A volcanic crater lake is a lake in a crater that was formed by explosive activity or a collapse during a volcanic eruption.
A volcanic crater lake is a lake in a crater that was formed by explosive activity or a collapse during a volcanic eruption.
Lakes in calderas fill large craters formed by the collapse of a volcano during an eruption. Lakes in maars fill medium-sized craters where an eruption deposited debris around a vent.
Crater lakes form as the created depression, within the crater rim, is filled by water. The water may come from precipitation, groundwater circulation (often hydrothermal fluids in the case of volcanic craters) or melted ice. Its level rises until an equilibrium is reached between the rates of incoming and outgoing water. Sources of water loss singly or together may include evaporation, subsurface seepage, and, in places, surface leakage or overflow when the lake level reaches the lowest point on its rim. At such a saddle location, the upper portion of the lake is contained only by its adjacent natural volcanic dam; continued leakage through or surface outflow across the dam can erode its included material, thus lowering lake level until a new equilibrium of water flow, erosion, and rock resistance is established. If the volcanic dam portion erodes rapidly or fails catastrophically, the occurrence produces a breakout or outburst flood. With changes in environmental conditions over time, the occurrence of such floods is common to all natural dam types.
A well-known crater lake, which bears the same name as the geological feature, is Crater Lake in Oregon. It is located in the caldera of Mount Mazama. It is the deepest lake in the United States with a depth of 594 m (1,949 ft). Crater Lake is fed solely by falling rain and snow, with no inflow or outflow at the surface, and hence is one of the clearest lakes in the world. [1]
The highest volcano in the world, 6,893-m (22,615-ft) Ojos del Salado in Chile, has a permanent crater lake about 100 m (330 ft) in diameter at an elevation of 6,390 m (20,965 ft) on its eastern side. [2] This is most likely the highest lake of any kind in the world.
Due to their unstable environments, some crater lakes exist only intermittently. Caldera lakes in contrast can be quite large and long-lasting. For instance, Lake Toba (Indonesia) formed after its eruption around 75,000 years ago. At around 100 kilometres (62 mi) by 30 kilometres (19 mi) in extent and 505 metres (1,657 ft) deep at its deepest point, Lake Toba is the largest crater lake in the world. [3]
While many crater lakes are picturesque, they can also be deadly. Gas discharges from Lake Nyos in Cameroon suffocated 1,800 people in 1986, and crater lakes such as Mount Ruapehu's (New Zealand) often contribute to destructive lahars.
Certain bodies of water, although their formation is directly related to volcanic activity, are not usually referred to as crater lakes, including:
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Waw an Namus (three small salt lakes in the caldera) | Libya |
| Deriba Caldera | Sudan |
| Meme River Basin lakes (Lake Barombi Koto, Lake Barombi Mbo, Lake Mboandong and Lake Dissoni/Soden) | Cameroon |
| Lake Nachtiga (between Mount Cameroon and the Atlantic coast) | Cameroon |
| Bakossi Mountains: Lake Bermin and Mount Manengouba lakes (lac Mâle and lac Femelle) | Cameroon |
| Adamawa crater lakes (Tison, Mbalang) | Cameroon |
| Oku Volcanic Field, including Lake Nyos, Lake Oku, Lake Monoun, Mount Mbapit crater lake, Lake Awing and the Bambili lakes | Cameroon |
| Dallol (various acid ponds) | Ethiopia |
| Zengena Lake | Ethiopia |
| Enyo Lake (or Haro Dandii, a lake filling a double crater caldera on Mount Dendi) and Lake Wonchi [4] (Badda Rogghie Mountains) | Ethiopia |
