The Monts Dore ( French pronunciation: [mɔ̃ dɔʁ] ) are the remnant peaks of a volcanic massif situated near the center of the Massif Central , in the Auvergne region of France. They form a picturesque mountainous region, dotted with lakes, thermal springs and romanesque churches. The massif is an integral part of the Parc des Volcans d'Auvergne , and is known for its alpine ski areas and hiking trails.
8-509: The massif is much older than the nearby chaîne des Puys , dating to the end of the Tertiary era . It is a deeply eroded stratovolcano , similar to the Cantal massif to the south, but more reduced in area and volume. Its history began about 3 million years ago with a Plinian eruption that created a large caldera , the contours of which are no longer clearly defined. This eruption resulted in
16-420: Is dotted with lakes of volcanic origin. Some are maars that have been filled with water, while others are the result of streams whose courses have been blocked by volcanic activity. This Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cha%C3%AEne des Puys The Chaîne des Puys ( French: [ʃɛːn de pɥi] ; lit. ' Chain of
24-593: Is located on the Limagne fault, a major part of the European Cenozoic Rift System which formed during the creation of the Alps roughly 35 million years ago. The region has a wide variety of geologic features formed by the rifting. The mountain chain itself began to form approximately 95,000 years ago, and the volcanic activity that formed the range stopped about 10,000 years ago. The majority of
32-514: The Puys ' ) is a north-south oriented chain of cinder cones , lava domes , and maars in the Massif Central of France . The chain is about 40 km (25 mi) long, and the identified volcanic features, which constitute a volcanic field , include 48 cinder cones, eight lava domes, and 15 maars and explosion craters. Its highest point is the lava dome of Puy de Dôme , located near
40-596: The Chaîne des Puys are possible and would result in the formation of new mountains. Before 1750 and the chain's identification as volcanic, the Puys were rumored to be man-made mounds of mining waste or Roman forge furnaces. The chain was the subject of the pioneering research of English geologist George Julius Poulett Scrope , starting in the 1820s. In 1827 he published his Memoir on the Geology of Central France, including
48-403: The cones were formed by Strombolian eruptions , and these cones usually have well-defined summit craters. Some have nested craters, and others show broken rims where lava poured through. In contrast, Puy de Dôme was created by a Peléan eruption ; this type of eruption is characterized by long dormant periods periodically interrupted by sudden, extremely violent eruptions. Future eruptions at
56-519: The emission of ignimbrite rhyolitic pumice that covered over 100 km (39 sq mi) of land. Afterwards, phonolite domes were created on the exterior of the caldera. A period of calm lasting between 1 and 1.5 million years ensued, succeeded by a second major eruptive period that formed the modern Puy de Sancy , the highest peak in the Massif Central, followed by the establishment of smaller domes, dikes , and maars . The region
64-454: The middle of the chain, which is 1,465 m (4,806 ft) high. The name of the range comes from a French term, puy , which refers to a volcanic mountain with a rounded profile. A date of 4040 BC is usually given for the last eruption of a Chaîne des Puys volcano. An outstanding example of plate tectonics in action and continental rifting , the Chaîne des Puys region became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. The Chaîne des Puys
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