The Mystery of the Disappearance of Mount Aragats’ Lava Dome

The mystery of the disappearance of the dome of the Mount Aragats is quite interesting. A dome is a characteristic of volcanic structures, which occurs when the viscous lava is successively squeezed out of the magmatic vents.

To get an idea of its possible height, you can draw vectors of the opposite slopes to the point of their intersection. Experts do not dispute the fact that in comparison with the area and the size of the dome, the current height of Aragats’ peaks is not that impressive.

Most likely, the dome was destroyed as a result of a giant explosion. Scientists do not doubt that it literally fell through before the eyes of people who lived in the highlands. In the thickness of the tuff fields of Aragats, there were really found sites of ancient people and tools buried under the lava.

Another important feature of the largest volcano of the Armenian Upland is the presence of a dense water network. Unlike the Greater Ararat, the slopes of Aragats abound in reservoirs and give rise to rivers feeding the incinerated valleys. This is what the Solonchak semi-desert of the Ararat valley owes its transformation to a blossoming oasis.