| Debre Zeyit crater lakes (Bishoftu, Hora, Bishoftu Guda, Koriftu and seasonal Cheleklaka) | Ethiopia |
| Lake Dembel, Mount Zuqualla | Ethiopia |
| Lake Ara Shetan (Butajiri-Silti Volcanic Field) | Ethiopia |
| O'a Caldera, with Lake Shala and the smaller Chitu water-filled maar | Ethiopia |
| Bilate River Volcanic Field (several water-filled maars) | Ethiopia |
| El Sod (small salt lake), Borena Zone | Ethiopia |
| Mount Biao, Bioko Island | Equatorial Guinea |
| Lago a Pot, Annobón Island | Equatorial Guinea |
| Lake Assal | Djibouti |
| Kabarole District lakes (including lakes Nyinabulitwa, Nyabikere, Nkuruba, Kifuruka) | Uganda |
| Many crater lakes in the Katwe-Kikorongo and Bunyaruguru (or Kichwambe) volcanic fields, respectively on the North and South sides of the Kazinga Channel (including Lake Katwe in the Queen Elizabeth National Park) | Uganda |
| Muhavura (small crater lake) | Rwanda / Uganda |
| Mount Bisoke | Rwanda / Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Crocodile Lake, Flamingo Lake, Tilapia Lake, on Central Island (Lake Turkana) | Kenya |
| Mount Marsabit (at least two lakes) | Kenya |
| Emuruangogolak (several maar lakes) | Kenya |
| Lake Simbi, Mount Homa | Kenya |
| Lake Sonachi (Crater Lake Game Sanctuary) | Kenya |
| Lake Chala | Kenya / Tanzania |
| Southern Highlands crater lakes (Lake Ngozi, Kiungululu Crater, Masoko Crater) | Tanzania |
| Lakes Magadi and Empakaai (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) | Tanzania |
| Lake Dziani Boundouni, Mohéli Island | Comoros |
| Dziani Dzaha, Petite-Terre | Mayotte |
| Lake Tritriva | Madagascar |
| Nosy Be crater lakes | Madagascar |
| Itasy crater lakes (close to the larger Lake Itasy) | Madagascar |
| Trou aux Cerfs | Mauritius |
| Ganga Talao lake | Mauritius |
| Piton de l'Eau | Réunion |
| Lagoa do Fanal | Portugal, Madeira |
| Laguna de los Ciclos (Charco Verde), El Golfo, Lanzarote | Spain, Canary Islands |
| Pedra de Lume (salt lake in the crater), Sal Island | Cape Verde |
| Queen Mary's Peak (heart-shaped crater lake) | Tristan da Cunha |
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Deception Island maare | Off the Antarctic Peninsula coast |
| Mount Larson crater lake, Thule Island | South Sandwich Islands |
| Small crater lakes on the top of various scoria cones, Marion Island | Prince Edward Islands |
| Bassin du Cratère (connected to sea since 1780, now an 'almost crater lake'), Saint-Paul | Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Islands |
| Lac bleu, [5] Amsterdam | Saint-Paul and Amsterdam Islands |
| Grand Cratère, Île de la Possession | Crozet Islands |
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Lake Toba | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Sibayak | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Lake Maninjau | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Lake Asam (Suwoh Caldera) | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Lake Gunung Tujuh | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Talang (Talang and Dibawah Lakes) | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Singgalang (Dewi and Kumbang Lakes) | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Bukit Daun | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Kerinci | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Kaba | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Dempo | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Kunyit | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Mount Sumbing | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Sorikmarapi | Indonesia, Sumatra |
| Ijen | Indonesia, Java |
| Kawah Putih, Mount Patuha | Indonesia, Java |
| Mount Lamongan (several maare) | Indonesia, Java |
