You probably haven't heard about volcanoes in Germany. But they do exist there. True, these are not classic cones with a smoking top, as, for example, in Iceland or Italy, but completely unusual volcanoes. "Fire-breathing giants" of Germany are carefully hidden from prying eyes in the depths of the lakes, which are located in an amazing place - the Eifel mountain range.
Maars in the Eifel mountain range.
Even during the last ice age, the volcanoes in the Eifel massif in western Germany were very active. The last eruption, according to volcanologists, occurred here only 13,000 years ago.
It is almost impossible to find out that there was once a volcano here.
Today this region in the area between the Rhine and the Moselle has more than 20 volcanoes, which are located in the south of the mountain range. Some volcanoes lost their cone during the last eruption and became completely flat. But they are easy to spot among the surrounding landscapes, as their vents are filled with water. In the south of the Eifel massif, there are many round lakes with shores in the form of small ramparts, which are called maars. These are the volcanoes disguised as lakes.
In the mouth of the volcano, there are not only lakes, but also people live.
But the serene expanse of lakes and green hills are just a semblance of tranquility. According to the latest scientific evidence, these volcanoes are still active. There, in the depths of the lakes, a stormy underground life boils. One of the signs indicating geological activity is the presence of the Andernach geyser, as well as the processes that take place on Lake Laher-See.
Laakh lake.
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Lakher-See with a diameter of 2 kilometers has a depth of 53 meters. The basin of this reservoir is located in the mouth of the Lakh volcano, which last erupted about 13,000 years ago. The massive deposits of volcanic ash and the radius of their distribution allowed scientists to award this eruption 6 points on the scale of volcanic activity. This circumstance puts him on a par with such world celebrities as Vesuvius and Krakatoa. Due to the last eruption of the Lakh volcano, a cold snap occurred, and it is with its activity that scientists associate the disappearance of ancient people from this region.
Lake Lakher-Ze.
The summit of the Lakh volcano was destroyed during the eruption, and the resulting depression was eventually filled with water. But gas bubbles periodically rise to the surface of the lake, which indicate the activity of the volcano. This is carbon dioxide and other compounds that are released from the vent of the volcano and sent to the surface. German scientists observing dormant volcanoes in the Eifel region have recorded an increase in the release of gases in recent years. This circumstance indicates the activation of magmatic processes, although experts believe that the Lakh volcano is sleeping soundly enough.
Author: Olga Frolova