Soufrière, Active stratovolcano in Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe, France.
Soufrière is an active stratovolcano in Saint-Claude, Guadeloupe, France, rising to 1467 meters (4813 feet) above sea level. Several craters and steam vents mark the summit area, while tropical rainforest covers the lower slopes.
The last magmatic eruption, which formed the current lava dome, occurred around 1530, with an uncertainty of 30 years. A phreatic eruption in 1797 was followed by a minor one in 1956, the first since the volcano observatory opened in 1950. In 1976, phreatic activity and 16,000 earthquakes led to the evacuation of 73,600 people from southern Basse-Terre for three and a half months; no one died.
The name Soufrière comes from the French word for sulfur, reflecting the yellow deposits around the steaming vents. Hikers notice the sharp smell from a distance, which forms part of the mountain experience.
The main trail to the summit begins at the parking area near Bains Jaunes and takes around three hours uphill. Sturdy footwear and weatherproof clothing are necessary, as conditions can change quickly.
The summit, called La Découverte, has no true crater: instead there are several eruptive vents, pits releasing sulfurous vapours and deep gashes, with small craters such as Amic, the Dupuis and Tarissan pits and cratère Napoléon. The lava dome measures 900 metres across at its base.
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