| Kelut (no crater lake anymore after 2007–2008 slow eruptions with hot lava dome, but in 2014 eruption lava dome is thrown away and in rainy season, the crater is initial fill with water) | Indonesia, Java |
| Lake Ngebel, Gunung Wilis | Indonesia, Java |
| Mount Lawu | Indonesia, Java |
| Talagabodas | Indonesia, Java |
| Tengger caldeira (several maar lakes on Semeru summit, seasonnal lake in Bromo crater) | Indonesia, Java |
| The Triangle of Lakes (Ranu Klakah, Ranu Bedali, Ranu Pakis) | Indonesia, Java |
| Mount Galunggung crater lake | Indonesia, Java |
| Merdodo (Dieng Volcanic Complex) | Indonesia, Java |
| Telaga Warna (Dieng Volcanic Complex) | Indonesia, Java |
| Danau Batur, Bali | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Lake Segara Anak (Mount Rinjani), Lombok | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Tambora (ephemeral lake), Sumbawa | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Kelimutu (three crater lakes), Flores | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Inielika (several small temporary dark lakes), Flores | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Sano Nggoang (the deepest volcanic crater lake in the world with depth of 600 meters), West Manggarai Regency, Flores | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Mount Sirung, Pantar Island | Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands |
| Kawah Masem, Mount Sempu | Indonesia, Sulawesi |
| Mount Mahawu | Indonesia, Sulawesi |
| Lake Tondano | Indonesia, Sulawesi |
| Mount Klabat | Indonesia, Sulawesi |
| Makian | Indonesia, Maluku Islands |
| Mount Ibu (several small crater lakes), Halmahera | Indonesia, Maluku Islands |
| Todoko-Ranu, Halmahera | Indonesia, Maluku Islands |
| Lake Telaga Paca, Halmahera | Indonesia, Maluku Islands |
| Four crater lakes in the Lower Chindwin volcanic area, including Twin Taung | Burma (Myanmar) |
| Yak Loum | Cambodia |
| Nong Fa Lake | Laos |
| Toroeng Prong | Vietnam |
| Khorgo Uul (at least two lakes) | Mongolia |
| Chaihe scenic spot [6] near Zhalantun (several crater lakes in this volcanic area) | China, Inner Mongolia |
| Longwanqun crater lakes | China, Jilin |
| Heaven Lake (Chonji/Tianchi), Baekdu Mountain | North Korea / China, Jilin |
| White Deer Lake (Baengnokdam), Mulyeongari-Oreum, Muljangori-Oreum | South Korea, Jeju Island |
| Akan caldera lakes (Akan, Mashū, Kussharo) | Japan, Hokkaidō |
| Lake Shikotsu | Japan, Hokkaidō |
| Lake Tōya | Japan, Hokkaidō |
| Lake Kuttara | Japan, Hokkaidō |
| Towada | Japan, Honshū |
| Tazawa (deepest lake in Japan) | Japan, Honshū |
| Mount Zaō (lake Okama) | Japan, Honshū |
| Mount Kusatsu-Shirane (three lakes, including the acidic Yu-gama with sulfur rafts floating on its turquoise surface) | Japan, Honshū |
| Izu-Tobu (Ippeki lake) | Japan, Honshū |
| Lake Haruna | Japan, Honshū |
| Mount Hakone (Lake Ashi) | Japan, Honshū |
| Naruko (Lake Katanuma) | Japan, Honshū |
| Aizu-Bandai-san (various lakes) | Japan, Honshū |
| Mount Iwate | Japan, Honshū |
| Mount Ontake (five crater lakes) | Japan, Honshū |
| Oguni-numa Pond | Japan, Honshū |
| Numazawa-numa lake | Japan, Honshū |
| Hachoike, Mount Amagi | Japan, Honshū |
| Mount Aso (Naka-dake) | Japan, Kyūshū |
| Satsuma Peninsula, Lake Ikeda and Lake Unagi-ike | Japan, Kyūshū |
| Mount Kirishima lakes (including Mi-ike, Oonamino-ike, Rokkannonmi-ike, Byakushi-ike) | Japan, Kyūshū |
| Imuta-ike | Japan, Kyūshū |
| Tairo-ike, Miyake-jima | Japan, Izu Islands |
| Otake, Nakanoshima | Japan, Ryukyu Islands |
| Lake Pinatubo | Philippines, Luzon |
| Taal Lake (caldera-filling) and the crater lake on its island's volcano | Philippines, Luzon |
| Laguna de Bay | Philippines, Luzon |
| Seven Lakes of San Pablo (Bunot, Calibato, Yambo, Pandin, Palakpakin, Muhikap, Sampaloc) | Philippines, Luzon |
| Lake Tikub | Philippines, Luzon |
