Cratère Bory, Volcanic crater in Saint-Philippe, Réunion, France.
Bory crater is a volcanic crater at the summit of Piton de la Fournaise, directly west of the larger Dolomieu crater. It measures 350 metres north to south and 200 metres east to west, with a flat floor at 2,580 metres overlooked by a northern rim that forms the volcano's highest point at 2,621 metres. Its outer slopes are cut by vertical channels, and a smaller pit lies on the eastern rim.
In October 1801 Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent led an expedition from Grand Brûlé to the volcano's summit; a young man named Jouvancourt was the first to reach and discover the crater. At that time it was overlooked by the Mamelon central, as was the neighbouring Dolomieu crater, then erupting. Its last volcanic activity was a fissure that fed lava into Bory and Dolomieu during the eruption of 14 June 1985 to 5 April 1986.
The crater was first called "Cratère Brûlant" (Burning Crater), a name later transferred to the neighbouring Dolomieu crater. Its present name honours the naturalist and geographer Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, who led the October 1801 expedition from Grand Brûlé; the young man Jouvancourt was the first to reach the rim.
Visiting the crater requires hiking across volcanic terrain with uneven ground and steep sections. Wear sturdy footwear and bring plenty of water, as the area offers little shade.
The northern rim is the summit of Piton de la Fournaise at 2,621 metres; the older figure of 2,632 metres still appears in many texts. The flat floor lies at 2,580 metres, 350 metres above the floor of the neighbouring Dolomieu crater.
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