China · North Korea · Stratovolcano
Mount Paektu
Changbaishan
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Elevation
- 2744m
- Last eruption
- 1903

- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Country
- China · North Korea
- Region
- Eastern Asia / Central East Asia Volcanic Province
- Elevation
- 2744m
- Coordinates
- 41.980, 128.080
- Last eruption
- 1903
- Tectonic setting
- Intraplate / Continental crust (> 25 km)
- Landform
- Composite
- Major rock type
- Trachyte / Trachydacite
Geological summary
Massive Changbaishan stratovolcano (also known as Baitoushan and by the Korean names of Baegdu, Paektu, or P'aektu-san), is located along the China/Korea border. A 5-km-wide, 850-m-deep summit caldera is filled by Lake Tianchi (Sky Lake). The 60-km-diameter dominantly trachytic and rhyolitic volcano was constructed over the Changbaishan (Laoheidingzi) shield volcano. Satellitic cinder cones are aligned along a NNE trend. One of the largest known Holocene explosive eruptions took place here about 946 CE, depositing tephra as far away as northern Japan and forming in part the present caldera; Yang et al. (2021) estimated the total erupted volume to be 40-98 km3. Minor eruptions have been recorded since the 15th century.
Eruption history
10 recordedGlossaryDetailed timeline
- 1903VEI ?Observed1903-04-15 – end unknownLiuhaojie tuff ring?
- 1898VEI 2Observed1898-07-02 – end unknown
- 1702VEI ?Observed1702-06-09 – end unknown
- 1668VEI ?Observed1668-06 – end unknown
- 1597VEI ?Method not stated1597-10-06 – end unknown
- 1413VEI ?Method not stated1413 – end unknown
- 946VEI 6Geological estimate946-11-15 – end unknownMillennium Eruption
- 180 BCE (±80 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate180 BCE – end unknown
- 1000 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate1000 BCE – end unknown
- 2155 BCE (±90 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate2155 BCE – end unknown
Nearby volcanoes
External links
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