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Laacher See Volcano

Updated: Mar 28, 2024 17:27 GMT -
caldera 407 m
Germany, 50.42°N / 7.28°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 23 Jan 2022
The Laacher See lake in Germany (photo: Tobias Schorr)
The Laacher See lake in Germany (photo: Tobias Schorr)

Laacher See or Laach Lake (in English) is a crater lake or more exactly a caldera lake in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated close to the cities of Koblenz, Mayen (11 km), and Andernach (14 km). It fills a volcanic caldera in the Eifel mountain range, the only caldera in Central Europe. It is part of the area of the "east Eifel volcanic field".

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Typical eruption style: Plinian eruptions, interaction between hot magma and water, hydrothermal explosions
Laacher See volcano eruptions: 10900 B.C. - 9191 B.C.

Latest nearby earthquakes

TimeMag. / DepthDistance / Location
Mar 20, 09:42 am (Berlin)
Mar 20, 08:42 GMT
0.8

12 km
16 km (9.8 mi) to the SE Mayen-Koblenz, Germany, 9.5 km west of Koblenz, Rheinland-Pfalz Info
Sunday, March 10, 2024 GMT (1 quake)
Mar 10, 04:16 pm (Berlin)
Mar 10, 15:16 GMT
0.7

8 km
14 km (8.4 mi) to the NW LandAhrweiler, Germany, 5 km southeast of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz Info
Saturday, March 2, 2024 GMT (1 quake)
Mar 2, 09:30 pm (Berlin)
Mar 2, 19:30 GMT
0.9

8.6 km
12 km (7.3 mi) to the NW LandAhrweiler, Germany, 6.7 km southeast of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz Info
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 GMT (3 quakes)
Feb 28, 09:12 pm (Berlin)
Feb 28, 20:12 GMT
0.3

7 km
11 km (7.1 mi) to the SE Germany Info
Feb 28, 07:40 am (Berlin)
Feb 28, 06:40 GMT
0.9

10 km
13 km (7.8 mi) to the NW Germany Info
Feb 28, 06:15 am (Berlin)
Feb 28, 05:15 GMT
0.6

11 km
13 km (8.1 mi) to the NW Germany Info
Tuesday, February 27, 2024 GMT (5 quakes)
Feb 27, 11:29 pm (Berlin)
Feb 27, 22:29 GMT
0.6

10 km
12 km (7.5 mi) to the NW LandAhrweiler, Germany, 6.5 km southeast of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz Info
Feb 27, 10:31 pm (Berlin)
Feb 27, 21:31 GMT
0.8

10 km
13 km (7.8 mi) to the NW Germany Info
Feb 27, 09:15 pm (Berlin)
Feb 27, 20:15 GMT
1.3

10 km
13 km (7.9 mi) to the NW LandAhrweiler, Germany, 5.8 km southeast of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz Info
Feb 27, 09:13 pm (Berlin)
Feb 27, 20:13 GMT
0.5

11 km
13 km (8 mi) to the NW Germany Info
Feb 27, 08:01 pm (Berlin)
Feb 27, 19:01 GMT
0.4

12 km
8.2 km (5.1 mi) to the SE Germany Info

Background

The caldera of Laacher See was formed after the Laacher volcano erupted, between 12,900 and 11,200 years ago. The remaining crust collapsed into the empty magma chamber below, only two or three days after the eruption. With an estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index value of 6, this eruption was 250 times larger than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Remains of this eruption can be found all over Europe and is often used for dating of sediments. A number of unique minerals, like Hauyn can be found in the region, and quaries to mine the stone as a building material.

The Laacher is still considered to be an active volcano, proven by seismic activities and heavy thermal anomalies under the lake. Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from magma still bubbles up at the southeastern shore (mofettes), and scientists believe that a new eruption can happen at any time, which, today, would be a disaster beyond all description.

Laacher See Volcano Photos

Latest satellite images

laachersee satellite image sat1laachersee satellite image sat2
Mon, 2 Jan 2012, 21:42

Laacher See volcano (Germany): no reason to think it is going to erupt anytime soon

Mofettes at the shore of the Laacher See volcano crater lake, showing that the magmatic system beneath the crater is degassing (nothing unusual!). (Photo: Tobias Schorr)
The Daily Mail writes today "Is a super-volcano just 390 miles from London about to erupt?", suggesting that the Laacher See volcano in Western Germany could "erupt any time" and produce a large eruption such as the devastating (but still moderate, not super-volcano at all) Plinian eruption 11,900 years ago. ... Read all

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