Lake Chauvet Maar in the Chaîne des Puys Volcano Group, Central France

The Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault tectonic arena, located in central France, features the Lake Chauvet Maar, a volcanic crater formed approximately 10,000 years ago during the end of the last glacial period. This maar, with a diameter of 600 meters and a depth of 73 meters, is part of a larger group of about 100 scoria cones, maars, and lava domes that stretch along the western edge of the Limagne graben, a rift valley formed by the Alpine orogeny starting in the late Mesozoic era. The study highlights the geological significance of this region, which has experienced volcanic activity extending into the Quaternary period, with the most recent eruption dated to around 7,000 years ago at Lake Pavin Maar, located nearby.

(Ed.). (2022). Lake Chauvet Maar in the Chaîne des Puys Volcano Group, Central France. Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi), 131(5), Cover05. https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.131.cover05_01