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Portugal · Fissure vent

Picos Volcanic System

Picos Fissural Volcanic System

Type
Fissure vent
Elevation
350m
Last eruption
1652
A chain of scoria cones known as the Picos Fissural Volcanic System encompasses Sao Miguel Island between Sete Cidades and Agua de Pau volcanoes, seen in this view from the east below the Agua de Pau (Lagoa do Fogo) caldera. Scoria cones are the dominant volcanic form in the system, and over 270 are recognized here. The southern coast of Sao Miguel appears in the background. About 30 eruptions have occurred during the past 5,000 years, including eruptions in 1563 and 1652.
A chain of scoria cones known as the Picos Fissural Volcanic System encompasses Sao Miguel Island between Sete Cidades and Agua de Pau volcanoes, seen in this view from the east below the Agua de Pau (Lagoa do Fogo) caldera. Scoria cones are the dominant volcanic form in the system, and over 270 are recognized here. The southern coast of Sao Miguel appears in the background. About 30 eruptions have occurred during the past 5,000 years, including eruptions in 1563 and 1652. · Photo: Copyrighted photo by Marco Fulle, 2000 (Stromboli On-Line, http://stromboli.net).
Type
Fissure vent
Country
Portugal
Region
Atlantic Ocean / Azores-Terceira Rift Volcanic Province
Elevation
350m
Coordinates
37.780, -25.670
Last eruption
1652
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Cluster
Major rock type
Trachybasalt / Tephrite basanite

Geological summary

Nearly 200 scoria cones of the Picos volcanic system dot the narrow central zone of Sao Miguel Island between Sete Cidades and Agua de Pau volcanoes.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

The Picos Volcanic Fissural System is a system of scoria cones that build up the central region of the island of São Miguel. This volcano is very young with most of it only 5000 years old. The only recorded eruption was in 1652, but seven other eruptions have taken place in the cinder cone group in the last 10,000 years.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

7 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
7
Uncertain eruptions
0
Span of confirmed record
4040 BCE – 1652
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 2 (1652)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
0
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
4040 BCE~3844 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?900 BCE~703 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?703 BCE~507 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?474~671 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?671~867 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?867~1063 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1456~1652 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 24040 BCE2666 BCE1292 BCE821456

Detailed timeline

  1. 1652VEI 2Observed
    1652-10-19 – 1652-10-26
    Eastern part (SW of Fogo 1 cone)
  2. 940 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    940 – end unknown
    Eastern part (Mata des Feiticeiras)
  3. 850 (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    850 – end unknown
    East-central part (Cruz)
  4. 600 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    600 – end unknown
    East-central part (Caldeirao)
  5. 510 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    510 BCE – end unknown
    North-central part (Furna)
  6. 850 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    850 BCE – end unknown
    North-central part (Aflitos)
  7. 4040 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    4040 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.