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Kone

Caldera(s) in Ethiopia

Last Eruption: 1820

Key Facts

Elevation

1,380 m (4,528 ft)

Type

Caldera(s)

Location

8.810°, 39.695°

Region

Main Ethiopian Rift Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Rhyolite

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The Kone volcanic complex (also known as Gariboldi) is composed of a series of silicic calderas and young basaltic cinder cones and lava flows about 30 km SW of Fentale volcano in the Main Ethiopian Rift. As many as eight silicic calderas are accompanied by ignimbrite outflow sheets. Kone, the youngest caldera, is an elliptical 5 x 7.

5 km structure trending E-W and oriented perpendicular to the rift. The rim rises about 100 m above the caldera floor; the eastern rim overlaps with a smaller elliptical caldera. Regional fissures trending roughly N-S cut across the caldera and its flanks.

The youngest basalts were erupted during the first half of the 19th century from vents along a hinge line between the smaller eastern caldera (Korke) and the larger western one. A dark lava flow from a cone near the center of the southern caldera (Birenti), extended 12 km SW, where the caldera rim had been eroded, and surrounded older cones.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

    Risk Level

    Population at RiskModerate
    Infrastructure RiskModerate
    Aviation RiskSignificant

    Geological Composition & Structure

    Rock Types

    Primary
    Rhyolite
    Silica Content
    High (>68% SiO₂)

    Tectonic Setting

    Rift zone
    Continental rift or intraplate setting with varied eruptive styles.

    Age & Formation

    Epoch
    Holocene
    Evidence
    Eruption Observed

    Eruption Statistics & Analysis

    MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
    Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
    Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
    Recent Activity206 years agoHistoricalHistorically active

    Monitoring & Alert Status

    Monitoring Networks

    Global Volcanism Program
    International eruption database

    Current Status

    Normal
    No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

    Nearby Volcanoes in Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions

    Regional Volcanic Activity
    The Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

    Quick Info

    • Smithsonian ID: 221200
    • Evidence: Eruption Observed
    • Epoch: Holocene

    About the Photo

    The Kone volcanic complex, also known as Gariboldi, is composed of a series of silicic calderas and young basaltic scoria cones and lava flows. N is towards the lower left in this International Space Station image. The dark-colored basaltic lava flows on the caldera floor were erupted during the first half of the 19th century along a ridge between a smaller caldera to the E and a larger 5-km-wide caldera to the W. The larger young lava flow at the right was erupted from a vent on the SE flank.

    NASA International Space Station image ISS001-363-9, 2001 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).

    Basic Information

    This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.