Acıgöl-Nevşehir

Maars, lava domes, lava flows and cinder cones, basaltic. Acıgöl - Nevsehir. Image credit: NASA ( Landsat )

Acıgöl - Nevsehir is a caldera in central Turkey. A highway connecting the cities Acıgöl and Nevsehir, traverses the caldera. The elliptical, 7 × 8 km measured Caldera is part of an area as covered larger and older caldera, at the bottom of which a group of maars, cinder cones, lava domes and basaltic lava flows were formed.

Three groups of obsidian lava flows have been dated: The oldest lava flows originated 190000-180000 years ago, some lava domes dating from before about 75,000 years ago and on the western caldera floor are some 20000-15000 year old crater. The last datable inaccurate eruption occurred around 2080 BC ( ± 200 years). Ash deposits cover Roman Cappadocian Artekfakte from the period around 2300-1850 before Christ. The highest point of the Caldera rim, the lava dome Kocadag Tepe, has a height of 1689 m.