Volcano also "understands" fashion! Did she "perm" herself into a big wave?

The Keluo volcanic group is located in Keluo Town, Nenjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, my country. The geographical coordinate range is 125°30′-126°15′ east longitude and 49°10′-49°30′ north latitude. About 60 kilometers southeast is the Wudalianchi volcanic group. There are about 23 Cenozoic volcanoes distributed in the volcanic area, and there are 10 volcanoes that are relatively clear and identifiable, namely Dangzishan Volcano, Pingdingshan Volcano, Nanshan Volcano, Jianshan Volcano, Dayishan Volcano, Kashan Volcano, Xiaoyishan Volcano, Gushan Volcano, Heishan Volcano and Muhe Nanshan Volcano. The remaining volcanoes are mostly highlands or hills, which are difficult to identify.

All of these volcanoes are located on both sides of the Keluo River on the east side of the northern section of the Nenjiang Deep Fault Zone (the latest activity of this section of the fault was in the late Pleistocene), hence the name Keluo Volcano Group. The Keluo Volcano Group erupted at about the same time as the Wudalianchi Volcano Group (active volcano group) and the Erkeshan Volcano (ancient volcano), and is often collectively referred to as the "Erwu Ke Volcano Group". In 2017, the Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry Department officially approved the scenic area where the Keluo Volcano Group is located as a provincial forest park.

Location map of some volcanoes in the Keluo volcanic group in Heilongjiang Province (left) and a bird's-eye view of the Nanshan volcano and the Keluo River in the Keluo volcanic group (right) (both images are from Jilin-1 satellite earth observation images)

The Kolo volcanic group as a whole belongs to the central eruption type, and has erupted many times since the Pliocene of the Cenozoic Era to the end of the Holocene. The northeast-trending faults developed in the volcanic area are consistent with the distribution direction of the volcanic group. The main volcanic rocks in the volcanic area are alkali basalt, basalt and basaltic pumice, etc. The distribution area of ​​volcanic rocks is about 350 square kilometers. Among the volcanic groups, the Black Mountain Volcano has the highest altitude, about 542 meters. The highest relative height is the Nanshan Volcano, about 107.7 meters, and the altitude is about 447.7 meters.

The volcanic landforms mainly include craters, volcanic cones, lava terraces, etc. Due to farmland reclamation and large-scale volcanic rock mining, some volcanic cones in the volcanic group have been destroyed and incomplete. The Kolo River flowing in the volcanic area was formerly known as Koloer, Hololer, Heling, etc., which means willow bank in Daur language and horse shed in Manchu. The Kolo River originates from the western foot of the northern section of the Lesser Khingan Mountains and flows westward to merge into the Nenjiang River. It is about 342 kilometers long, 50 meters wide, 1.2 meters deep, and has a drainage area of ​​about 8,574 square kilometers.

The crust thickness of the Colo volcanic area is relatively thin. The volcanic rocks in the volcanic area have a positive evolution trend from the Paleogene to the modern times, close to the East African Rift Valley, and the new tectonic traces in the volcanic area have a north-south extension trend. The geophysical exploration results of the volcanic area show that there is a supply of mantle magma source in the middle and lower crust at the bottom of the volcanic group. The existing earthquake monitoring data in the volcanic area show that since 1960, a total of 88 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or above have been recorded in the Colo volcanic area and adjacent areas.

Among them, the earthquakes in the volcanic area are mainly micro-earthquakes, with occasional perceptible earthquakes. More than 20 earthquakes of magnitude 2.0 or above have been recorded, all of which are tectonic earthquakes (data from the Institute of Volcanology of the China Earthquake Administration and the Heilongjiang Provincial Earthquake Administration). At present, many springs have been found in the volcanic area, and the volcanic gases released include H2O, Rn, CO2, etc. They are mainly from the crust and the atmosphere, mixed with a small amount of mantle components. The above evidence shows that the Kolo volcanic group is still active today.

