About Nosy Be
Nosy Be is a volcanic field rising to 419 meters (1,375 feet) in Madagascar's Somalian-Antarctic Volcanic Regions. No historical eruptions have been recorded, though the volcano is classified based on geological evidence of past activity.
Geography & Climate
Nosy Be is located in Madagascar, within the Madagascar-Comoros Volcanic Province of the broader Somalian-Antarctic Volcanic Regions. Situated at 13.32° S, 48.29° E in the Southern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a tropical climate zone. At just 419 meters above sea level, Nosy Be is a relatively low-elevation volcanic feature. Despite its modest height, it remains an active geological formation with the same underlying magmatic processes as its taller counterparts. The volcanic landform is characterized as a cluster, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.
GVP Reference Summary
Nosy Be, an island off the NW coast of Madagascar, contains basaltic lava flows that originated from cinder cones. A predominance of low-silica foiditic rocks overlie Mesozoic limestones and other sedimentary rocks. Initial eruptions of lava flows from the W side of the massif was followed by the construction of numerous cinder cones on the W plain. The volcanics were mapped as Recent by Besairie (1973). However, the youngest radiometric ages compiled by Cucciniello et al. (2016) were from Tucker et al. (2008), who reported an age of 900 ± 26 ka for a basanite (40Ar-39Ar), and Bardintzeff et al. (2010), who reported a K-Ar age for a basanite of 550 ± 40 ka.
— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program
0 Recorded Eruptions
No eruption records available for Nosy Be.
Real-Time Data
USGS Alert Level
Thermal Anomalies
Frequently Asked Questions About Nosy Be
Is Nosy Be an active volcano?+
Nosy Be is not currently classified as active. Its activity evidence is listed as "unknown." No recorded eruptions have been documented. However, no volcano is ever considered permanently extinct.
How high is Nosy Be?+
Nosy Be has a summit elevation of 419 meters (1,375 feet) above sea level. At 419 meters, it is a relatively low-elevation volcano.
What type of volcano is Nosy Be?+
Nosy Be is classified as a Volcanic field. Volcanic fields consist of clusters of small volcanic vents and cinder cones spread across a region. Rather than a single central vent, eruptions can occur at many points across the field.
Where is Nosy Be located?+
Nosy Be is located in Madagascar, in the Somalian-Antarctic Volcanic Regions. More specifically, it lies within the Madagascar-Comoros Volcanic Province. Its exact coordinates are -13.323° latitude, 48.289° longitude.
Is it safe to visit Nosy Be?+
Nosy Be can generally be visited, but as with any volcano, visitors should check local conditions and any advisory notices before traveling. Madagascar may have specific regulations for accessing volcanic areas. Guided tours are often the safest and most informative way to experience a volcano.