| Mount Talinis (lakes Balinsasayao, Danao and Kabalin-an, within the Guintabon Caldera), Negros Island | Philippines, Visayas |
| Margaja Valley caldera, Kanlaon Volcano, Negros Island | Philippines, Visayas |
| Lakes Danao and Malagsom, Mahagnao Volcano, Leyte Island | Philippines, Visayas |
| Lake Duminagat, Mount Malindang | Philippines, Mindanao |
| Lake Leonard, Leonard Kniaseff | Philippines, Mindanao |
| Mount Apo | Philippines, Mindanao |
| Lake Maughan, Mount Parker | Philippines, Mindanao |
| Jolo Island, Lakes Seit, Panamao, Timpuak and Sani Crater | Philippines, Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago |
| Lake Khaiyr | Russia, Yakutia |
| Khangar | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Kizimen | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Lake Dalny, Uzon Caldera | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Maly Semyachik | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Bolshoy Semyachik | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Karymsky Lake, Akademia Nauk | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Balshoe and Kraternoe, Ksudach | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Kurile Lake | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Gorely | Russia, Kamchatka |
| Ebeko, Paramushir Island | Russia, Kuril Islands |
| Onekotan Island (Kal'tsevoe Lake in the Tao-Rusyr Caldera and Nemo Lake/Caldera) | Russia, Kuril Islands |
| Ketoy Island | Russia, Kuril Islands |
| Zavaritski Caldera, Simushir Island | Russia, Kuril Islands |
| Rudakov, Urup Island | Russia, Kuril Islands |
| Iturup Island lakes (Medvezhia, Chirip, Grozny Group, Bogatyr Ridge) | Russia, Kuril Islands |
| Sabalan | Iran |
| Nemrut | Turkey |
| Meke Golu (Karapınar Field) | Turkey |
| Lake Acıgöl (bitter lake), also called Lake Nar (pomegranate lake) | Turkey |
| Karagöl (Lake Tantalus), Mount Yamanlar | Turkey |
| Lake Ram | Israel |
| Bir Ali crater | Yemen |
| Zubayr Group Islands (crater lakes on Saba Island and on the new island formed during the 2011–2012 eruption) | Yemen |
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Eifel volcanic field (where maare were originally described), including Laacher See and Daun maars | Germany |
| Eyjafjallajökull (volcano) | Iceland |
| Kerið | Iceland |
| Askja (Öskjuvatn and Viti lakes) | Iceland |
| Krafla | Iceland |
| Lake Bardarlaug | Iceland |
| Grímsvötn (subglacial lake in the caldera, now exposed following the 2011 eruption) | Iceland |
| crater lakes in the Landmannalaugar area (Blahylur, Ljotipollur) | Iceland |
| Chaîne des Puys (Gour de Tazenat, Lac Pavin, Lac de Servière, Lac Chauvet, Lac du Bouchet, Lac d'En-Haut) | France |
| Lac d'Issarlès | France |
| Lazio crater lakes (Albano, Bolsena, Bracciano, Martignano, Nemi, Vico, Mezzano) | Italy |
| Lake Avernus (close to Phlegraean Fields) | Italy |
| Lake Sfânta Ana, Ciomadul volcano | Romania |
| Lakes of Monticchio (Lago di Monticchio Grande and Lago di Montichhio Piccolo, twin crater lakes) | Italy |
| Lago Vecchienna | Italy |
| Lago Specchio di Venere (Venus Mirror Lake) or Bagno dell’Acqua (hydrothermal lake within a calderic depression) | Italy, Pantelleria |
| seasonal maar lakes in the Provincia Volcánica de Calatrava (Hoya del Acebuche, Hoya de Cervera) | Spain |
| Lagoa do Caldeirão, Corvo Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Lagoa da Caldeira, Faial Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Lagoas Funda das Lajes, Branca, Comprida, Seca, da Lomba, Rasa, Funda/Negra, Flores Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Caldeira do Enxofre (underground lake filled with cold sulphur water), Graciosa Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Lagoas Seca, da Rosada, Pico Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Lagoa do Pico Pinheiro, São Jorge Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Lagoa das Sete Cidades, do Fogo, das Furnas, Azul, Verde, São Miguel Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Lagoas Negra, do Negro, Terceira Island | Portugal, Azores |
| Mount Samsari (several small lakes in the caldera) | Georgia |
| Lake Akna, Geghama mountains | Armenia |
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Kasatochi volcano, Kasatochi Island | United States, Alaska, Aleutian Islands |
| Mount Okmok, Umnak Island | United States, Alaska, Aleutian Islands |
| Mount Kanaga, Kanaga Island | United States, Alaska, Aleutian Islands |
| Fenner Lake, Semisopochnoi Island | United States, Alaska, Aleutian Islands |
| Fisher Caldera (several lakes), Unimak Island | United States, Alaska, Aleutian Islands |
| Mount Katmai | United States, Alaska |
| Ukinrek maars | United States, Alaska |
| Mount Kaguyak | United States, Alaska |
| Mount Martin (intermittent acidic lake) | United States, Alaska |
| Mount Douglas | United States, Alaska |
| Devil Mountain Lakes | United States, Alaska |
| Surprise Lake, Mount Aniakchak | United States, Alaska |
| Mount Emmons | United States, Alaska |
| Mount Spurr | United States, Alaska |
| Mount Chiginagak | United States, Alaska |
| Fiftytwo Ridge (several crater lakes) | Canada, British Columbia |
| Mount Rainier | United States, Washington |
| Battle Ground Lake | United States, Washington |
| Crater Lake | United States, Oregon |
| Blue Lake Crater | United States, Oregon |
| Malheur Maar, Diamond Craters | United States, Oregon |
| Newberry Volcano (twin crater lakes: Paulina Lake and East Lake) | United States, Oregon |
| Teardrop Pool South Sister | United States, Oregon |
| Yellowstone Lake | United States, Wyoming |
| Soda Lakes | United States, Nevada |
| Medicine Lake Volcano | United States, California |
| Mono–Inyo Craters | United States, California |
| Clear Lake | United States, California |
| Shastina (three small crater lakes) | United States, California |
| Zuni Salt Lake (maar) | United States, New Mexico |
| Lago Los Espinos | Mexico, Michoacán |
| La Alberca lake (also known as La Joya or Lago del Sangre) | Mexico, Guanajuato |
| Nevado de Toluca (several lakes) | Mexico, State of Mexico |
| Laguna de Aljojuca | Mexico, Puebla |
| Oriental Basin axalapazcos (maar lakes) | Mexico, Puebla / Tlaxcala / Veracruz |
| Sangangüey | Mexico, Nayarit |
| Santa María del Oro | Mexico, Nayarit |
| El Chichón | Mexico, Chiapas |
| Central America & Caribbean | |
| Lago de Amatitlán | Guatemala |
| Lake Ipala | Guatemala |
| Lago de Atitlán | Guatemala |
| Laguna de Ayarza | Guatemala |
| Laguna de Calderas (Pacaya) | Guatemala |
| Laguna Chicabal | Guatemala |
| Tecuamburro | Guatemala |
| Lago de Coatepeque (Coatepeque Lake) | El Salvador |
| Laguna Verde (Apaneca) | El Salvador |
| Lago de Ilopango (Ilopango Lake) | El Salvador |
| Tecapa volcano (Laguna de Alegría) | El Salvador |
| Chanmico maar (at the foot of the San Salvador volcano) | El Salvador |
| Santa Ana Volcano crater lake | El Salvador |
| Cosigüina | Nicaragua |
| Laguna Asososca, Las Pilas | Nicaragua |
| Lakes within the Monte Galan caldera, close to the Momotombo (Laguna Monte Galan, La Sulfatosa, Agua Dulce, El Cachital, Las Piedras) | Nicaragua |
| Chiltepe peninsula (Apoyeque and Xiloá lagoons) | Nicaragua |
| Managua lagoons (Tiscapa, Asososca, Nejapa) | Nicaragua |
| Masaya lake | Nicaragua |
| Apoyo Lagoon | Nicaragua |
| Zapatera Laguna (Zapatera Island, on Lake Nicaragua) | Nicaragua |
| Maderas (Ometepe Island, on Lake Nicaragua) | Nicaragua |
| Rincón de la Vieja | Costa Rica |
| Lake Hule | Costa Rica |
| Poco Sol | Costa Rica |
| Lake Congo and Lake Pozo Verde part of Porvenir Volcano | Costa Rica |
| Río Cuarto | Costa Rica |
| Poás volcano (Laguna Caliente and Laguna Botos) | Costa Rica |
