The ignimbrite lava flows with their characteristic reddish colors come from a large eruption of the Lepetymnos volcano that took place 17 million years ago and covered almost the entire Lesvos. Huge quantities of lava gushed to the surface from the Lepetymnos volcano and formed ignimbritic flows which covered great distances and reached the area of Skala Skamia in the north, Nees Kydonias in the east, Vatera and Makarra in the south and the area of Antissa in the west .
The ignimbrite lava flows with their characteristic reddish colors come from a large eruption of the Lepetymnos volcano that took place 17 million years ago and covered almost the entire Lesbos. Huge quantities of lava gushed to the surface from the Lepetymnos volcano and formed ignimbritic flows which covered great distances and reached the area of Skala Sykamias in the north, Nees Kydonias in the east, Vatera and Makarra in the south and the area of Antissa in the west .
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock, which is created by the solidification of thin-fluid siliceous magma that moves at high speed and contains a large percentage of hot gases, fragments of pumice and other pyroclastic materials.The gases contained in the magma form bubbles that remain even after the liquid lava has solidified, as empty spaces inside the rock.
The fusiform shape they acquire from compression gave them the name “flames”. The reddish or dark pink color of the rock is due to the weathering of the hematite contained in the magma.
