Digital fieldtrip into the Vulkaneifel Unesco Global Geopark (Germany)

This virtual fieldtrip will lead the participants into the geopark „Vulkaneifel“. The aim of the fieldtrip is a) to introduce the geopark; b) to highlight the abilities of the smartphone app OutcropWizard and c) to show the most spectacular landforms and outcrops within the geopark. The UNESCO global geopark „Vulkaneifel“ is located in western Germany. The Eifel mountains situated to the west of the Rhine and are part of the Rhenohercynian Zone. Hence the basement rocks are Devonian sediments. These rocks are exposed in several well-known outcrops across the region. However, the landforms where the name of the geopark is derived from are volcanic in origin. This volcanism is the result of two volcanic phases. Volcanic activity started around 45 million years ago and lasted for ca 10 million years. the second phase is Quaternary and the last eruption is only ca 10 000 years ago. CO2-degassing vents indicate ongoing subsurface magmatic activity. The Eifel has more than 350 volcanic eruption centres. World-famous are the maar-craters, whose international type locality is the Eifel. These spectacular landforms are in most cases water-filled lakes nowadays. These are locally referred to as the “eyes of the Eifel”.