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Itasy Volcanic Field

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 19.033°S
  • 46.7°E

  • 1,800 m
    5,906 ft

  • 233014
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

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

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

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

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 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

6050 BCE (in or before) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
6050 BCE (in or before) - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow

8301 BCE ± 139 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
8301 BCE ± 139 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Itasy Volcanic Field.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Itasy Volcanic Field.

Photo Gallery

This vegetated lava dome is one of many at the Itasy volcanic field in central Madagascar. A steep-sided viscous lava flow descends to the left of the summit. Lateral levees at the margins of the flow form the distinct ridges at the lower left below a sharp bend in the lava flow.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1973.
The Itasy volcanic field in central Madagascar contains a diverse assemblage of volcanic landforms, including scoria cones, lava domes, and maars. Activity began in the Pliocene and has continued into the Holocene. A trachytic maar was formed near Saovinandriana at the beginning of the Hololcene, and several other crater lakes are present. Thermal activity in the form of hot springs, and mild seismicity continues at Itasy.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1973.
The Itasy volcanic field in central Madagascar contains numerous scoria cones, lava domes, and maar craters. The entire surface of this scoria cone, which has a shallow summit crater that is breached to the right, is mantled by geometric croplands of local farmers.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1973.
The Itasy volcanic field in central Madagascar lies W of Lake Itasy (lower center) and consists of a N-S-trending chain of scoria cones, lava domes, and maars. Several small dark-colored, lake-filled maars can be seen in the NASA Landsat image (N to the top), one of which lies just above the NW arm of Lake Itasy. Early eruptions producing trachytic lava domes and basanitic lava flows were followed by the effusion of trachytic lava flows and recent Vulcanian eruptions. Mild seismicity and hot spring activity continue at Itasy.

NASA Landsat 7 image (worldwind.arc.nasa.gov)
The Itasy Volcanic Field is a monogenetic field in central Madagascar around Lake Itasy near the center of this September 2019 Planet Labs satellite image mosaic (N at the top). The field contains scoria cones, lava domes, lava flows, and maars across an area of 1,600 km2. There have been 131 scoria cones identified throughout the field.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).
The Itasy Volcanic Field in central Madagascar covers an area of around 1,600 km2, some of which is seen here beside Lake Itasy in this September 2019 Planet Labs satellite image mosaic (N at the top). Several of the 131 identified scoria cones are in this area, as well as some lake-filled maar craters.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).
GVP Map Holdings

The Global Volcanism Program has no maps available for Itasy Volcanic Field.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

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

External Sites