Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status: Historical
Last Known Eruption: 1820 (?)
Summit Elevation: 2007 m 6,585 feet
Latitude: 8.975°N 8°58’30″N
Longitude: 39.93°E 39°56’0″E
Fentale, also known as Fantale, is a large stratovolcano at the northern end of the Main Ethiopian Rift. It consists primarily of rhyolitic obsidian lava flows with minor tuffs. Welded pantelleritic ash flows accompanied formation of a 2.5 x 4.5 km summit caldera, which has steep-sided walls up to 500 m high. The WNW-ESE-trending elliptical caldera has an orientation perpendicular to the Ethiopian Rift, and post-caldera vents occur along the same orientation. Trachytic and obsidian lava flows occur on the caldera floor, and fresh-looking lava flows descend the flanks from satellitic vents. An eruption from Fentale during the 13th century destroyed an Abyssinian town and church south of the volcano. In 1820 basaltic lava flows were extruded onto the Main Ethiopian Rift from a 4-km-long fissure on the south flank, and lava flows were erupted on the floor of the caldera.
Mount Fentale
Fentale volcano is located near the village of Matahara, 5 km north of Besek ‘a hayk’ Lake. It rises approximately 600m from the floor of the Rift Valley and the lavas of the volcano cover an oval area of approximately 100 sq km. An elliptical caldera, approximately 6 km in diameter, dominates the upper portion of the volcano. Fumaroles are present on caldera walls. Fentale is a tourist destination in Awash National Park about 250 km from Addis Ababa. Fentale area is noted for the ignimbrite blisters which have been used for shelter by people and animals.
A vertical aerial photo of the Quaternary Fentale volcanic complex (Imperial Highway Authority of Ethiopia)
Fentale, also known as Fantale, is a large stratovolcano seen here in profile from the arid floor of the Ethiopian Rift (Tom Pfeiffer, 2008)
The lava flow at the left was erupted on the caldera floor of Fentale volcano in 1820 (Giday Wolde-Gabriel)
Originally posted 2010-08-28 03:18:00.
