Knowra Chaîne des Puys Chaîne des Puys The Chaîne des Puys is a volcanic field in France’s Massif Central, comprising more than 80 cinder cones, lava domes, and craters aligned along a north–south rift.
Cinder cone : A steep, usually small volcano built from loose fragments of ejected lava. Many Puys are built from scoria and other fragments erupted around a single vent.
Strombolian eruption : An eruption marked by intermittent bursts that eject incandescent fragments from a vent. Repeated bursts of fragmented lava can build the field’s cinder cones.
Massif Central : A broad upland region of south-central France containing ancient basement rocks and younger volcanic landscapes. The Chaîne des Puys occupies the northern part of this French upland.
Puy de Pariou : A cinder cone in the Chaîne des Puys with a distinctive, well-preserved crater. Its crater and cone make it a clear example of a scoria-built Puy.
Parc naturel régional des Volcans d'Auvergne : A regional nature park in Auvergne, France, encompassing major volcanic landscapes of the Massif Central. Its protected area includes the Chaîne des Puys and supports conservation of its volcanic terrain.
Lava dome : A mound formed when viscous lava accumulates around a volcanic vent. Several Puys formed as thick lava piled up near its source.
Phreatomagmatic eruption : An explosive eruption caused by interaction between magma and external water. Magma meeting groundwater explains the formation of the field’s explosion craters.
Limagne rift : A Cenozoic rift basin in central France formed as the crust stretched and subsided. The volcanic chain lies west of the Limagne rift, within the same extensional setting.
Puy de Côme : A large, double-coned volcano in the Chaîne des Puys. Its paired summit structure shows the complex forms possible within the chain.
Volcanology : The study of volcanoes, their products, structures, and eruptions. The chain’s closely spaced, varied landforms provide evidence for volcanic processes.
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