Asuncion
Find U.S. Volcano
A single large asymmetrical stratovolcano, steeper on the NE side, forms 3-km-wide Asuncion Island.
Quick Facts
Location: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Latitude: 19.671° N
Longitude: 145.406° E
Elevation: 857 (m) 2,812 (f)
Volcano type: Stratovolcano
Composition: Andesite
Most recent eruption: 1906 CE
Threat Potential: Moderate*
*based on the National Volcano Early Warning System
Summary
A single large asymmetrical stratovolcano, steeper on the NE side, forms 3-km-wide Asuncion Island. The steep NE flank of the 857-m-high volcano terminates in high sea cliffs. The gentler SW flanks have low-angle slopes bounded by sea cliffs only a few meters high. The southern flank is cut by a large landslide scar. The southern flanks and western flanks are mantled by ash deposits that may have originated during eruptions in historical time. An explosive eruption in 1906 also produced lava flows that descended about half way down the western and SE flanks, but several other historical eruption reports are of uncertain validity. Few invesitgations have been done on the Cheref and Poyo seamounts, 30 and 50 km SE, respectively. From the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.