Ardnamurchan's fame comes from an 83-year-old study that launched volcano science in Europe. The study, a meticulous geologic map of ringlike structures preserved in the Ardnamurchan volcanic rocks, revealed the volcano's hidden source: a series of three magma chambers. Now, it's time to rewrite history, scientists say. Instead of three magma pulses, just one big push birthed Ardnamurchan volcano, according to a study published Oct. 8 in the journal Scientific Reports. Read more
Ardnamurchan (Scottish Gaelic: Àird nam Murchan: headland of the great seas) is a 130 km² peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. The whole north western corner of Ardnamurchan contains a complex of volcanic structures, often described approximately as a "Caldera". Broadly, this area is the underground structures of a 55 million-year-old volcanic complex (relatively small areas of lavas that were erupted onto the surface are found in some parts of the peninsula). At least 7 other similar complexes of the same tectonic episode are dotted up the west coast of Britain, and so are popular stops in geological training courses from many universities. Read more