The Quill (volcano)
Encyclopedia
The Quill sis a stratovolcano
located on the island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands. The summit elevation is 601 metres (1,971.8 ft) above sea-level.
The name Quill originates from the Dutch term kuil (ˈkœyl), meaning pit or hole, which was used originally with reference to the volcanic crater. The Quill was designated as a national park by the government of the Netherlands Antilles
in 1998. It is administered by the Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation, STENAPA
, which maintains a number of trails for hikers.
The Quill formed between 22,000 and 32,000 years before Present to the southeast of Sint Eustatius (Statia) in the West Indies. Pyroclastic flow
s during the initial eruption joined The Quill with Sint Eustatius. The Quill has been active since its birth; the last known eruption, as determined by carbon dating, occurred between 1,755 and 1,635 years before present. Since volcanic eruptions from The Quill have included pyroclastic flows, and groundwater heating indicates that The Quill is only dormant, the volcano must be regarded as potentially dangerous.
, plantains, banana
s, bromeliads, trumpet wood, mahogany
, seedless breadfruit
, Surinam cherry, ginger bush and edible raspberries
, as well as at least 17 different kinds of orchids. Resident animal species include iguanas, anoles, snakes, hermit crab
s, butterflies, exotic birds, and occasional goats and chickens that have strayed from nearby Oranjestad.
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
located on the island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands. The summit elevation is 601 metres (1,971.8 ft) above sea-level.
The name Quill originates from the Dutch term kuil (ˈkœyl), meaning pit or hole, which was used originally with reference to the volcanic crater. The Quill was designated as a national park by the government of the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
in 1998. It is administered by the Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation, STENAPA
STENAPA
STENAPA is the national parks organisation of Sint Eustatius, which is a small Dutch island in the Caribbean. The island is situated within the inner arc of the Leeward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles, West Indies. It is south of the island of Saba and north of the island of Saint Kitts...
, which maintains a number of trails for hikers.
The Quill formed between 22,000 and 32,000 years before Present to the southeast of Sint Eustatius (Statia) in the West Indies. Pyroclastic flow
Pyroclastic flow
A pyroclastic flow is a fast-moving current of superheated gas and rock , which reaches speeds moving away from a volcano of up to 700 km/h . The flows normally hug the ground and travel downhill, or spread laterally under gravity...
s during the initial eruption joined The Quill with Sint Eustatius. The Quill has been active since its birth; the last known eruption, as determined by carbon dating, occurred between 1,755 and 1,635 years before present. Since volcanic eruptions from The Quill have included pyroclastic flows, and groundwater heating indicates that The Quill is only dormant, the volcano must be regarded as potentially dangerous.
Flora and fauna
The crater of the Quill contains a lush rainforest populated by native and introduced tropical trees and plants. These include elephant ears, tree ferns, begonias, figsFIGS
FIGS is an acronym for French, Italian, German, Spanish. These are usually the first four languages chosen to localize products into when a company enters the European market....
, plantains, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, bromeliads, trumpet wood, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, seedless breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
, Surinam cherry, ginger bush and edible raspberries
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
, as well as at least 17 different kinds of orchids. Resident animal species include iguanas, anoles, snakes, hermit crab
Hermit crab
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most of the 1100 species possess an asymmetrical abdomen which is concealed in an empty gastropod shell that is carried around by the hermit crab.-Description:...
s, butterflies, exotic birds, and occasional goats and chickens that have strayed from nearby Oranjestad.