Reunion island (116 images)

Piton de la Fournaise is a twin shield volcano located in the western part of the Indian Ocean on the french island of la Reunion. This island is made up of two volcanic mountains, Piton des Neiges which covers the central part of the island and Piton de la Fouranaise that is located on the eastern part of the island. These twin summits have been highly eroded over time.Most historical eruptions have originated from the summit and flanks of Dolomieu, a 400-m-high lava shield that has grown...
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Piton de la Fournaise is a twin shield volcano located in the western part of the Indian Ocean on the french island of la Reunion. This island is made up of two volcanic mountains, Piton des Neiges which covers the central part of the island and Piton de la Fouranaise that is located on the eastern part of the island. These twin summits have been highly eroded over time.Most historical eruptions have originated from the summit and flanks of Dolomieu, a 400-m-high lava shield that has grown within the youngest caldera, which is 8 km wide and breached to below sea level on the eastern side. More than 150 eruptions, most of which have produced fluid basaltic lava flows, have occurred since the 17th century. Only six eruptions, in 1708, 1774, 1776, 1800, 1977, and 1986, have originated from fissures on the outer flanks of the caldera.
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