View source for Volcanic Seven Summits

{{Short description|Highest volcanoes of the seven continents}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{notability|date=December 2023}}
[[File:VolcanicSevenSummits-1440.jpg|thumb|right|480px|The ''Volcanic Seven Summits'' on an Elevation World Map.]]
{| style="float:right; clear:both; background:transparent;"
|-
| [[File:Ojos del Salado summit.jpg|thumb|right|Summit of [[Ojos del Salado]] ]]
|-
| [[File:Mount Kilimanjaro Dec 2009 edit1.jpg|thumb|right| Kibo Summit of [[Kilimanjaro]] ]]
|-
| [[File:Albours.jpg|thumb|right| [[Mount Elbrus]] ]]
|-
| [[File:Pico Orizaba Pines.jpg|thumb|right| [[Pico de Orizaba]] ]]
|-
| [[File:Damavand-Iran-2018.jpg|thumb|right| [[Mount Damavand]] ]]
|-
| [[File:Mount Giluwe.jpg|thumb|right| [[Mount Giluwe]] ]]
|-
| [[File:MountSidleyCaldera.jpg|thumb|right| [[Mount Sidley]] ]]
|}
The '''Volcanic Seven Summits''' are the highest [[volcano]]es on each of the seven [[continent]]s, just as the [[Seven Summits]] are the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Two of the Volcanic Seven Summits are also on the [[Seven Summits]] list. [[Kilimanjaro]] and [[Mount Elbrus]], which were formed volcanically, are the highest peaks of their respective continents.

==Definitions==
Due to different interpretations of [[continent]]al borders (geological, geographical, geopolitical), several definitions for the highest summits per continent and the number of continents are possible. The number of seven continents used here is based on the [[Continent#Number|continent model]] used in Western Europe and the United States.

An additional complication in determining the highest volcanic summits is defining exactly what constitutes a volcano and how much [[topographic prominence]] it must have relative to any nearby non-volcanic peaks in order to qualify. For the purposes of this list, the summits must be an actual eruptive volcanic center, not merely made of volcanic rocks which were uplifted by other geological processes. In addition, a topographic prominence of at least {{Convert|1000|ft|m|-1}} is required,{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} so that the list includes only genuine volcanic mountains and not minor outpourings of lava which happened to leak to the Earth's surface in high-altitude regions (see ''Asia'' below).

===Africa, North America, Antarctica===
No serious dispute exists as to the highest volcanoes in Africa, North America, and Antarctica—respectively, [[Kilimanjaro]], [[Pico de Orizaba]], and [[Mount Sidley]].{{original research inline|date=November 2020}}

===Australia===
Although there are a few minor and inactive [[List of volcanoes in Australia|volcanoes on the Australian mainland]], this list recognizes that the island of [[New Guinea]] is part of the [[Australia (continent)|Australian continent]].  Numerous scientific papers written in the 1970s and 1980s confirm that [[Mount Giluwe]] in [[Papua New Guinea]] is in fact an old eroded volcano,<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Blake | first1 = D. H. | first2 = E. | last2 = Löffler | title = Volcanic and Glacial Landforms on Mount Giluwe, Territory of Papua and New Guinea | journal = Geological Society of America Bulletin | volume = 82 | issue = 6 | pages = 1605–1614 | url = http://www.gsajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1130%2F0016-7606(1971)82%5B1605%3AVAGLOM%5D2.0.CO%3B2 | year = 1971 | doi = 10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[1605:VAGLOM]2.0.CO;2 | bibcode = 1971GSAB...82.1605B | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120217041344/http://www.gsajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1130%2F0016-7606(1971)82%5B1605:VAGLOM%5D2.0.CO%3B2 | archive-date = 2012-02-17 | url-access = subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Löffler | first1 = E. | first2 = D. E. | last2= Mackenzie | first3 = A. W. | last3 = Webb
| title = Potassium-argon ages from some of the Papua New Guinea highlands volcanoes, and their relevance to Pleistocene geomorphic history
| journal = Journal of the Geological Society of Australia | volume =26 | issue =7–8 | pages = 387–397 | year = 1980 | doi = 10.1080/00167617908729105 |bibcode = 1979AuJES..26..387L }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mackenzie | first1 = D. E. | title = Giluwe and Hagen; glaciated volcanoes in the rain forests of western PNG
| journal = Volcano News | volume =19–20 | pages = 7 | year = 1985 }}</ref>
unlike the higher mountains of New Guinea which are all non-volcanic in origin.

