodynamic setting. J Afr Earth Sci, 5: 135-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/0899-5362(86)90003-5

Pelleter A A, Caroff M, Cordier C, Bachelery P, Nehlig P, Debeuf D, Arnaud N, 2014. Melilite-bearing lavas in Mayotte (France): An insight into the mantle source below the Comores. Lithos, 208–209 (2014), pp. 281-297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2014.09.012

Spath A, Le Roex A P, Duncan R A, 1996. The geochemistry of lavas from the Comores Archipelago, western Indian Ocean: petrogenesis and mantle source region characteristics. J Petr, 97: 961-991.

Zinke J, Reijmer J J G, Taviani M, Dullo W C, Thomassin B, 2005. Facies and faunal assemblage changes in response to the Holocene transgression in the Lagoon of Mayotte (Comoro Archipelago, SW Indian Ocean). Facies 50: 391–408.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-004-0040-7

Zinke J, Reijmer J J G, Thomassin B A, 2003. System tracts sedimentology in the lagoon of Mayotte associated with the Holocene transgression. (Sed Geol, 160: 57-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0037-0738(02)00336-6

Eruptive History

There is data available for 4 confirmed eruptive periods.

2018 Jul 3 - 2019 Aug 20 (?) Confirmed Eruption (Submarine)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Submarine)

About 50 km E of the eastern tip of Mayotte Island

2018 Jul 3 - 2019 Aug 20 (?)

Evidence from Observations: Seismicity

List of 10 Events for Episode 1 at About 50 km E of the eastern tip of Mayotte Island

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
2018 May 10	2018 May 21	Seismicity (volcanic)	On 10 May 2018, the first seismic event occurred at 0814, detected by the YTMZ accelerometer from the French RAP Network, according to BRGM and Lemoine et al. (2019). Seismicity continued to increase during 13-15 May 2018, with the strongest recorded event for the Comoros area occurring on 15 May at 1848 and two more events on 20-21 May.
2018 Jul 3 (on or after)	2019 May 19 (on or before)	Cinder Cone	Between 2 and 18 May 2019, an oceanographic campaign (MAYOBS 1) discovered a new submarine eruption site 50 km E from the island of Mayotte. The director of IPGP, Marc Chaussidon, stated in an interview with Science Magazine that multibeam sonar waves were used to determine the elevation (800 m) and diameter (5 km) of the new submarine cone.
2018 Jul 3 (on or after)	- - - -	Deformation (undefined)	The École Normale Supérieure, the Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise (OVPF-IPGP), and the REVOSIMA August 2019 bulletin reported that measurements from the GNSS stations and Teria GPS network data indicated eastward surface deformation and subsidence beginning in July 2018. Based on this ground deformation data Lemoine et al. (2019) determined that the eruptive phase began fifty days after the initial seismic events occurred, on 3 July 2018.
2019 Apr 1 (on or after)	2019 May 31 (on or before)	Deformation (undefined)	During April-May 2019 the rate of ground deformation slowed.
2019 May 1 (on or after)	2019 May 31 (on or before)	Lava flow	The director of IPGP, Marc Chaussidon, stated that the multibeam sonar seafloor image indicated that as much as 5 km³ of magma erupted onto the seafloor from this new submarine cone during May 2019, according to Science Magazine.
2019 May 17 (on or before)	- - - -	Lava flow	On 17 May 2019, a second oceanographic campaign (MAYOBS 2) discovered new lava flows located 5 km S of the new eruptive site.
2019 Jun 17 (on or after)	2019 Jul 30 (on or before)	Lava flow	According to REVOSIMA, from 17 June to 30 July 2019, 0.3 km³ of lava was produced.
2019 Jun 30 (on or before)	- - - -	Lava flow	The Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) reported that in June a new lava flow had been identified on the W flank of the cone measuring 150 m thick with an estimated volume of 0.3 km³.
2019 Jul 31 (on or after)	2019 Aug 20 (on or before)	Lava flow	According to REVOSIMA, the MAYOBS 4 (19 July 2019-4 August 2019) and SHOM (20-21 August 2019) missions revealed a new lava flow formed between 31 July and 20 August to the NW of the eruptive site with a volume of 0.08 km³ and covering 3.25 km². During the MAYOBS 4 campaign in late July 2019, scientists dredged the NE flank of the cone for samples and took photographs of the newly erupted lava. Two dives found the presence of pillow lavas. When samples were brought up to the surface, they exploded due to the large amount of gas and rapid decompression.
2019 Aug 1 (on or after)	2020 Feb 29 (on or before)	Deformation (deflation)	Deflation was observed up to 90 km E of Mayotte in late October 2019 and consistently between August 2019 and February 2020.

2050 BCE ± 500 years Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

2050 BCE ± 500 years - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

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

3550 BCE ± 500 years Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

3550 BCE ± 500 years - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

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

4050 BCE ± 500 years Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

4050 BCE ± 500 years - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

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

The Global Volcanism Program has no synonyms or subfeatures listed for Mayotte.

Photo Gallery

Mayotte consists two main volcanic islands, Grande Terre and Petite Terre, and around twenty islets within a barrier-reef lagoon complex approximately 38 km across, shown in this Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top). Recent activity has occurred offshore, 50 km E.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2018 (https://www.planet.com/).

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Mayotte 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 Mayotte. 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 Mayotte. 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 Mayotte

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).