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Volcanic Seven Summits: Defining the Continents

5th December 2020 by James Stone Leave a Comment

Ojos del Salado - a constant on all lists of the Volcanic Seven Summits

I was inspired to write this blog by an essay written by the late Adam Helman (here). A comment made in my blog on Australia’s highest volcano (here) also gave me a push. Adam Helman’s essay discussed the fact that it is quite possible to define the Seven Summits differently from the traditional Bass (Kosciuszko) and Messner (Carstenz) versions. He identified that (depending on which version of “continent” was adopted) there are 12 mountains that qualify as continental summits. So with thanks to Adam Helman, this blog defines the continents in the manner he adopted and lists the Volcanic Seven Summits (or is it 11?)

Definition by tectonic plate

There are seven continental-sized continental plates, though one is largely under water. Asia and Europe are not separate continents in this respect. Therefore, as Adam Helman pointed out, if you treat the Eurasian plate as one continent Mount Elbrus would have no place on any Seven Summits list because Mount Everest is higher.

In the case of the volcanoes, however, Mount Elbrus just exceeds Mount Damavand in height. So Mount Elbrus retains its place in the list with this definition and Damavand is relegated.

Elbrus - one of the volcanic seven summits.  Or does your definition of Continent exclude it?
Elbrus

The Pacific plate is one of the seven continental plates. Therefore the first of the lists includes Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii on this basis.

So lists I-A and I-B look like this (with list I-B excluding the Pacific plate):

List 1-A.
Name of tectonic plateVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricanKilimanjaro
AntarcticMount Sidley
AustralianMount Giluwe
EurasianMount Elbrus
North AmericanPico de Orizaba
PacificMauna Kea
South AmericanOjos del Salado
List I-B.
Name of tectonic plateVolcanic Six Summits
AfricanKilimanjaro
AntarcticMount Sidley
AustralianMount Giluwe
EurasianMount Elbrus
North AmericanPico de Orizaba
South AmericanOjos del Salado
The Pacific plate is omitted.

Definition by Topographic Prominence

I have blogged about topographical prominence. I agree with Adam Helman that “Prominence is an excellent, objective measure of a mountain’s vertical stature“. Therefore the essay explains that a list on this basis would need to include mountains that had saddles at or near to sea-level and are well separated from one another.

Kilimanjaro summit - one of the Volcanic Seven Summits.  It always appears, whatever your definition of continent
Kilimanjaro summit

This approach changes the traditional separation of Asia and Europe. So the Ural mountains are no longer at the divide. Instead the Kuma–Manych Depression is the basis of the divide. Mount Elbrus then reverts to Asia and Mount Etna becomes the European volcano.

List II-A.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Elbrus
EuropeMount Etna
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
OceaniaMount Giluwe
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Definition by continental outline

This definition recognises that Europe exists as a cultural and political concept, but cannot be justified on geographical grounds. Therefore there are only six volcanoes on this list. Mount Etna disappears and Brumlow Top makes its first appearance because Australia (and not Australasia or Oceania) is now the continent.

Brumlow Top summit - not normally regarded as one of the Volcanic Seven Summits
The rather uninspiring summit of Brumlow Top
List III-A.
Continental outlineVolcanic Six Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Elbrus
AustraliaBrumlow Top
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Political definition

The concepts of geology and topography do not constrain this definition. Using the essay’s approach the intriguing and extremely remote Mawson Peak on Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean makes an appearance.

Mawson Peak has only had a couple of ascents. It would undoubtedly be the most difficult peak of all those listed here to climb. Not only is it remote, but it also suffers from terrible weather and is still occasionally active. Obtaining the relevant access permits could also be a problem.

There is an article on the first ascent here.

So there are two lists.

List IV-A.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Damavand
AustraliaMawson Peak
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado
List IV-B.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Damavand
AustralasiaMount Giluwe
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

The cultural definition

Adam Helman points out that the first of the lists below follows the traditional Kosciuszko definition. He next overlays that first list with a political angle. My lists do the same. The distinction then becomes that between Australia and Australasia.

List V-1.
Cultural ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaDamavand
AustraliaBrumlow Top
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado
List V-B.
Cultural continent with political overlayVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaDamavand
AustralasiaMount Giluwe
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Conclusion

Therefore the eleven volcanoes that you have to climb in order to complete all of the lists are:

  • Ojos del Salado
  • Kilimanjaro
  • Pico de Orizaba
  • Mount Sidley
  • Mount Elbrus
  • Damavand
  • Mount Giluwe
  • Mauna Kea
  • Mount Etna
  • Mawson Peak
  • Brumlow Top

The first five appear in all of the lists, so there is no doubting their status. Mauna Kea, Mount Etna and Mawson Peak only make fleeting appearances. The others appear and disappear depending on your view as to what constitutes the continent.

So there you are. The Volcanic Seven Summits: define your continents.

Who will be the first to climb all of them?

For more on the Volcanic Seven Summits, please click this link.

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Thank you for taking the trouble to read this blog.  You can find out more about me by clicking on the “About Me” tab above.

The blog started out just as a mix of mountain climbing and other travel reports interspersed with a few random musings prompted by a trip that I made to Mexico and South America in November and December 2014.  You can find details of that trip using the Tags and the Archive below.

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