The Quill (volcano)

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The Quill, formally known as Mount Mazinga, is a stratovolcano located on the island of St. Eustatius at co-ordinates 17.48 N, 62.95 W. The summit elevation is 601m above sea-level.

The name Quill originates from the Dutch term kuil, meaning pit or hole, which was used originally with reference to Mount Mazinga's volcanic crater. The Quill was designated as a national park by the government of the Netherlands Antilles in 1998. It is administered by the St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation (Stenapa), which maintains a number of trails for hikers.

[edit] 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, figs, plantains, bananas, 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 crabs, butterflies, exotic birds, and occasional goats and chickens that have strayed from nearby Oranjestad. Hunting land crabs in the Quill crater is a somewhat popular evening pastime of islanders.

[edit] Geology

The Quill formed between 22000 and 32000 years before present (BPE) to the southeast of St. Eustatius (Statia) in the West Indies. Pyroclastic surges during the initial eruption joined The Quill with St. Eustatius. (Global Volcanism Program - The Quill [1]). The Quill has been active since its birth; the last known eruption, as determined by carbon dating, occurred between 1755 and 1635 years before present. Since volcanic eruptions from The Quill have included pyroclastic flows, and groundwater heating indicates that The Quill is only dormant (Volcanology of Saba and St. Eustatius Northern Lesser Antilles - Abstract[2]), the volcano must be regarded as potentially dangerous.