There are no active volcanoes in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but there are a few active and recently-active volcanoes in some British Overseas Territories, including Queen Mary's Peak in Tristan da Cunha, Soufrière Hills volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat,as well as Mount Belinda and Mount Michael in the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The last time that volcanoes were active in what is now the United Kingdom was the early Palaeogene period, just over 50 million years ago, associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Modern day hills and mountains within the UK which are sometimes described as extinct volcanoes are in most cases (e.g. the 'central complexes' of western Scotland) the deeply eroded roots of volcanoes active during the Palaeogene or earlier times.[1]
Below is a list of extinct volcanoes in the United Kingdom.
Name | Elevation | Location | Last eruption | |
---|---|---|---|---|
metres | feet | Coordinates | ||
Bardon Hill[2] | 276 | 912 | 52°42′52″N 1°19′14″W / 52.7145°N 1.3206°W | ±570 MYA |
Barrow Hill[3] | 174 | 571 | 52°30′22″N 2°07′34″W / 52.506°N 2.126°W | - |
Brent Tor | 335 | 1110 | 50°36′11″N 4°09′37″W / 50.603138°N 4.160225°W | Carboniferous |
Calton Hill[4] | - | - | 53°14′25″N 1°49′23″W / 53.240395°N 1.823151°W | ±330 MYA |
Cawsand volcano[5] | - | - | - | ±280 MYA |
The Cheviot | 815 | 2674 | 55°28′42″N 2°08′44″W / 55.47823°N 2.14553°W | Ordovician |
Gurnard's Head[5] | - | - | - | ±400 MYA |
Helvellyn[6] | 950 | 3118 | 54°31′38″N 3°00′58″W / 54.527232°N 3.016054°W | - |
Scafells (including Scafell Pike) | 978 | 2909 | 54°27′15.2″N 3°12′41.5″W / 54.454222°N 3.211528°W | - |
Speedwell vent[7] | - | - | 53°20′29″N 1°47′32″W / 53.3414°N 1.7921°W | Carboniferous |
Warboys[8] | - | - | 52°24′N 0°04′W / 52.4°N 0.07°W | Hercynian orogeny |
Name | Elevation | Location | Last eruption | |
---|---|---|---|---|
metres | feet | Coordinates | ||
Carrickarede | - | - | ±60 MYA | |
Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland | - | - | 55°15′00″N 6°29′07″W / 55.25000°N 6.48528°W | Palaeogene |
Scawt Hill | 378 | 1240 | 54°54′38″N 5°54′55″W / 54.9105°N 5.9154°W | - |
Slemish | 437 | 1434 | 54°52′55″N 6°5′49″W / 54.88194°N 6.09694°W | Paleogene |
Slieve Gallion | 528 | 1732 | 54°44′N 6°46′W / 54.73°N 6.76°W | - |
Slieve Gullion | 573 | 1880 | 54°08′N 6°26′W / 54.133°N 6.433°W | Paleocene |
Tievebulliagh | 402 | 1319 | 55°04′27″N 6°07′59″W / 55.07419°N 6.13302°W | - |
Name | Elevation | Location | Last eruption | |
---|---|---|---|---|
metres | feet | Coordinates | ||
Anton Dohrn Seamount | - | - | 57°30′N 11°00′W / 57.500°N 11.000°W | ±40 MYA |
Ardnamurchan | - | - | 56°44′00″N 5°59′00″W / 56.73333°N 5.98333°W | early Eocene: c.55 MYA |
Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh | 251 | 824 | 55°56′39″N 3°09′43″W / 55.94417°N 3.16194°W | Carboniferous |
Ben Nevis | 1345 | 4411 | 56°47′49″N 5°00′13″W | Carboniferous (collapsed dome) |
Cuillin Hills (on Isle of Skye) | 57°12′N 6°12′W / 57.20°N 6.2°W | Palaeogene | ||
Dundee Law extinct volcano in Dundee | 500 | 56°28′11″N 2°59′22″W / 56.4698°N 2.9894°W | Ordovician | |
Glen Coe Caldera | - | - | 56°40′08″N 5°01′34″W / 56.669°N 5.026°W | Silurian |
Hebrides Terrace Seamount | - | - | 56°28′N 10°17′W / 56.467°N 10.283°W | ±48 MYA |
North Berwick Law | 187 | 613 | 56°03′05″N 2°42′58″W / 56.05139°N 2.71611°W | Carboniferous |
Peniel Heugh[9] | 237 | 778 | 55°31′45″N 2°33′03″W / 55.5292°N 2.5508°W | - |
Rockall | 17 | 56 | 57°35′46.7″N 13°41′14.3″W / 57.596306°N 13.687306°W | - |
Name | Elevation | Location | Last eruption | |
---|---|---|---|---|
metres | feet | Coordinates | ||
Deganwy Castle volcano[10] | 110 | 631 | 53°17′51″N 3°49′44″W / 53.2975°N 3.8290°W | - |
Mynydd y Dref[11] | 244 | 801 | 53°16′59″N 3°51′45″W / 53.2831°N 3.8624°W | ±450 MYA |
Rhobell Fawr | 734 | 2408 | 52°48′50″N 3°48′07″W / 52.814°N 3.802°W | - |
Snowdon | 1085 | 3560 | - | |
Treffgarne Rocks | - | - | 51°52′27″N 4°58′10″W / 51.8742°N 4.9694°W | Ordovician |