Bayuda Volcanic Field
Volcanic field in Sudan
Key Facts
Elevation
670 m (2,198 ft)
Type
Volcanic field
Location
18.330°, 32.750°
Region
Southeast Sahara Volcanic Province
Rock Type
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Tectonic Setting
Intraplate
Location
Loading map...
Overview
The Bayuda volcanic field is located in the Bayuda Desert of NE Sudan, south of the major Abu Hamed bend of the Nile River about 300 km N of Khartoum. More than 90 eruptive centers along a WNW-ESE line were constructed over Precambrian and Paleozoic granitic rocks near the center of the Bayuda Desert. Most vents are cinder cones that produced lava flows which breached the cones.
About 10% of vents in the field are explosion craters, the largest of which, named Hosh ed Dalam, is 1. 3 km wide and up to 500 m deep. The youngest basalts appear to post-date the last period of moist climate in Sudan, which ended as recently as about 5,000 years ago.
One of the least eroded lava flows was dated at about 1,100 years ago.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
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 | 1176 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Northern Africa Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 225060
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The Bayuda volcanic field is located near the center of the Bayuda desert of NE Sudan. The numerous small scoria cones that trend horizontally across the center of the volcanic field in this International Space Station image were erupted along a WNW-trending line. Lava flows, one of which was erupted about 1,100 years ago, are visible in this image, but about 10% of the vents are craters. Bayuda was constructed over Precambrian and Paleozoic granitic rocks, which form the darker areas at the lower right.
NASA International Space Station image ISS004-711-20, 2002 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).
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.