Guguan
Stratovolcano in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
232 m (761 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano
Location
17.314°, 145.840°
Region
Mariana Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
The island of Guguan, ~2. 8 km in diameter, is composed of an eroded volcano on the south, a caldera with a post-caldera cone, and a northern volcano. The latter has three coalescing cones and a breached summit crater that fed lava flows to the W and NW.
The only known reported eruption, between 1882 and 1884, produced the northern volcano and lava flows that reached the coast. Freycinet (Uranie 1817 Expedition) confused Guguan and Alamagan; reported eruptions in 1819 and 1901 (Kuno, 1962 CAVW) actually refer to solfataric activity on Alamagan (Corwin, 1971).
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 143 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 284190
- •Evidence: Eruption Observed
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The 2.8-km-wide Guguan island in the central Marianas Islands, seen here from the NW, is composed of an eroded volcano at the south and a caldera with a post-caldera cone. The northern cone (foreground) was the site of an eruption in the 19th century. It has three coalescing cones and a summit crater that produced lava flows to the W and NW.
Photo by Richard Moore, 1992 (U.S. Geological Survey).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.