Even if this continent is defined instead as [[Oceania]] (thus adding [[New Zealand]] and [[Polynesia]] including [[Hawaii]]), Giluwe remains the highest volcano since it exceeds the elevation of [[Mauna Kea]] in Hawaii and any volcano in New Zealand.

===Europe===
The generally accepted geographical border between Europe and Asia runs along the crest of the [[Ural Mountains]] in central [[Russia]] and of the [[Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus]] along the southern border of Russia.  Since the massive twin-peaked [[stratovolcano]] of [[Mount Elbrus]] rises just north of the crest, it is the highest summit in [[Europe]] and also the highest volcano.

Some geologists, though, consider the [[Kuma–Manych Depression|Kuma-Manych depression]] as the geological border between Asia and Europe. Such definition would render Elbrus entirely in Asia, making it the highest volcano of that continent (see below) and making [[Mount Etna]] (a 3350-metre active stratovolcano in [[Sicily]], [[Italy]]) the highest volcano in Europe. Mount [[Teide]] in the [[Canary Islands]], while active, taller than Etna and within the territory of a European country, would not be considered because geologically the Canaries belong to the African continent.

===South America===
Although [[Aconcagua]], the highest peak in [[South America]] and the highest peak in the western hemisphere, does have a volcanic origin, its current high point is due to geological processes rather than being strictly volcanic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/24836826/Geology-of-Aconcagua|title=Geology of Aconcagua {{!}} Volcano {{!}} Plate Tectonics|website=Scribd|language=en|access-date=2017-12-01}}</ref>  Due to this, Aconcagua is not considered to be a volcano on its own, at least not as a member of Volcanic Seven Summits.

Topographic maps of the [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]] border region which contains the highest peaks suffer from poor accuracy, with elevation errors exceeding {{Convert|100|m|ft|-1}} in many cases.{{Citation needed|date=January 2013}} However, the current consensus based on the most recent measurements places [[Ojos del Salado]] as the 2nd highest peak and highest volcano in South America, significantly higher than [[Monte Pissis]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Biggar | first = John | title = The Andes: A Guide for Climbers (3rd Ed.) | publisher = Andes | year = 2005 | isbn = 0-9536087-2-7 }}
</ref>

===Asia===
The {{Convert|5610|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} [[Mount Damavand]] is a very large isolated stratovolcano with over {{Convert|4600|m|ft|-3|abbr=on}} of topographic prominence.

There are more than 70 volcanic vents known as the [[Kunlun Volcanic Group]] in [[Tibet]] at higher elevations than Damavand's summit, the highest of which has a reported elevation of {{Convert|5808|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} (35.5°N 80.2°E)<!--No template used so it doesn't show up on the generated KML file.-->. Peaks in this volcanic group are not considered volcanic mountains but instead a type of [[Volcanic cone|pyroclastic cone]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Kunlun Volcanic Group | department = Global Volcanism Program | publisher = [[Smithsonian Institution]] | url= http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1004-03- | access-date = 2007-02-28 }}</ref> Information about these cones is extremely scarce and the listed elevations and [[topographic prominence|prominences]] is of unknown accuracy and reliability. It is disputed whether any of these cones have a prominence greater than {{Convert|300|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} The volcanoes in the list below all have prominences far exceeding that threshold.

