When people think of volcanoes in Europe, they tend to think of actively erupting volcanoes in
Italy such as Mount Etna. However, there is another country in the region which
also contains a geologically active volcano, Germany. In fact, Germany contains not one, but
two volcanoes. One of these (volcanoes) produced a spectacular explosive eruption 13,000 years ago,
which created a 2 kilometer wide caldera known as the Laacher See. This video will discuss this
volcano, and mention what its future hazards are. The Laacher See volcano can be found in the
central west portion of Germany. Specifically, it is 61 kilometers south of the city of Cologne.
Much like the Hawaiian islands, the volcanic activity in this part of Germany is caused by
a hotspot in the mantle referred to as the "eifel hotspot". Every few tens of thousands of years,
magma from this hotspot reaches the surface, thus causing a new eruption.
This volcanic field which Laacher See is a part of began forming 450,000 years ago,
when a series of vents erupted a mixture of both lava and ash onto the surface. These
early eruptions produced a number of medium sized volcanic vents known as cinder cones. Over time,
these eruptions became increasingly explosive, as evidenced by deposits of ash from the time.
Eventually, volcanic activity shifted towards what is now (ree-den) Rieden. For the next 65000 years,
infrequent eruptions built a variety of eruptive features.
These included explosion craters, lava flows, cinder cones, and lava domes.
Afterwards, the volcanic field went dormant for more than 200,000 years.
Volcanic activity then resumed north of the town of (vee-air) Wehr around 215,000 years ago, when
a series of eruptions formed an explosion crater known as a maar. Over the next 120,000 years,
intermittent eruptions built a number of cinder cones which are scattered throughout the region.
Although they have been since carved by glaciers, some of these older vents are clearly
recognizable due to their distinctive shape. After the end of the last ice age, some portions
of the crust were uplifted slightly. This was caused by retreating glaciers, which caused
the continental crust to weigh less and thus become more buoyant. Subsequently, magmas from
the Eifel hotspot traveled upwards towards the surface, and built a large magma chamber. Then,
12,900 years ago, a large explosive eruption began on the surface. The initial blast caused all trees
to be flattened within 4 kilometers. As a plume of ash was carried 35 kilometers into the atmosphere,
the eruption escalated. Large pyroclastic flows emerged from the ground and traveled
in every direction. Some of these reached 13 kilometers away and damned the Rhine river.
Eventually, the magma chamber was drained sufficiently that it caused
the overlying rock to collapse, thus forming a 2 kilometer wide caldera, which is now filled
with a crater lake known as the Laacher See. The eruption which had taken place was rated
as a 6 on the 0 to 8 volcanic explosivity index, and represented an eruption slightly
larger than the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
In the aftermath of this eruption, the earth was thrown into a 1000 year cooling period
known as the Younger Dryas. The eruption from Laacher See is considered by some scientists
to be the initial trigger of this period, but I consider the eruption to be too small.
Although no eruptions have occurred since, the regional surrounding the Laacher See is still
geologically active. Bubbles of carbon dioxide gas can be found rising to the surface near the
southeastern shore of the lake, and on occasion earthquakes take place due to an at depth magma
chamber. Based on the geologic record of this volcanic field, a new eruption is the near future
seems unlikely. I would estimate the odds of a new eruption at about 1 in 15,000 each year. If a new
eruption was to occur, it would be relatively small and thus generate a new cinder cone, or
form a maar in a phreatic eruption. If you live in Germany, I recommend visiting this area, as it is
quite fascinating from a scientific perspective. I hope that you enjoyed this video. If
you would like to request a specific topic, please leave a comment below!