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Cilallo Volcano | John Seach
(Ch'llalo)
Ethiopia
7.92 N, 39.24 E
summit elevation 4070 m
Caldera
Cilallo is the biggest individual volcano in the central Ethiopian
Rift Valley, and one of the biggest of Ethiopia. It is located about
30 km East of lake Zwai. The eruptions of Cilallo volcano are probably related to an early period of tectonic movements which opened the Rift Valley.
Cilallo has an elliptical base (about 30x20 km) whose major axis lies parallel to the main tectonic trend (NNE-SSW). It rises with gentle slopes for more than 1500 m from the top of the Plateau. At the summit, there is a large, almost circular caldera about 6 krn in diameter, whose southern rim represents the summit of the volcano
(4070 m).
The northern rim of the caldera is cut by a deep gullies and all the slopes of the volcano are deeply eroded. In many places, forests and a thick soil cover make climbing difficult.
Post caldera eruptions produced alkali trachytic lava flows at the bottom of the caldera.
Further reading
Di Paola, G.M., 1972. The Ethiopian Rift Valley (between 7 00′ and 8 40′ lat. north). Bulletin Volcanologique, 36(4), pp.517-560.
Cilallo Volcano Eruptions
Pleistocene eruptions.