The Volcanic Landscape Of Afghanistan: A Geological Mystery

Afghanistan does have volcanoes, with active volcanoes located in the east of the country, in a region that marks the collision zone with the Indian plate. The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field, located in west-central Afghanistan, is a group of 15 trachyandesitic lava domes. The Vakak (or Wakak) volcano is a field of 18 small volcanoes 115 km west-southwest of Kabul. The volcanic hazard level in Afghanistan is considered low, but the potential for future damaging eruptions cannot be ruled out.

Afghanistan's volcanic hazard level is low, with no recorded eruptions in the last 10,000 years

Afghanistan has a low volcanic hazard level, with no recorded eruptions in the last 10,000 years. While the country does have volcanoes, the potential for future damaging eruptions is considered low. The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field, for instance, is a group of 15 trachyandesitic lava domes located in west-central Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. The age of these volcanoes is not known precisely, but they are estimated to be from the Pleistocene age. There are no records of Holocene eruptions from this volcanic group.

Active volcanoes are located in eastern Afghanistan, marking the collision zone with the Indian plate. The country's complex geology and tectonic history have resulted in a landscape of mostly rugged mountains, with plains in the north and southwest. The highest point in Afghanistan is Nowshak, at 7,485 meters above sea level.

While Afghanistan's volcanic hazard level is currently low, it is important to recognize that volcanic activity can be unpredictable. The potential for future eruptions cannot be ruled out entirely, and early warning systems and preparedness measures are essential to mitigate potential risks. Volcanic eruptions can have long lead times, allowing for pre-event warnings and the implementation of protective measures.

Additionally, it is worth noting that volcanic hazards are not limited to eruptions alone. Volcanic regions can also experience earthquakes, tsunamis, and the emission of volcanic gases, which can have significant impacts on infrastructure, agriculture, and public health. Understanding the distribution and potential impacts of these multiple hazards is crucial for comprehensive risk assessment and management in volcanic zones.

The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field is a group of 15 trachyandesitic lava domes in west-central Afghanistan

Afghanistan has active volcanoes in the east of the country, in a region that marks the collision zone with the Indian plate. The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field is a group of 15 trachyandesitic lava domes in west-central Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. The Dacht-i-Navar volcanoes are located along the southern margin of Dacht-i-Navar and are considered dormant or potentially active. The age of the volcanoes is not known precisely, but they are estimated to have last erupted less than 10,000 years ago. The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field is one of the few volcanic fields of Pliocene-Quaternary age in Afghanistan, and its volcanoes are thought to be of Pleistocene age.

The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field consists of over ten central volcanoes that form lava sheets and tuffs stacked on top of each other. These central volcanoes are heavily degraded stratovolcanoes, with the largest being Mamikala (4,559 m high) and Zarkadak (4,312 m high). These volcanoes are cut by ravines that end in alluvial fans and previously channelled nuee ardentes, and they display traces of glacial activity that bury most of their edifices. The Dacht-i-Navar group lies mainly within the southern part of a geological depression with dimensions of 100 by 30 kilometres. The infill of the depression, which includes volcanic material, is estimated to be thicker than 100 metres. Despite evaporation, a lake persists within the basin.

The field has erupted andesite and dacite, with dacites found in the lower parts and andesites in the upper parts of the volcanic deposits. Some rhyodacites and rhyolites are also found among the oldest rocks. The rocks have a porphyric nature, and their composition includes amphibole, biotite, clinopyroxene, magnetite, olivine, orthopyroxene, plagioclase, and quartz. Chemically, the rocks belong to the calc-alkaline series. Dacht-i-Navar is a source of obsidian, which has been used in some Paleolithic archaeological sites in the area. Potassium-argon dating has yielded ages of 2.7–2.8 million years ago for the dacites, and Quaternary pebbles lie on top of the andesites. The Zarkadak volcano was active 1.68–1.59 million years ago, and one eruption deposit of Mamikala has a volume of over 10 cubic kilometres.

Volcanic activity at Dacht-i-Navar was accompanied by the activity of hot springs that deposited travertine. Dacht-i-Navar is considered the source of volcanic ash layers found in the Sivalik Hills, which were erupted 2.31 ± 0.84 to 2.8 ± 0.56 million years ago. Such tephra deposits have been reported from Jammu in India and Chandigarh in India, about 1,000 kilometres away from Dacht-i-Navar. While the age of the last eruption is unknown, no SO2 emissions from this volcanic group have been detected over Pakistan, and hot springs are still active in the Dacht-i-Navar basin.

