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Damavand Volcano - John Seach
Mazandaran Province, Iran
35.951 N, 52.109 E
summit elevation 5670 m
Stratovolcano
Mt Damavand is located 70 km NE of Tehran and 70 km south of the Caspian Sea. It is the second highest volcano in Asia. The highest volcano in Asia is Kunlun in Tibet.
The volcano contains a volume of 400 cubic km and overlies the active fold and rhrust belt of the Alborz Mountains.
The slopes of the volcano comprise trachyandesite lava flows. Two periods of eruptive activity have been identified (1.78 Ma-800ka and 500 ka-7.3 ka), separated by a period of quiescence. One significant ignimbrite eruption has been identified, though pyroclastic eruptions have been small and infrequent. Debris avalanche deposits suggest that one or more sector collapse events have occurred at the volcano.
The eruptive style has remained the same throughout the volcano's two million year history despite one or more sector collapse events and the formation of a second cone overlying the old eroded cone.
During a climb in August 1999 an active summit fumarole was observed. The incidence of acute mountain sickness in climbers of Mt Damavand is 60%.
Damavand Volcano Eruptions
~ 5350 BC