Laacher See

Laacher See
View of the caldera volcano
Laacher See
Location in Germany
Laacher See
Laacher See (Germany)
LocationAhrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate
Coordinates50°24′45″N 07°16′12″E / 50.41250°N 7.27000°E / 50.41250; 7.27000
TypeVolcanic caldera lake
Primary inflowsNone
Primary outflowsFulbert-Stollen (canal)
Basin countriesGermany
Max. length1.964 km (1.220 mi)
Max. width1.186 km (0.737 mi)
Surface area3.31 km2 (1.28 sq mi)
Average depth31 m (102 ft)
Max. depth51 m (167 ft)
Water volume1.03 km3 (0.25 cu mi)
Shore length17.3 km (4.5 mi)
Surface elevation275 m (902 ft)
IslandsNone
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Laacher See (German pronunciation: [ˈlaːxɐ ˈzeː]), also known as Lake Laach or Laach Lake, is a volcanic caldera lake with a diameter of 2 km (1.2 mi) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, about 24 km (15 mi) northwest of Koblenz, 37 km (23 mi) south of Bonn, and 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Andernach. It is in the Eifel mountain range, and is part of the East Eifel volcanic field within the larger Volcanic Eifel. The lake was formed by a Plinian eruption approximately 13,000 years BP with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, on the same scale as the Pinatubo eruption of 1991. The volcanic discharge observable as mofettas on the southeastern shore of the lake is a sign of dormant volcanism.