| Cerro Chato | Costa Rica |
| Barva Volcano | Costa Rica |
| Lake Diego de la Haya, Irazú volcano | Costa Rica |
| Mount Liamuiga crater lake, Saint Kitts | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| La Grande Soufrière (la Citerne) | Guadeloupe |
| Boiling Lake (Morne Trois Pitons National Park) | Dominica |
| Soufrière | Saint Vincent |
| Grand Etang Lake | Grenada |
| Lac Antoine, Mount Saint Catherine | Grenada |
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Crater Lake (Te Wai ā-moe), Mount Ruapehu | New Zealand, North Island |
| Lake Taupō | New Zealand, North Island |
| Lakes of Rotorua, including Rotorua, Tarawera, Rotomahana, Rotokakahi, Tikitapu, Okareka and Okataina and smaller lakes from the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley (Inferno Crater Lake, Frying Pan Lake, Southern Crater Lake) | New Zealand, North Island |
| Lake Pupuke | New Zealand, North Island |
| Māngere Lagoon | New Zealand, North Island |
| Mount Tongariro (Tama Lakes, Blue Lake and the Emerald Lakes) | New Zealand, North Island |
| Whakaari / White Island (Bay of Plenty), Crater Lake | New Zealand, off North Island coast |
| Tuhua / Mayor Island (Bay of Plenty), Lake Aroarotamahine and Lake Te Paritu | New Zealand, off North Island coast |
| Raoul Island (Blue Lake, Green Lake, Rui Lake) | New Zealand, Kermadec Islands |
| Victory Volcano crater lake | Papua New Guinea, New Guinea |
| Lake Wisdom, Long Island | Papua New Guinea, off New Guinea coast |
| Mount Balbi lake | Papua New Guinea, Bougainville |
| Billy Mitchell | Papua New Guinea, Bougainville |
| Loloru (crescent-shaped crater lake) | Papua New Guinea, Bougainville |
| Dakataua (horseshoe-shaped caldera lake) | Papua New Guinea, New Britain |
| Sakar Island | Papua New Guinea, off New Britain coast |
| Mount Gambier maar complex (including Blue Lake) | Australia, South Australia |
| Atherton Tableland (Lake Euramoo, Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine, Mount Hypipamee Crater, Lynch's Crater, Bromfield Swamp) | Australia, Queensland |
| Mount Le Brun (two intermittent crater lakes) | Australia, Queensland |
| Leura maar complex (Purrumbete, Bullen Merri, Gnotuk, Keilambete, Elingamite, Wangoom, Red Rock intermittent lakes) | Australia, Victoria |
| Tower Hill | Australia, Victoria |
| Mount Eccles | Australia, Victoria |
| Green Lake, [7] Kapoho Crater, Kīlauea, Big Island, | USA, Hawaii |
| Lake Waiau, crater of the Pu'u Waiau cinder cone, Mauna Kea, Big Island, | USA, Hawaii |
| Kalaupapa crater lake, Molokai | USA, Hawaii |
| Salt Lake (filled in for an urbanization project, except for a pond in a golf course), Honolulu, Oahu | USA, Hawaii |
| Rano Kau, Rano Raraku and Rano Aroi (Ma′unga Terevaka) | Chile, Easter Island |
| Anatahan (intermittent lake in the caldera) | Northern Mariana Islands |
| Lake Te Roto, Tikopia | Solomon Islands |
| Lake Lanoto'o, Upolu | Samoa |
| Vai Lahi and Vai Si'i, Niuafo'ou | Tonga |
| Tofua | Tonga |
| Late (ephemeral lake) | Tonga |
| Home Reef (newly formed island, crater lakes observed in 2006) | Tonga |
| Lakes Lalolao, Lano, Lanutavake, Lanutuli, Lanumaha, Kikila and Alofivai (intermittent), [8] Wallis Island | Wallis and Futuna |
| Lake Tagimaucia, Taveuni Island | Fiji |
| Lake Letas, Gaua Island | Vanuatu |
| Lombenben Volcano (lakes Vui, Manaro Ngoru, Manaro Lakua), Aoba Island | Vanuatu |
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Azufral (Laguna Verde, Laguna Negra, Laguna Cristal) | Colombia |
| Laguna de la Cocha | Colombia |
| Lagunas Verdes, Chiles Volcano | Ecuador |
| Mojanda lakes (Caricocha, Yanacocha and Huarmicocha) | Ecuador |
| Laguna Collanes, El Altar | Ecuador |
| Cuicocha | Ecuador |
| Quilotoa | Ecuador |
| Black Lakes of Jumbura | Ecuador |
