AUVERGNE
… SEE IN THE SPACE!
THE VOLCANOES OF AUVERGNE, UNIQUE IN EUROPE

The cones of scorias
The cones of scorias are the most frequent on Earth and in the chain of Puys. They are called also, in reference to the activity of the Stromboli volcano, strombolian cones. They are easily recognizable. The crater is at the top of a cone formed by scorias, volcanic bombs and pouzzolanes projected during the eruption. Flows of lava sometimes opened a passage on sides or in the base of the volcano.
The crater can present peculiarities. Pariou's puy as Côme's puy are consisted of two fitted craters due to periods of successive eruptions. Those of the puys of the la Vache and of Lassolas, partially taken by a flow of lava, are like a muzzle.

The birth of a maar
The magma, by rising towards the surface, can meet a groundwater which vaporizes, provoking then explosions phréatomagmatic. These tear away the ground from the punch, forming circular craters which can reach several hundreds metres of diameters. Ashes, blocks and the volcanic bombs thrown by the explosion are arranged in rings or in croissants around craters, forming so maars.
Maars are generally occupied by lakes (Pavin, gour of Tazenat) or swampy zones as those of Beaunit or Espinasse for example.

Volcanoes of domes
The forming of domes volcanoes is preceded sometimes by very violent eruptions. After an initial explosion which opens the crater in the ground, the lave rises to the surface. Too pasty to pass by, it accumulates establishing a dome.
This forming comes along sometimes with explosions, with burning thick clouds and with incandescent avalanches which tumble down the hillsides of the volcano. Auvergne counts several hundreds of volcanoes. Everybody knows the puy of Dome, famous and dreaded... the difficulties that it sets against the champions of the Tour of France. Hardly more in the South rises the massif of Sancy then that of Cantal, the greatest volcano of Europe.
Here are some marks to better appreciate and understand the landscapes which wait for you

The lave, treasure of Auvergne
Unsatisfied to have shaped landscapes, volcanoes offered their stony heart to the experimented hands of the Auvergne, which knew how to exploit it best … In Auvergne the volcanic stone is everywhere, sometimes black, sometimes red.
It is under your feet and on walls. Fountain or statue in the street, cross on roads, fireplace or stair in houses …
Enamelled, it decorates tables or the cities with multicoloured signboards. Volvic's stone or trachyandésite is used since the gallo - Roman time. You will recognize it easily. Of dark colour, it dresses the cathedral of Notre Dame of the Assumption of Clermont-Ferrand and that of Sào Paulo in Brazil!
Extracted from cliffs tile makers, the lauze was the traditional building material of roofs in the villages of mountain. You will easily note the" alternated scales " in Salers, Riom-ès-mountains or Murat. The pouzzolane is this red stone of spongy aspect used on roads, tennis courts and racecourse.