Harra es-Sawad, or the "Shuqra Volcanic Field", is a large

trachybasalt Trachybasalt is a volcanic rock with a composition between trachyte and basalt. It resembles basalt but has a high content of alkali metal oxides. Minerals in trachybasalt include alkali feldspar, calcic plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene and li ...

volcanic field A volcanic field is an area of Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity. The type and number of volcanoes required to be called a "field" is not well-defined. Volcanic fields usually consist of clusters of up to 100 volcanoes ...

that runs along the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...

. Nearby is the city of Shuqrah.

Morphology

The field stretches for around , contains around 100 volcanic cones, and is orientated on a WSW-ENE line. This has produced a lava field, which is mostly

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

in age, and covers faulted basement

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. Many of the fields cones are young and uneroded.

History

The only eruption that has been noted in historical times occurred in 1253. This eruption was a large VEI 3 eruption, although it was poorly documented. Given the age of the field, other eruptions may have occurred in the recent past.

References

External links

Cones of the Volcanic Field

Volcanic Cone
{{Mountains in the Arabian Peninsula Volcanoes of Yemen Active volcanoes VEI-3 volcanoes

Morphology

History

See also

References

External links