Ciomadul

Ciomadul
Csomád (hu)
3D model of Ciomadul's central sector seen from the south
Highest point
Elevation1,289 m (4,229 ft)[1]
Coordinates46°08′N 25°53′E / 46.13°N 25.88°E / 46.13; 25.88[1]
Geography
Parent rangeCarpathian Mountains
Geology
Age of rockPleistocene
Mountain typeDacitic volcano
Volcanic beltCarpathian volcanic arc

Ciomadul (Hungarian: Csomád) is a dormant volcano in Romania.[2] It is in the Eastern Carpathians, between the spa towns of Băile Tușnad and Balvanyos. Ciomadul lies at the southeastern end of the Carpathian volcanic chain and it is the youngest volcano of the Carpatho-Pannonian region. Ciomadul consists of several lava domes with two embedded explosion craters known as Mohoș and Sfânta Ana, the latter of which contains a crater lake, Lake Sfânta Ana. The dominant volcanic rock at Ciomadul is potassium-rich dacite.

Volcanic activity at Ciomadul commenced with effusive activity about one million years ago. Most of the volcano was constructed between 650,000 – 500,000 years ago.

Between 56,000 and 32,000 years ago explosive volcanic activity occurred at Ciomadul. Both the exact dates of the various eruptions and of the formation of the Sfânta Ana and Mohoș craters are unclear, partly because dates obtained by potassium-argon dating and other dating techniques deviate from each other. Some eruptions may have reached sub-Plinian strength, ejecting volcanic ash as far as the Black Sea.

The last eruption took place between 32,600 and 27,500 years ago. Its date is likewise unclear. Ongoing seismic and geothermal activity, and exhalations of volcanic gas and evidence of a still existing magma chamber indicate that Ciomadul is a potentially active volcano.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GVP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Karátson et al. 2013, p. 43.