page_title: Mount Erciyes
section_title: Local
hierarchical_section_title: Mount Erciyes / Geology and geomorphology / Local
caption_attribution_description: English: The Erciyes Dağı in 3D Deutsch: Der Erciyes Dağı in 3D
context_page_description: Mount Erciyes, also known as Argaeus, is a volcano in Turkey. It is a large stratovolcano surrounded by many monogenetic vents and lava domes, and one maar. The bulk of the volcano is formed by lava flows of andesitic and dacitic composition. At some time in the past, part of the summit collapsed towards the east.
  The volcano began to form in the Miocene. At first, a volcano farther east named Koç Dağ formed from lava flows. Then, again to the east, large explosive eruptions formed a caldera. During the Pleistocene, Mount Erciyes proper grew inside the caldera together with a group of lava domes. Lateral eruptions of Erciyes may have generated ash layers in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean during the early Holocene.
  The last eruptions occurred during the early Holocene and may have deposited ash as far away as Palestine; the occurrence of historical volcanism is uncertain. Future eruptions of Erciyes may endanger the nearby cities to the north. The volcano was glaciated during the Pleistocene. One regular glacier still exists, but is receding.
context_section_description: Erciyes Dagi is a large stratovolcano, reaching a height of 3,864 metres (12,677 ft), 3,918 metres (12,854 ft) or 3,917 metres (12,851 ft), making it the highest mountain and most voluminous volcano of Central Anatolia. It rises about 900 metres (3,000 ft) above the Sultansazlıği basin and 2,842 metres (9,324 ft) above the floor of the Erciyes pull-apart basin. 
  The volcano is large, it covers a surface area of 1,300 square kilometres (500 sq mi) or 3,300 square kilometres (1,300 sq mi). It developed over a broad shield, and dacitic domes and flows form the bulk of the volcano's exposed units, including the summit area, where several lava flows have been identified. Lava flows of Erciyes extend both from the summit and from lateral vents. A debris avalanche extending east-northeast from Erciyes was formed by the collapse of the summit, creating a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) wide horseshoe-shaped scar that forms the upper segment of the Üçker valley. The debris avalanche deposit reaches a distance of 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the summit and has a hummocky appearance. The volcano overall has an eroded appearance.
  Two major valleys extend to the summit, the northwesterly Aksu Valley and the easterly Üçker valley. The minor valleys of Öksüzdere lie north, Topaktaş south, and Saraycık southwest of the summit. The Aksu valley contains sizable moraines left by the Pleistocene glaciation that are up to 60 metres (200 ft) high and 60–120 metres (200–390 ft) wide. A glacial outwash plain formed at the valley foot and was partly buried by Karagüllü lavas. 
  Andesite and basaltic andesites are exposed on the western, southern, and eastern sides of the volcano; on the eastern side they form the Koç Dağ centre with a height of 2,628 metres (8,622 ft). This centre is mostly formed by lava flows. On the western side, andesitic lava flows reach the Sultansazlıği basin. The huge middle Pleistocene Aliboran lava flow descended the western slopes and blocked the Incesu valley, forming Aliboran Lake in the basin. The lake was fed by glacial meltwater from Erciyes and later overflowed the lava flow at several sites, the most important of which is Çalbama Gediģi. This overflow was not continuous; phases of lower lake levels caused it to dry up. Today, the basin contains wetlands that are protected under the Ramsar Convention and are a major nesting site for migratory birds.
  Endogenous domes extend from Erciyes, and 184, 210, or 64 individual centres dot its flanks. The domes have diameters of 1–4 kilometres (0.62–2.49 mi), and formed along radial dykes. A number of such domes and centres formed on the rim of the 14-by-18-kilometre (8.7 by 11.2 mi) wide caldera in which Erciyes sits and which formed during the Valibaba Tepe eruption. This caldera may originally have had a volume of 110 cubic kilometres (26 cu mi). Clockwise from north, these volcanic centres are Ali Dağ, Kızıl Tepe, Topakkaya Tepe, Dikkartin Dağ, Kolanlı Dağ, Göğdağ, Yılband Dağ, Cora Maar, Karagüllü Dağ, Yılanlı Dağ, Carık Tepe, Perikartın and Lifos Tepe. About half of these centres are at distances of about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Erciyes, and most of them can be found on the northern slopes. Of these centres, 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) wide and 100 metres (330 ft) deep Cora Maar lies 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Erciyes. It formed within Quaternary andesite lava flows; its formation was probably favoured by a shallow aquifer and was accompanied by strong phreatomagmatic explosions. The formation of this maar was accompanied by the release of tephra, which reached a distance of 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi). Additional basaltic vents are Abas Tepe, Karniyarik Tepe, Kefeli Dag, and Siharslan Tepe.
  From the more recent volcanic phases, Dikkartin Dağ and Perikartın lava domes lie on the southern and northern slope of Erciyes, respectively. Both domes are formed of rhyodacite and accompanied by pyroclastic deposits. Dikkartin Dağ covers a surface area of 11.7 square kilometres (4.5 sq mi) and reaches a height of 2,760 metres (9,060 ft). The blocky dome flowed down the slopes southwards
caption: 3D image of Erciyes
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