| La Grande Soufrière | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,467 m (4,813 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,467 m (4,813 ft) |
| Listing |
|
| Coordinates | 16°02′40.56″N61°39′51.12″W / 16.0446000°N 61.6642000°W /16.0446000; -61.6642000 |
| Geography | |
  La Grande Soufrière | |
| Geology | |
| Formed by | Subduction zonevolcanism |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Volcanic arc | Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc |
| Last eruption | 1977 |
La Grande Soufrière (French pronunciation:[laɡʁɑ̃dsufʁijɛʁ]; English:"bigsulfur outlet"), or simplySoufrière (Antillean Creole:Soufwiyè), is an activestratovolcano on theFrench island ofBasse-Terre,Guadeloupe. It is the highest mountain peak in theLesser Antilles, rising 1,467 m (4,813 ft) high.[2]
The lastmagmatic eruption was in 1530±30 during which the currentlava dome was emplaced.[3]
More recent eruptions have beenphreatic in type.[4] On February 8, 1843, an eruption of La Grande Soufrière caused by an earthquake killed over 5,000 people.[5]
Significant seismic activity in 1976 led to a mass evacuation of the island's 72,000 residents.[2] There was a bitter, and well-publicized, controversy between scientistsClaude Allègre andHaroun Tazieff on whether evacuation should occur. Allègre held that inhabitants should be evacuated, just in case, while Tazieff held that theSoufrière was harmless. Theprefect decided to evacuate, erring on the side of caution. The volcano erupted on August 30, 1976, but much less severely than predicted by the Allègre side.[2] There were no fatalities and no significant damage, except for the large cost of the evacuation.[2]
While the island was deserted, the German filmmakerWerner Herzog traveled to the abandoned town of Basse-Terre to find a peasant who had refused to leave his home on the slopes of the volcano. His journey is recorded in the filmLa Soufrière.
.svg) | ThisGuadeloupe location article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
