Laacher See

volcanic crater lake in Germany

Laacher See (literally: Lake Laach; German pronunciation: [ˈlaːxɐ ˈzeː]) is a volcanic caldera lake located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.[1][2]

Laacher See
Lake Laach
View of the caldera
Laacher See Lake Laach is located in Rhineland-Palatinate
Laacher See Lake Laach
Laacher See
Lake Laach
Location in Germany
Laacher See Lake Laach is located in Germany
Laacher See Lake Laach
Laacher See
Lake Laach
Laacher See
Lake Laach (Germany)
LocationAhrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate
Coordinates50°25′N 7°16′E / 50.417°N 7.267°E / 50.417; 7.267
TypeVolcanic caldera lake
Primary inflowsNone
Primary outflowsFulbert-Stollen (canal)
Basin countriesGermany
Max. length1.964 km (1.220 mi)
Max. width1.186 km (0.737 mi)
Surface area3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi)
Average depth31 m (102 ft)
Max. depth51 m (167 ft)
Water volume103,000,000 m3 (3.6×109 cu ft)
Shore length17.3 km (4.5 mi)
Surface elevation275 m (902 ft)
IslandsNone
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Topographic map of the area around the Laacher See.
Map of regions around the Laacher See.
Dock of rental boats in the Laacher See.

The diameter is 2 km, and it is located 24 km from Koblenz, 8 km from Andernach and the Rhine River, and 37 km from Bonn. Its last volcanic eruption, which was a Plinian eruption, was around 11,000 years B.C., with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, having the same magnitude as the Plinian eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. It is part of the mountainous Eifel region, and the East Eifel Volcanic Region, which was formed after the collision of the African and Eurasian continents millions of years ago.[3][4][5] Bubbles of odorless CO2 gas called mofettas are released from the lake, which means that the volcano is dormant. To the west of the lake is the Maria Laach Abbey, built in 1092 by Henry II of Laach, Count of the House of Luxembourg.

Bubbles of odorless CO2 gas called mofettas on the southeastern shore of the Laacher See.
View of the Maria Laach Abbey.
Panorama of the Laacher See

References change

  1. Oppenheimer, Clive (2011). Eruptions that Shook the World. Cambridge University Press. pp. 216–217. ISBN 978-0-521-64112-8.
  2. de Klerk, Pim; et al. (2008). "Environmental impact of the Laacher See eruption at a large distance from the volcano: Integrated palaeoecological studies from Vorpommern (NE Germany)". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 270 (1–2): 196–214. Bibcode:2008PPP...270..196D. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.09.013.
  3. Bogaard, Paul van den (1995). "40Ar/39Ar ages of sanidine phenocrysts from Laacher See Tephra (12,900 yr BP): Chronostratigraphic and petrological significance". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 133 (1–2): 163–174. Bibcode:1995E&PSL.133..163V. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(95)00066-L.
  4. "Geo-Education and Geopark Implementation in the Vulkaneifel European Geopark/Vulkanland Eifel National Geopark". The Geological Society of America. 2011. Archived from the original on 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  5. Reinig, Frederick; Wacker, Lukas; Jöris, Olaf; Oppenheimer, Clive; Guidobaldi, Giulia; Nievergelt, Daniel; et al. (30 June 2021). "Precise date for the Laacher See eruption synchronizes the Younger Dryas". Nature. 595 (7865): 66–69. Bibcode:2021Natur.595...66R. doi:10.1038/S41586-021-03608-X. ISSN 1476-4687. Wikidata Q107389873. [Measurements] firmly date the [Laacher See eruption] to 13,006 ± 9 calibrated years before present (BP; taken as AD 1950), which is more than a century earlier than previously accepted.

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