Gunung Damavand

The Damavand stratovolcano is located 70 km NE of Iran's capital city of Tehran and 70 km S of the Caspian Sea. A younger cone has been constructed during the past 600,000 years over an older edifice, remnants of which were previously interpreted as a caldera wall. Flank vents are rare, and activity at the dominantly trachyandesite volcano has been concentrated at the summit vent, which has produced a series of radial lava flows. Lava effusion has dominated, pyroclastic activity has been limited, and the only major explosive event produced a welded ignimbrite about 280,000 years ago. The youngest activity, from the summit vent, produced a series of lava flows that cover the W side of the volcano. The youngest dated lava flows were emplaced about 7,000 years ago. No recorded eruptions are known, but hot springs are located on the flanks, and fumaroles are found at the summit crater.