Newer Volcanics Province

Volcanic field in Australia

Last Eruption: -2900

Key Facts

Elevation

1,011 m (3,317 ft)

Type

Volcanic field

Location

-37.770°, 142.500°

Region

Southeastern Australia Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The voluminous Newer Volcanics Province covers a broad 15,000 km2 area of SE Australia with nearly 400 small shield volcanoes and explosive vents of Tertiary-to-Holocene age. Volumetrically the vast proportion of volcanic products consist of flat-lying lava flows, although the most prominent features of the volcanic field are the numerous small scoria cones, tuff rings, and maars that rise above the lava plain. Several vents were active during the Holocene; another vent (Mount Tower) is now considered to be of late-Pleistocene age.

Late-Pleistocene to Holocene eruptions are characterized by small volume and low explosivity. The youngest dated eruptions took place at Mount Schank and Mount Gambier about 5,000 years ago, when explosive activity formed several maars and associated lava flows.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskModerate

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite

Silica Content

Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate

Continental rift or intraplate setting with varied eruptive styles.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Eruption Dated

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	4926 years ago	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in Eastern Australia Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The Eastern Australia Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

•Smithsonian ID: 259010
•Evidence: Eruption Dated
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

Lake-filled Tower Hill maar is part of the voluminous Newer Volcanics Province, which covers a broad 15,000 km2 area of SE Australia. The volcanic field contains nearly 400 vents, with late-Pleistocene to Holocene eruptions producing scoria cones, maars, tuff rings, and valley-filling lava flows. The most recent eruptions took place at Mount Schank and Mount Gambier.

Photo by Jim Luhr, 1993 (Smithsonian Institution).