Chances Peak
Appearance
Chances Peak | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 915 m (3,002 ft)[note 1] |
Prominence | 915 m (3,002 ft) |
Geography | |
Location | Montserrat, Caribbean |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Last eruption | January 3, 2009 |
Chances Peak is the culminant point of the active complex stratovolcano named Soufrière Hills. It is the highest point in Montserrat, a British overseas territory located in the Caribbean Sea.
Chances Peak is on a destructive plate margin. The volcano itself is in the middle Caribbean plate, but this is because the North American Plate and the Atlantic Plate subducts beneath it, causing a buildup of pressure to form a volcano.
On 17 September 1965 a Boeing 707 aircraft operating as Pan Am Flight 292 flew into Chances Peak near the summit and was destroyed, killing the 30 people on board.[1]
See also
Notes
- ^ This elevation is for Chance's Peak, the traditional high point. However the lava dome in English's Crater is currently (2006) estimated at over 930 metres (3,051 ft) : see The CIA World Factbook on Montserrat.
References
- ^ Aviation Safety Network N708PA accident synopsis retrieved 2010-06-14
External links
- Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) - Current monitoring of the Soufrière Hills Volcano in Montserrat.
- USGS Info on Soufrière Hills Volcano
- British Geological Survey