Nanshan Volcano is the most famous volcano in the Colo Volcanic Group. It is also called Pingdingshan locally. It erupted in the Holocene. The volcano retains a relatively complete volcanic structure and clear volcanic landforms. Its crater is rounded under the cover of vegetation. The crater is about 140-150 meters in diameter, about 100 meters deep, and the diameter of the volcanic base is about 800 meters. There is a parasitic volcanic cone on the northwest side of the crater, and its crater is funnel-shaped. Nanshan volcanic activity experienced a strong eruption in the early stage and a large-scale magma overflow in the late stage, thus forming a large-scale basaltic scoria cone and lava flow. Micro-topography related to lava flow can be seen in the lava platform on its south side, such as massive lava cones, cracks, collapse valleys, and flow structures.

Compared with the large active volcano Fuego in Guatemala (about 3,763 meters above sea level), the large active volcano Etna in Italy (about 3,357 meters above sea level) and the large active volcano Tianchi in Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province (about 2,194 meters above sea level), although Nanshan Volcano lacks some magnificence, it still shows the unique elegance of active volcanoes. The large amount of lava flows that overflowed from the late eruption of Nanshan Volcano transformed the river channel of the lower reaches of the Colo River. The lava flows occupied part of the river channel and changed the original flow direction of the Colo River, causing the river channel of the Colo River to narrow, bend and partially dry up, and many depressions, meanders and swamps were formed in the lower reaches. Looking down at the current Colo River, which is winding and flowing in the south of Nanshan Volcano, combined with more than 20 lakes of varying sizes near the river, it looks like Nanshan Volcano has "permed" its "hair"! So, volcanoes also "understand" fashion! They actually "permed" a big wave! In addition, Nanshan Volcano also has unique landscapes such as stone caves, stone forests, stone temples, and stone men. Climbing up the artificial steps to the top of the volcano, you can look out to the Kolo River in the south and the Shanhe Farm in the north. Especially in spring and autumn, nature combines Nanshan Volcano, the mountains and forests, the farm grasslands and the soothing Kolo River together, with distinct layers and colorful scenery. It can be said that every ten steps there is a painting, and the paintings convey feelings.

Nanshan Volcano of the Keluo Volcanic Group in Heilongjiang Province is surrounded by clouds and mist (Photo from the Internet)

The large active volcano Fuego in Guatemala, the large active volcano Etna in Italy, and the large active volcano Tianchi in Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province (all pictures are original pictures)

Jianshan Volcano is located in the southwest of the Kolo Volcanic Group, with an altitude of about 341 meters. The diameter of the volcanic base is about 250 meters from east to west. The cone is in the shape of a peak, and the entire cone is mainly composed of columnar jointed basalt. Strictly speaking, it seems more reasonable to classify Jianshan Volcano as a lava dome, because the volcano is a product of the end of the magma eruption. Jianshan Volcano was originally a main magma overflow, and there are two other small overflows on its east side.

In the early stage, magma flowed from three overflow vents to the surrounding areas. The intensity of the eruption weakened in the late stage. The viscous magma was unable to overflow in the volcanic channel and was slowly squeezed out of the surface, forming a lava dome. Today, due to artificial mining of mountain rocks, a huge section has been formed on the west side of the cone, showing the characteristics of the interior and bottom of the volcanic cone. The cross-section of the volcanic cone is basically composed of columnar jointed basalt. The cross-sections of the columnar joints are mostly hexagonal and pentagonal, and quadrilaterals and triangles can also be seen. The length of the joints varies, ranging from a few meters to more than ten meters. The columnar joints in the middle and lower parts of the volcanic cone are roughly vertical and slightly radial. The occurrence gradually becomes steeper from both sides to the center, showing the central phase of the extrusive dome.

Pyroxene megacrysts and olivine xenoliths can be seen in the exposed basalt. The growth surface of the basalt columnar joints is usually perpendicular to the cooling surface, and the overall occurrence of the top columnar joints is nearly horizontal. It can be seen that the cooling surface of the top columnar joints is in the vertical direction, indicating that the top is the lava outflow outlet. The formation of columnar joints often requires relatively uniform magma composition, slow flow speed and cooling rate. The characteristics of the formation of the Jianshan volcanic cone basalt reflect that the volcanic eruption power of the Kolo volcanic group during this period was weak or the volcanic activity tended to be calm.

The Jianshan volcanic basalt of the Keluo volcanic group in Heilongjiang Province (above, from the Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration), the Jingbo Lake basaltic lava in Heilongjiang Province (below left, from the Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration), and the Tianchi volcanic basalt of Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province (below right, from the Jilin Provincial Earthquake Administration)

Dayishan volcano is located in the middle of the Kolo volcanic group, with an altitude of about 442.4 meters, a base diameter of about 600 meters from east to west, an inner diameter of the crater of about 140 meters, and a depth of about 25 meters. Because there is a gap in the northwest direction of the crater, its outline looks like a chair from a distance, so it is called Dayishan by the locals. The southern slope of the volcanic cone has been severely damaged by long-term artificial excavation and quarrying. In the quarrying area, you can see the purple-red thick layered volcanic lava, welded breccia and welded agglomerate at the bottom of the cone, and the upper part is red and black basaltic volcanic slag.

Xiaoyishan Volcano is located about 6 kilometers east of Dayishan Volcano. The volcano has two cones, east and west. The west cone is about 456 meters above sea level and has a base diameter of about 500 meters. The cone is mainly composed of alkaline basaltic scoria; the east cone is about 439 meters above sea level and has a base diameter of about 400 meters; each of the two cones has a nearly circular crater.

In short, although the basalt formed by the eruption of the Kolo volcanic group cannot compare with the inherent majestic momentum of the basalt lava in the Jingpo Lake large active volcano area, nor can it compare with the unique towering basalt in the Tianchi large active volcano area in Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province, it is like an ancient "history book", telling us the long and complex history of regional volcanic evolution and the "turbulence" of that year.

The volcanic eruptions of the Colo volcano group are rich in minerals such as sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, lead, manganese, iron, phosphorus, nickel, and cobalt. The soil in the volcanic area is fertile and conducive to plant growth. In addition, there are nearly 100 species of plants growing in the Colo volcanic area, including more than 30 kinds of Chinese medicinal materials such as Fritillaria, Codonopsis, Astragalus, and Gentiana, and more than 20 kinds of vegetation such as yellow pineapple trees, linden trees, mountain elms, and walnut trees.

Schisandra chinensis, Auricularia auricula, Hickory nuts, Wild grapes and birch mushrooms are well-known, among which Schisandra chinensis and Hickory nuts have high medicinal value. In 1980, the Keluo volcanic area was listed as a provincial Schisandra chinensis protection area in Heilongjiang Province, which significantly improved the agricultural economy, water conservation and ecological tourism value of the volcanic area.

Schisandra chinensis (left picture, sourced from the Internet) and Hickory nuts (right picture, sourced from the Internet) in Northeast China

This issue of science popularization ends! Friends, see you next time!

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Author of this issue: Li Mengmeng, Engineer of Jilin Seismological Bureau, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration

Xu Zhitao, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau, PhD

Sun Liying, Assistant Engineer, Jilin Earthquake Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau

Ye Xiqing, Engineer, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Province Earthquake Administration

Sveva·R·M PhD, University of Florence, Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy

Alessandro S. Assistant Researcher, Vesuvius Observatory, University of Florence, Naples, Italy

Carolina B. Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy. PhD, University of Cambridge, UK

Wu Haijun Wudalianchi Earthquake Monitoring Center Station Heilongjiang Province Earthquake Bureau Senior Engineer

Xu Yueren, Researcher at the Institute of Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration

Ren Fangyu, Jilin Earthquake Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau, Assistant Engineer

He Qi, Assistant Engineer, Information Center, Jilin Province Seismological Bureau

Salvotore G. Senior Researcher at the Etna Observatory in Catania, Italy

Li Zhongwei, Senior Engineer, Jilin Earthquake Disaster Risk Prevention and Control Center, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau

Feng Jingqiao, Senior Engineer, Jilin Earthquake Disaster Risk Prevention and Control Center, Jilin Seismological Bureau

Stefano C. Senior Researcher, Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy

Yan Hengqi, Jilin Earthquake Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau, Assistant Engineer

Doctor of Jilin Seismological Station and Jilin Provincial Seismological Bureau

Zhang Sen, Postdoctoral Fellow, College of Geological Engineering and Surveying, Chang'an University

Zhang Yong, Researcher at the Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences

Gu Alei, Senior Engineer, Tianjin Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey

Zhang Peng, Senior Engineer, Shenyang Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey

Chu Xiaolei, PhD, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Southeast University

Yu Lu PhD, Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Joint Institute

Ma Xiaoxi, PhD, Jilin Earthquake Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau

Aldo B Senior Engineer, Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy

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