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2022 Vol.131 No.5

Lake Chauvet Maar in the Chaîne des Puys Volcano Group, Central France

Alpine orogeny has made several rifts with associated volcanism in the European continent since the end of the Mesozoic Era. Some of these volcanoes have continued to erupt even into the Quaternary period. The Chaîne des Puys volcano group consists of about 100 scoria cones, maars, and lava domes distributed along the western margin of the Limagne rift in the French Central Massif, which extends west of Lyon, the third largest city in France, from north to south. The latest eruption is considered to be that of Lac Pavin maar, located near its southern end, 7,000 years ago. The photo shows Le Lac Chauvet maar (diameter 600 m, depth 73 m), which is adjacent to the southwestern edge of Lac Pavin maar. It is slightly older than the Lac Pavin maar and is considered to have formed at the end of the last ice age.

(Photograph: ©Motomaro SHIRAO; Explanation: Masato KOYAMA)