| La Cumbre, Fernandina Island (ephemeral lake) | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| Tagus Cove, Isabela Island | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| Lake Arcturus, Genovesa Island | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| Laguna El Juncos, San Cristóbal Island | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| Santiago Island (small salt crater lake) | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| Jayu Quta (also known as Miguel y Alex Tejada or Maracanacito crater) | Bolivia |
| Laguna del Maule | Chile |
| Nevado Ojos del Salado (likely the highest lake in the world) | Chile |
| Licancabur Lake | Chile |
| Chaitén (crater lakes might have disappeared with the 2008–09 eruption) | Chile |
| Aguas Calientes | Chile |
| Acamarachi | Chile |
| Copahue | Chile / Argentina |
| Planchón-Peteroa | Chile / Argentina |
| Laguna Potrok Aike (Pali-Aike Volcanic Field) | Argentina |
| Aracar | Argentina |
| Laguna Diamante, Cerro Galán | Argentina |
A caldera is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the structural integrity of such a chamber, greatly diminishing its capacity to support its own roof, and any substrate or rock resting above. The ground surface then collapses into the emptied or partially emptied magma chamber, leaving a large depression at the surface. Although sometimes described as a crater, the feature is actually a type of sinkhole, as it is formed through subsidence and collapse rather than an explosion or impact. Compared to the thousands of volcanic eruptions that occur over the course of a century, the formation of a caldera is a rare event, occurring only a few times within a given window of 100 years. Only seven caldera-forming collapses are known to have occurred between 1911 and 2016. More recently, a caldera collapse occurred at Kīlauea, Hawaii in 2018.
Lake Toba is a large natural lake in North Sumatra, Indonesia, occupying the caldera of a supervolcano. The lake is located in the middle of the northern part of the island of Sumatra, with a surface elevation of about 900 metres (2,953 ft), the lake stretches from 2.88°N 98.52°E to 2.35°N 99.1°E. The lake is about 100 kilometres long, 30 kilometres (19 mi) wide, and up to 505 metres (1,657 ft) deep. It is the largest lake in Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world. Toba Caldera is one of twenty geoparks in Indonesia, and was recognised in July 2020 as one of the UNESCO Global Geoparks.
Crater Lake is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the Western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a 2,148-foot-deep (655 m) caldera that was formed around 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. No rivers flow into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 250 years. With a depth of 1,949 feet (594 m), the lake is the deepest in the United States. In the world, it ranks tenth for maximum depth, as well as third for mean (average) depth.
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and periodic intervals of explosive eruptions and effusive eruptions, although some have collapsed summit craters called calderas. The lava flowing from stratovolcanoes typically cools and hardens before spreading far, due to high viscosity. The magma forming this lava is often felsic, having high to intermediate levels of silica, with lesser amounts of less viscous mafic magma. Extensive felsic lava flows are uncommon, but have traveled as far as 15 km (9 mi).
The Ring of Fire is a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes.
Lake Mashū is an endorheic crater lake formed in the caldera of a potentially active volcano. It is located in Akan Mashu National Park on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. It has been called the clearest lake in the world.
