HISTORY OF A VOLCANO
  GENERAL PRESENTATION 
  GEOLOGICAL FORMATION 

  THE MAIN PEAKS AND VALLEYS 

 

 
"Les fours du Peyre Arse" Sylvia Bonal                         

The Massif du Cantal is the largest strato volcano in Europe with a surface area of almost 2,700 Km˛ and a circular base 70 km in diameter. A strato volcano is a vast landmark made up of a central stratified cone (combining lava flows and tephra*) and a piedmont of peripheral build-up that may cover several thousand km˛. According to some speculation this “Cantalien” strato volcano could have reached a height of 3500 to 4000 metres.
Sylvia Bonal
It is an outstanding feature which forms part of Europe’s natural heritage and which morphologically is clearly divided into two sectors:

• A so-called central area which is mountainous and rugged. The main peaks in this zone are: Plomb du Cantal (1855 m), Puy du Rocher (1813 m), Peyre Arse (1806 m), Puy Brunet (1806 m), Puy Mary (1787 m) and Puy Griou (1690 m).
 • An outlying area, made up of triangular-shaped and gently sloping plateaux covered with a basalt crust. These plateaux, called “plančzes”, are bordered by broad, deep valleys of alpine dimensions.
 
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