Kutum Volcanic Field

Volcanic field in Sudan

Key Facts

Elevation

1,779 m (5,837 ft)

Type

Volcanic field

Location

14.570°, 25.850°

Region

Southeast Sahara Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The basaltic Kutum volcanic field, in the northern Darfur area of western Sudan, is located SW of the larger Meidob volcanic field. As with other Saharan volcanic fields, Kutum (also known as the Tagabo Hills or Berti Hills) contains very well-preserved cones, lava flows, and explosion craters. They were considered to be of late-Pleistocene or even Holocene age (Almond, 1974).

Franz et al. (1997), however, assigned only Tertiary age ranges for rocks from Tagabo Hills.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskModerate

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Silica Content

Low (45-52% SiO₂)

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate

Continental rift or intraplate setting with varied eruptive styles.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Evidence Uncertain

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	Unknown	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in Northern Africa Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The Northern 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: 225040
•Evidence: Evidence Uncertain
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

The scattered cones of the Kutum basaltic volcanic field (lower left) in the northern Dafur area of western Sudan are located SW of the larger Meidob volcanic field (top). As with other Saharan volcanic fields, Kutum (also known as the Tagabo Hills) contains very well-preserved cones, lava flows, and craters, although their ages are not well constrained.

NASA Landsat image, 1999 (courtesy of Hawaii Synergy Project, Univ. of Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology).