Puy Pariou

The Puy de Pariou, also known as Puy Pariou or Le Pariou, is a volcano located in the Chaîne des Puys, in the Massif Central region of France. It is formed by the overlay of two strombolian cones and a tuff ring, producing three lava flows during its eruptive history. The volcano has a typical shape of a strombolian type, with a crater formed by two nested craters. The central crater is the highest and most recent, with a nearly perfect circular shape, and is 90 meters deep and 200 meters in diameter. The Puy de Pariou is often compared to Mount Vesuvius due to its recent cone topping a somma. The volcano is about 10 km west of Clermont-Ferrand and 2 km from Orcines, and its highest point reaches 1,209 meters. The area around the volcano is not fertile, with deciduous trees, junipers, and short grass. The Puy de Pariou is considered a young volcano, with an age of around 8,000 to 9,500 years