Ascension
Stratovolcano in United Kingdom
Key Facts
Elevation
822 m (2,697 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano
Location
-7.946°, -14.367°
Region
Central Mid-Atlantic Rift Volcanic Province
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Rift zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
Ascensión Island, just west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge ~2,250 km E of the eastern-most point of Brazil, is the 12-km-diameter emergent summit of a stratovolcano that rises ~3,000 m above the seafloor. The isolated island has more than 100 youthful cones and lava domes, many aligned along two fissures. Basaltic rocks dominate on the island, but trachytic lava domes are also present, mostly on the eastern side.
Two of the youngest lava flows were erupted from flank vents and reached the sea on the N and S coasts. Argon-Argon dating by Preece and others (2018) identified three eruptions within the past 2,000 years. No eruptive activity has occurred since it was visited on Ascensión Day in 1501 by the Portuguese navigator Joao da Nova.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 518 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Atlantic Ocean Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 385050
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
A view to the NW from Green Mountain shows The Sisters (left) and Perfect Crater (right-center), cinder cones on the flanks of the Ascensión Island volcano, which lies just west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The isolated island contains numerous cones and lava domes. Many volcanic features on Ascensión have a very youthful appearance, and three eruptions have been dated within the past 2,000 years, the most recent being the South Sisters flow, possibly only 500 years old.
Photo by Jon Davidson (University of Durham).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.