One of the most impressive volcanic structures of the western peninsula of Lesvos is the impressive Skalochori volcanic structure. It is located north of the settlement of the same name and is the hill on which the church of Prophet Ilias is built.
Its creation is associated with the sudden cooling of liquid material, which came from the magma chamber, inside the Earth, about 17 million years ago.
As the magma moved to the surface at low speed, it penetrated the 300-million-year-old metamorphic rocks of Lesvos’ bedrock, clouded the area’s older volcanic formations, and created a giant dome without causing a volcanic eruption.
The magma cooled to a relatively shallow depth and was exposed through the erosion of the rocks surrounding the volcanic material, creating the impressive dome that dominates the area today.