The Vakak (or Wakak) volcano group is a field of 18 small volcanoes 115 km west-southwest of Kabul

Afghanistan has active volcanoes in the east of the country, in a region that marks the collision zone with the Indian plate. The country's complex geology and tectonic history have resulted in a landscape of mostly rugged mountains, with plains in the north and southwest. The Vakak (or Wakak) volcano group is a volcanic field located 115 km west-southwest of Kabul, in the Ghanzi region. It consists of 18 small volcanoes, including lava domes, one of which occupies an old caldera. Vakak is the northernmost of a group of small volcanic fields in the region.

The age of the Vakak volcanoes is not precisely known. While the exact date of its last eruption is unknown, it is believed to have been active relatively recently—possibly less than 10,000 years ago. The volcanoes are located on an intraplate hotspot, which is antipodal to the Easter Island hotspot. It has been suggested that such hotspot pairs were formed by oceanic large-body impacts, resulting in flood basalt eruptions and minor hotspot activity at the opposite location on the earth's sphere.

The volcanic hazard level in Afghanistan is considered low, according to currently available information. This classification means that the area is located more than 50 km from a volcano that has recorded a potentially damaging eruption in the past, but over 10,000 years ago. However, the potential for future damaging eruptions cannot be ruled out, and volcanic eruptions can have long lead times, allowing for pre-event warnings and protective measures.

The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field, located in west-central Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul, is another group of volcanoes in the country. It consists of 15 trachyandesitic lava domes along the southern margin of Dacht-i-Navar. The age of these volcanoes is also uncertain, with tentative estimates ranging from the Pleistocene era to more recent times.

Active volcanoes are located in eastern Afghanistan, near the collision zone with the Indian plate

Afghanistan has a complex geological and tectonic history. Active volcanoes are located in eastern Afghanistan, near the collision zone with the Indian plate. The country is mostly rugged mountains, with plains in the north and southwest. The highest point is Nowshak, at 7,485 meters above sea level.

The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field, located in west-central Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul, is composed of 15 trachyandesitic lava domes. The age of these volcanoes is not precisely known, but they are believed to be from the Pleistocene era. The Vakak (or Wakak) volcano, located 115 km west-southwest of Kabul, is another volcanic field in Afghanistan. It consists of 18 small volcanoes, one of which is inside an old caldera. The last eruption of the Vakak volcano is unknown but could have occurred less than 10,000 years ago.

While the volcanic hazard level in Afghanistan is currently considered low, based on the available information, the potential for future damaging eruptions cannot be ruled out. Volcanic eruptions can have long lead times, allowing for pre-event warnings and the implementation of protective measures. It is important to develop procedures and plans to mitigate the impact of volcanic eruptions and ensure the safety of vulnerable systems and people.

The complex geology and tectonic history of Afghanistan, including the active volcanoes in the east, highlight the need for further research and monitoring to enhance the understanding of volcanic hazards in the region.

Volcanic eruptions can produce multiple hazards, including pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and ballistic projectiles

Afghanistan does have volcanoes, with active volcanoes located in the east of the country, in a region that marks the collision zone with the Indian plate. The Dacht-i-Navar volcanic field, located in west-central Afghanistan, is a group of 15 small lava domes, the age of which is not known precisely. Another volcanic group, Vakak, is located 115km west-southwest of Kabul and consists of 18 small volcanoes.

Pyroclastic density currents are gravity-driven, rapidly moving, ground-hugging mixtures of rock fragments and hot gases. They can be either pyroclastic surges or pyroclastic flows. Pyroclastic surges are less dense and can expand over hills and valleys, while pyroclastic flows are denser and tend to be confined to valleys. These currents can reach temperatures of up to 900°C and move at speeds of up to 1000 kph (650 mph). They are highly destructive due to their mass, high temperature, velocity, and mobility, and can cause deadly effects such as asphyxiation, burial, incineration, and crushing.

Lahars are a type of volcanic debris flow or mudflow, composed of mixtures of water and volcanic debris of various sizes, from clay to boulders. They can form through various mechanisms, such as small slope collapses, rapid melting of snow and ice during eruptions, heavy rainfall on loose volcanic debris, or eruptions through crater lakes. Lahars flow downhill, following depressions and valleys, and can reach speeds of over 80 kph (50 mph), travelling dozens of miles from their source. While not as fast or hot as other volcanic hazards, lahars are extremely destructive and can bulldoze or bury anything in their path.

Ballistic projectiles are fragments of lava or rocks that are violently ejected from the volcano and follow ballistic trajectories. They can be both lethal and destructive but are usually limited to within a few kilometres of the volcano's vent.

Frequently asked questions