==Volcanic Seven Summits==
{{GeoGroup}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2014}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!colspan="8"|''Volcanic Seven Summits'' (sorted by elevation)
|-
! width= 100 | Volcano
! width= 100 | Elevation
! width= 100 | [[topographic prominence|Prominence]]
! width= 100 | Continent
! width= 150 | Range
! width= 100 | Country
! width= 100 | Coordinates
|-align=center
|[[Ojos del Salado]]{{Ref label|*|*}}
|align=center| {{Convert|6893|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|3688|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[South America]]
|[[Andes]]
|{{flag|Argentina}} <br/> {{flag|Chile}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q233836|name={{wikidata|label|Q233836}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q233836|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|-align=center
|[[Mount Kilimanjaro|Kilimanjaro]]{{Ref label|*|*}}
|align=center| {{Convert|5895|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|5885|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[Africa]]
| -
|{{flag|Tanzania}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q7296|name={{wikidata|label|Q7296}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q7296|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|-align=center
|[[Mount Elbrus|Elbrus]]{{Ref label|*|*}}
|align=center| {{Convert|5642|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|4741|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[Europe]]
|[[Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus]]
|{{flag|Russia}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q43105|name={{wikidata|label|Q43105}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q43105|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|-align=center
|[[Pico de Orizaba]]{{Ref label|*|*}}
|align=center| {{Convert|5636|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|4922|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[North America]]
|[[Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt]]
|{{flag|Mexico}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q238147|name={{wikidata|label|Q238147}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q238147|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|-align=center
|[[Mount Damavand|Damavand]]
|align=center| {{Convert|5610|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|4667|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[Asia]]
|[[Alborz]]
|{{flag|Iran}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q40758|name={{wikidata|label|Q40758}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q40758|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|-align=center
|[[Mount Giluwe]]
|align=center| {{Convert|4368|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|2488|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[Oceania]]
|[[Southern Highlands (Papua New Guinea)|Southern Highlands]]
|{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q1813475|name={{wikidata|label|Q1813475}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q1813475|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|-align=center
|[[Mount Sidley]]
|align=center| {{Convert|4285|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|align=center| {{Convert|2517|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|[[Antarctica]]
|[[Executive Committee Range]]
| {{flag|Antarctica}}
|{{WikidataCoord|Q924312|name={{wikidata|label|Q924312}} ({{wikidata|property|raw|Q924312|P2044}} m)|display=}}
|}
{{Note label|*|'''*'''}}Note: Two of the Volcanic Seven Summits, Kilimanjaro and Elbrus, are also members of the [[Seven Summits]]. Ojos del Salado is a member of the [[Seven Second Summits]], and Pico de Orizaba is part of the [[Seven Third Summits]].

==Climbing==

In 2011, [[Mario Trimeri]] became the first person to summit all 12 ([[Kilimanjaro]] and [[Mount Elbrus]] are on both lists) of the Volcanic Seven Summits and the [[Seven Summits]]. Kuwaiti climber Yousef Al Refaie made a Guinness World Record <ref>{{cite news |date=6 May 2022 |title="Kuwaiti mountaineer youngest ever to climb Seven Volcanic Summits" |publisher=Guinness World Records |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/5/kuwaiti-mountaineer-youngest-ever-to-climb-seven-volcanic-summits-696926 |access-date=4 June 2023}}</ref> and became youngest climber in the world and the first Middle Eastern Arab<ref>{{cite web |date=15 January 2019 |title="Kuwaiti mountaineer completes 7 volcanic summits challenge" |url=https://www.kuwaittimes.com/kuwaiti-mountaineer-completes-7-volcanic-summits-challenge/ |access-date=4 June 2023 |website=Kuwait Times }}</ref> to complete the Seven Volcanic Summits at the age of 24 years 119 days when he scaled [[Mount Sidley]]  ({{convert|4285|m|ft}}) in Antarctica on 22 December 2021, surpassing Indian mountaineer [[Satyarup Siddhanta]] who had previously made this record at the age of 35 years 261 days. On 9 December 2018 after scaling [[Ojos del Salado]], Canadian climber [[Theodore Fairhurst]] became the oldest in the world to climb both the Seven Summits and Volcanic Seven Summits at 71 years and 231 days.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/brownstein-focus-fitness-paramount-for-navigating-citys-sidewalks-mountain-climber-says|title=Focus, fitness paramount on Montreal's icy sidewalks: mountain climber|date=12 March 2019|work=Montreal Gazette}}</ref>
On 4 July 2023, Australian-born [[Caroline Leon]] completed the Volcanic Seven Summits in the fastest time of 183 days.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/605625-fastest-time-to-climb-the-seven-volcanic-summits-female|title="Fastest Time to Climb the Seven Volcanic Summits" |publisher=Official Guinness World Records |date=4 July 2023}} </ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/02/14/dubai-climber-aims-high-after-scaling-highest-volcanic-peak-in-antarctica|title=Dubai climber aims high after scaling highest volcanic peak in Antarctica|work=The National News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://clachliath.com/the-volcanic-seven-summits/|title=Volcanic Seven Summits|work=James Stone}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Explorers Grand Slam]], also known as The Adventurers Grand Slam
* [[Seven Summits]]
* [[Seven Second Summits]]

==References==
<references/>

{{Volcanic Seven Summits|state=expanded}}
{{List of volcanoes|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Volcanic Seven Summits| ]]
[[Category:Seven Summits|.]]
[[Category:Peak bagging]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]