Piton de la Fournaise Volcano Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Piton de la Fournaise Volcano Observatory is a volcano observatory
in the village of Bourg-Murat
on the Island of Réunion
that monitors the large basalt
ic Piton de la Fournaise
shield volcano
. It is part of the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
, a French
governmental, non-profit research and higher education establishment located in Paris
.
Volcano observatory
A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a volcano.Each observatory provides continuous and periodic monitoring of the seismicity, other geophysical changes, ground movements, volcanic gas chemistry, and hydrologic conditions and activity between and during...
in the village of Bourg-Murat
Bourg-Murat
Bourg-Murat is a village on the Plaine des Cafres on the French island of Réunion, lying north east of Le Tampon. It has a museum dedicated to the nearby Piton de la Fournaise volcano and is home to the Piton de la Fournaise Volcano Observatory....
on the Island of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
that monitors the large basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic Piton de la Fournaise
Piton de la Fournaise
Piton de la Fournaise : "Peak of the Furnace" is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is currently one of the most active volcanoes in the world, along with Kīlauea in the Hawaiian Islands , Stromboli, Etna and Mount Erebus in Antarctica...
shield volcano
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
. It is part of the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
The Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris is a French governmental, non-profit research and higher education establishment located in Paris, dedicated to the study of earth and planetary sciences by combining observations, laboratory analysis and construction of conceptual analogical and...
, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
governmental, non-profit research and higher education establishment located in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.