Mount Mazama is a complex volcano in the western U.S. state of Oregon, in a segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and Cascade Range. Most of the mountain collapsed following a major eruption approximately 7,700 years ago. The volcano is in Klamath County, in the southern Cascades, 60 miles (97 km) north of the Oregon–California border. Its collapse, due to the eruption of magma emptying the underlying magma chamber, formed a caldera that holds Crater Lake. Mount Mazama originally had an elevation of 12,000 feet (3,700 m), but following its climactic eruption this was reduced to 8,157 feet (2,486 m). Crater Lake is 1,943 feet (592 m) deep, the deepest freshwater body in the U.S. and the second deepest in North America after Great Slave Lake in Canada.
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains, located on the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga, all in Central Luzon on the northern island of Luzon. Its eruptive history was unknown to most before the pre-eruption volcanic activity of early 1991. Pinatubo was heavily eroded and obscured from view by dense forests which supported a population of several thousand indigenous Aetas.
A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption. A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake, which may also be called a maar.
Nevado Ojos del Salado is a dormant complex volcano in the Andes on the Argentina–Chile border. It is the highest volcano on Earth and the highest peak in Chile. The upper reaches of Ojos del Salado consist of several overlapping lava domes, lava flows and volcanic craters, with sparse ice cover. The complex extends over an area of 70–160 square kilometres (27–62 sq mi) and its highest summit reaches an altitude of 6,893 metres (22,615 ft) above sea level. Numerous other volcanoes rise around Ojos del Salado.
Cerro El Cóndor is a stratovolcano in Argentina.
A volcanogenic lake is a lake formed as a result of volcanic activity. They are generally a body of water inside an inactive volcanic crater but can also be large volumes of molten lava within an active volcanic crater and waterbodies constrained by lava flows, pyroclastic flows or lahars in valley systems. The term volcanic lake is also used to describe volcanogenic lakes, although it is more commonly assigned to those inside volcanic craters.
Nemrut is a dormant volcano in Tatvan district, Bitlis province, Eastern Turkey, close to Lake Van. The volcano is named after King Nimrod who is said to have ruled this area in about 2100 BC.
Incahuasi is a volcanic mountain in the Andes of South America. It lies on the border of the Catamarca Province of Argentina and the Atacama Region of Chile. Incahuasi has a summit elevation of 6,621 metres (21,722 ft) above sea level.
Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions contain juvenile (magmatic) clasts. It is common for a large explosive eruption to have magmatic and phreatomagmatic components.
A volcanic dam is a type of natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism, which holds or temporarily restricts the flow of surface water in existing streams, like a man-made dam. There are two main types of volcanic dams, those created by the flow of molten lava, and those created by the primary or secondary deposition of pyroclastic material and debris. This classification generally excludes other, often larger and longer lived dam-type geologic features, separately termed crater lakes, although these volcanic centers may be associated with the source of material for volcanic dams, and the lowest portion of its confining rim may be considered as such a dam, especially if the lake level within the crater is relatively high.
Lake Pinatubo is the summit crater lake of Mount Pinatubo formed after its climactic eruption on June 15, 1991. The lake is located in Botolan, Zambales, near the boundaries of Pampanga and Tarlac provinces in the Philippines. It is about 90 km (56 mi) northwest of the capital city of Manila. While one paper by researchers from Japan suggested a depth of 600 m (2,000 ft), more detailed research suggests that 95–115 m (312–377 ft) is more accurate.
This timeline of volcanism on Earth includes a list of major volcanic eruptions of approximately at least magnitude 6 on the Volcanic explosivity index (VEI) or equivalent sulfur dioxide emission during the Quaternary period. Other volcanic eruptions are also listed.
A volcanic tsunami, also called a volcanogenic tsunami, is a tsunami produced by volcanic phenomena. About 20–25% of all fatalities at volcanoes during the past 250 years have been caused by volcanic tsunamis. The most devastating volcanic tsunami in recorded history was that produced by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. The waves reached heights of 40 m (130 ft) and killed 36,000 people.
