Chain of Puys

The chain of Puys , also called Mounts Domes , is a volcanic unit stretching itself on more than 30 km. It is located at the west of Clermont-Ferrand, in the department of the Puy-de-Dôme and the area Auvergne.

The chain of Puys is located in the Regional natural park of the Volcanos of Auvergne , it is crossed by a path of great excursion, the GR. 4, which connects the Atlantique to the the Mediterranean.

Directed North-South parallel to the bordering Fault which limits the Plaine Limagne to the west, the chain comprises a hundred Volcan S called puys .

These Volcan S dates from the era Quaternaire, the first eruptions took place approximately 70.000 years ago, most recent there is less than 8000 years, which makes say to the scientific community that a volcanic renewal of activity in this area is not improbable. Some of these puys have craters, others not.

Three types of volcanos

the Strombolian type, most frequent in the chain: the cone is formed by the accumulation of ejected slags (called “ Pouzzolane ” in the area), at the top is formed a crater, when the pressure becomes too strong, of lava flow are emitted formant what one calls of the “cheires” . The lava being generally rather fluid, these castings can be very long, some, by barring the bed of a river, can form lakes, like the Lac of Aydat.

the Pelean type is formed by the progressive extrusion of a very viscous lava, accumulating in the shape of dome. The dome can explode brutally releasing from gases: the volcanic clouds which leave to horizontal at very high speed, destroying all on their passage. No crater is visible, it practically does not have there casting of Lave, this one being too viscous. The Puy de Dôme is the most known top of this type, but there are some others of them: the Puy Bottle of wine, the Large-Sarcouy , etc

the Maar S which are depressions, generally forming today a lake, resulting from the collapse of the plate under the effect of a phreatic eruption: for example, the Gour de Tazenat .

It is in 1752 that Jean-Etienne Guettard (1715 - 1786) determined the volcanic nature of these mounts in the shape of “taupinières”. After disputes, Malesherbes definitively allotted the paternity of this discovery to this last.

List nonexhaustive volcanos

In the center of the chain of Puys, the Puy de Dôme (1464 m) dominates its neighbors clearly since it rises to approximately 600 m above the plate (approximately 800 m of altitude) on which they all are located (others not exceeding the 200 m).

The others puys are north in the south:

the lake-crater (or maar) of the Gour de Tazenat,
the Puy de Montiroir,
the Puy de Chalard,
the Puy de Beaunit,
the Puy de Verrière,
the Puy de Paugnat,
the Puy of Goulie,
the Puy de Lespinasse,
the Puy of Nugère,
the Puy de Louchardière,
the Puy de Jumes,
the Puy of the Shell,
the puys drops and Bottle of wine,
the puy of Lemptegy,
the Puy of Chaumont,
the Small-Sarcouy ,
the Large-Sarcouy ,
the Puy of Goules,
the Puy de Pariou,
the Cliersou,
the Puy of Like,
the Large Suchet,
the Small Suchet,
the Small puy of Dome,
the Puy Double sack,
the Puy Grosmanaux,
the Puy Montchier,
the Puy de Barme,
the Puy de Larchamps,
the Puy Mercœur,
the puys of Lassolas and the Cow,
the Puy de Charmont,
the Puy of Rodde,
the Puy de Monténard…

A little separately, more in the east, close to Royat, is the Puy de Gravenoire, just in edge of the fault.

Vulcania

The Center European of Volcanicity Vulcania is a realization which was initiated in the Nineties then inaugurated in 2002 by Valery Giscard d'Estaing, at the time President of the Région Auvergne. The choice was criticized, in particular by the ecologist S, for his establishment in the middle same of the chain of Puys and at its cost. After one difficult period, which saw the frequentation lowering each year, New Vulcania was launched in 2007, being based on three innovations. The figures set out again with the rise, Vulcania displaying an increase of 25% on its estival frequentation.

In the south-west of this chain of Volcano S dating from the Quaternary , one sees with far another volcanic solid mass: the chain of the Monts Gilds and the mounts of the Cantal which date, them, of the tertiary era .

External bonds

Volcanos of Auvergne
Official site of the chain of Puys

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