Meidob Volcanic Field

About Meidob Volcanic Field

The alkaline Meidob volcanic field in western Sudan, at the NE end of the Darfur volcanic province, covers an area of 5,000 km2 with nearly 700 Pliocene-to-Holocene vents. The field was constructed over an uplifted Precambrian igneous and metamorphic basement and is elongated in an E-W direction. Basaltic scoria cones and associated lava flows dominate, but trachytic-phonolitic lava domes, tuff rings, and maars are among the youngest volcanic products. Basaltic scoria cones are scattered throughout the field; their lavas have produced a broad lava plateau. The central part of the field consists of younger phonolitic lava flows, trachytic pumice-fall deposits, ignimbrites, and maars. The youngest dated eruptions about 5,000 years ago produced a tuff ring and a lava flow.