Volcanic Activity In Austria: What's The Situation?

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, with a landscape dominated by the Alpine mountains. While the country does not have any active volcanoes, there are extinct volcanoes within its borders.

Austria has no active volcanoes

Austria's topography is largely defined by the Alpine mountains, or the Alps, which extend from Switzerland in the west of the country. The Alps cover the western and southern parts of Austria, with the Bohemian Highlands to the north and the eastern lowlands, including the Vienna Basin, to the east. The Alps themselves can be divided into three groups: the northern, central, and southern Alps.

The northern Alps section extends across the northern provinces of Vorarlberg and Tyrol, continuing through central and southern Salzburg and Upper Austria, reaching the Vienna Woods. The central group of mountains is the largest and highest, with many peaks exceeding 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). The Grossglockner, the highest point in Austria at 3,798 meters (12,461 feet), is part of the central Alps. The southern Alps occupy a narrow strip in the southeast of the country, along the borders with Italy and Slovenia.

While Austria has no active volcanoes, its landscape is still defined by mountainous terrain. The Alpine mountains, in particular, play a significant role in shaping the country's topography and contribute to its scenic beauty.

There are extinct volcanoes in Austria

Austria has no active volcanoes. However, there are extinct volcanoes in the country. Kapfensteiner Kogel and Stradner Kogel are two examples of extinct volcanoes in Austria.

Austria is a landlocked country in the heart of Central Europe, bordering eight other countries. It is a small country, covering 83,858 square kilometres (32,378 square miles), or slightly less than the US state of Maine. The country is dominated by the Alpine mountains (the Alps), which extend eastward from Switzerland and cover the western two-thirds of Austria.

The Alps divide into three major groups as they fan out across the country. The northern Alps section extends across the northern portion of the provinces of Vorarlberg and Tyrol in the west, continuing through central and southern Salzburg and reaching Upper Austria and the Vienna Woods in the east. The central group of mountains is the largest and has the highest elevations, with many peaks exceeding 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). The southern Alps belong to a group of ranges that lie mostly in northern Italy, occupying a relatively narrow strip in the southeast, along Austria's borders with Italy and Slovenia.

In addition to its mountainous landscape, Austria is also known for its many lakes, which contribute to the country's scenic beauty. The largest lake that Austria does not share with another country is the Neusiedler See, which is over 32 kilometres (20 miles) long and about 8 kilometres (5 miles) wide.

Kapfensteiner Kogel‎

Austria does have volcanoes, but none are currently active. One such volcano is Kapfensteiner Kogel, located in the Südoststeiermark District, Styria. The Kapfensteiner Kogel is a former volcano, situated near Castle Hill Kapfenstein. The Geotrail Kapfenstein provides information on the geology of the Kapfensteiner Kogel, offering an 11-station trail that explains the volcano's formation and showcases the region's volcanic past.

The Kapfensteiner Kogel is characterised by outcrops of Tertiary basalt tuffs, along with inclusions of ultramafic mantle rocks. The volcano's mineral assemblage includes chromium-bearing diopside, fayalite-forsterite, iddingsite, hercynite, and picotite. These minerals have been studied extensively by geologists, providing insights into the upper mantle processes beneath Kapfenstein and the surrounding area.

The region surrounding Kapfensteiner Kogel, known as the Vulkanland, boasts a restaurant and café called Kapfensteinerhof, which offers regional cuisine and fine local wines. The area's volcanic landscape, including the Kapfensteiner Kogel, creates a captivating backdrop for visitors to enjoy while indulging in the culinary delights of the region.

The coordinates of Kapfensteiner Kogel are 46° 53' 31'' North and 15° 58' 30'' East, placing it in a temperate oceanic climate zone. The nearest settlements include Bad Gleichenberg, a village known for its thermal springs, and the villages of Pichla, Steinbach, Kölldorf, and Kapfenstein itself.

Stradner Kogel‎

Austria has no active volcanoes, but there are extinct volcanoes. One such extinct volcano is Stradner Kogel, which is located in the district of Südoststeiermark, three kilometres south of Bad Gleichenberg and between the towns of Merkendorf, Wilhelmsdorf, and Hochstraden in the municipality of Sankt Anna am Aigen. At 609 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest elevations in the southeast of Styria and the highest point in the Oststeirischen Hügel or Riedelland region.

The Stradner Kogel offers a magnificent view from its plateau, attracting many hikers and recreation seekers. The Waltrafelsen and the Höllischgraben are particularly popular destinations within the area. The mountain also features a broadcasting facility for FM radio and television, operated by ORS Österreichische Rundfunksender GmbH and utilised by broadcasters such as ORF, Kronehit Radio, and Radio Soundportal. Additionally, an amateur radio relay is located on a smaller, freestanding steel lattice tower.

Volcanic landforms in Austria

Austria is home to a variety of volcanic landforms, although there are no active volcanoes in the country today. The remnants of volcanoes that were once active are scattered across the southeast of Austria, with the Styrian basin and its surrounding areas being home to 31 volcanic sites.

The volcanic history of Austria dates back to two main eruption periods between approximately 23 and 1 million years ago. These eruptions, along with sedimentological, tectonic, and erosional processes, played a crucial role in shaping the present-day landscape of the region. The primary volcanic landscape has been largely eroded away, with the original surface lowered by hundreds of metres due to erosional forces since the end of the volcanic activity.

Despite the absence of primary volcanic features, two distinct types of volcanic landforms persist in Austria today. The first type is maar-diatreme volcanoes, which are prominent and steep mountains composed of basaltic tuff and maar lake sediments. These volcanoes are smaller in spatial extent and monogenetic, meaning they originate from a single vent. The second type is the residuals of complex volcanoes, which consist of tuff, scoria, and massive basalt layers, partially buried by post-eruption sediments. These complex volcanoes are polygenetic, larger in size, and only partially buried by sediments.

Some of the former volcanoes, like the well-eroded diatreme volcano Güssing, exhibit well-developed planation surfaces that formed over the last million years. These planation surfaces provide valuable insights into the evolution of the volcanic landscape through hypsometric analyses, which characterise the morphometric features and allow for comparisons with active volcanoes. Additionally, the complex formation and erosion history of the volcanoes contribute to the unique geomorphology of the region.

The volcanic history of Austria is an intriguing aspect of its geological past, and the study of these volcanic landforms provides valuable information about the processes that shaped the country's landscape.

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