Setting and structure Mount Damavand rises within the
Alborz range in northern Iran, separating the Iranian plateau to the south from the
Caspian Sea in the north. This range rises as a result of the collision between the
Arabian and
Eurasian tectonic plates. This collision is similar to the collision between the
Indian and Eurasian plates to the east (causing the
Himalaya to rise) and does not usually create volcanic activity. Despite this, recent research suggests that a hot region created by the collision is what caused the volcano to rise. Most volcanic activity originates from the summit area. A few flank vents have been noted, but these are largely on the upper slopes to the southwest and northeast of the summit. A secondary crater, termed Haji Dela, has some young lava flows northeast of the summit.
Eruptive activity Volcanic activity in the Mount Damavand region first occurred in the
Pleistocene almost 1.78 million years ago, but the current edifice began to be built around 600,000 years ago. Its last eruption was around 5300 BCE in the
Holocene. Its steep cone is formed of ash and
lava flows mainly of
trachyte,
andesite, and
basalt. Most eruptive activity appears to be lava flows, though some small
pyroclastic flow deposits have been noted in drainages radiating from the mountain. One major explosive event is known to have erupted about 280,000 years ago. The volcano is crowned by a small crater with sulfuric deposits. Despite the lack of historical eruptions, ongoing thermal activity at Mount Damavand suggests the volcano is not extinct.
Subsidence at a rate of per year and horizontal expansion at per year was observed there between 2003 and 2008, but was gravity driven rather than a result of magmatic activity.
Thermal springs Mineral
hot springs are mainly located on the volcano's flanks and at the base, giving evidence of volcanic heat comparatively near the surface of the earth. Hot springs at the base and on the flanks and
fumaroles near the summit indicate a hot or cooling magma body still present beneath the volcano. The area around the volcano is the most thermally active in Iran and the springs are being monitored to see if fluctuations in water volume and mineral content are useful in crude prediction of large regional earthquakes. The most important of these hot springs is
Larijan Hot Spring in a village by the name of Larijan in the district of Larijan Amol in Lar Valley. The water from this spring is believed to be useful in the treatment of chronic wounds and skin diseases and is bottled for distribution throughout Iran. Near these springs there are public baths with small pools for public use. During the
Last Glacial Maximum, the area covered by glaciation was much larger and the climatic snow line was between below what is seen in the present day. The glaciers on Damavand as well as a few other isolated locations are the source of the few permanently flowing rivers in Iran. == Routes to the summit ==