Soufriere Guadeloupe

Geography & Climate

Soufriere Guadeloupe is located in France, within the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc of the broader Middle America-Caribbean Volcanic Regions. Situated at 16.04° N, 61.66° W in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a tropical climate zone. With a summit elevation of 1,467 meters above sea level, Soufriere Guadeloupe is a moderately sized peak that remains accessible to hikers and researchers for much of the year. The volcanic landform is characterized as a composite, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Soufriere Guadeloupe sits in a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another, creating intense heat and pressure that generates magma. Subduction zones are responsible for many of the world's most explosive volcanoes and deadliest eruptions. For communities in France near Soufriere Guadeloupe, this tectonic setting means the volcano is capable of producing powerful explosive eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that can threaten populated areas within tens of kilometers of the summit. The dominant rock type is andesite / basaltic andesite, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Soufriere Guadeloupe has 19 recorded eruptions in the geological database, spanning from 7490 BCE to 1976 CE. The most powerful recorded event was a cataclysmic eruption with ash columns reaching the stratosphere in 1530 CE, reaching VEI 4 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. Notable eruptions include 1530 CE (VEI 4), 820 BCE (VEI 3), 1310 BCE (VEI 3). This level of eruptive frequency indicates a persistently active volcanic system that warrants ongoing monitoring. The most recent eruption in 1976 CE places this volcano within the modern era of volcanological observation.

Significance

With a maximum recorded VEI of 4, Soufriere Guadeloupe has demonstrated the capacity for significant explosive eruptions that can impact regional aviation, agriculture, and communities tens of kilometers from the summit. VEI 4 eruptions produce ash columns reaching 15-25 kilometers into the atmosphere. With 19 recorded eruptions, Soufriere Guadeloupe has a substantial eruptive history that provides valuable data for understanding volcanic behavior and assessing future hazards in the Middle America-Caribbean Volcanic Regions region. Given its recent activity, Soufriere Guadeloupe is closely monitored by geological survey organizations to provide early warning of future unrest.

GVP Reference Summary

La Soufrière de la Guadeloupe volcano occupies the southern end of Basse-Terre, the western half of the island of Guadeloupe. Construction of the Grand Découverte volcano about 200,000 years ago was followed a Plinian eruption and caldera formation about 100,000 years later, and then by construction of the Carmichaël volcano within the caldera. Two episodes of edifice collapse and associated large debris avalanches formed the Carmichaël and Amic craters about 11,500 and 3,100 years ago, respectively. The present volcano subsequently grew within the Amic crater. The summit consists of a flat-topped lava dome, and several other domes occur on the southern flanks. Six phreatic explosive eruptions since 1690 opened radial fractures across the summit lava dome. The phreatic eruptions in 1976-77 caused severe economic disruption when Basse-Terre, the island's capital city immediately below the volcano, was evacuated.

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program