Puy de Dôme
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2009) |
Puy de Dôme | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,465 m (4,806 ft)[1] |
Prominence | 485 m (1,591 ft) |
Isolation | 18.41 km (11.44 mi) |
Coordinates | 45°46′19″N 02°57′45″E / 45.77194°N 2.96250°E |
Geography | |
Location | Auvergne, France |
Parent range | Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Lava dome |
Last eruption | c. 10,700 years ago[2] |
Climbing | |
First ascent | Unknown |
Easiest route | road |
Puy de Dôme (
History
In pre-Christian
In 1648, Florin Périer, at the urging of Blaise Pascal, supported Evangelista Torricelli's theory that barometric observations were caused by the weight of air by measuring the height of a column of mercury at three elevations on Puy de Dôme.[7]
In 1875, a physics laboratory was built at the summit. Since 1956, a TDF (
Tourism
A
The summit can be reached by two
Since May 2012, visitors can also go up the mountain by train with the Panoramique des Dômes, a rack railway.
A road exists along the railway but it is closed to general traffic, except for the military, service vehicles or emergencies.
At the top of the mountain, restaurants and shops are available as well as a
Geological heritage site
In respect of its key role in the development of volcanology as a geoscience discipline, the Puy-de-Dôme and Petite-Puy-de-Dôme volcanoes were included by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022.[9]
Sport
Cycling
In more recent times, Puy de Dôme has served as an occasional stage finish in the Tour de France. It was here that in 1964 Raymond Poulidor battled with Jacques Anquetil in one of the race's most famous moments, racing side by side up almost the entire climb; and that in 1975 Eddy Merckx was punched in the kidney by a spectator.[10]
Between the
The road is open to cyclists only during very limited periods (when other vehicles are prohibited). In 2006 this was 7–9am on Wednesdays and Sundays between 1 May and 30 September.[12] In 2017, it was the first checkpoint in the Transcontinental Race, a nonstop, unsupported bicycle race across Europe.[13]
Motorsports
The Circuit de Charade was a motorsport street circuit built in 1957 using pre-existing roads around the base of the Puy de Dôme.[14][15] The venue hosted the French Grand Prix as well as the French motorcycle Grand Prix several times in the 1960s and early 1970s.[14][15] In 1986, the track was shortened due to safety issues and was converted into a dedicated motorsport race track hosting track days, driving schools as well as historic motorsport events.[14][15][16]
Climate
While the lower areas of the mountain are firmly
Climate data for Puy de Dôme (1981–2010 normals; extremes 1973–2017) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
12.8 (55.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.8 (69.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
28.4 (83.1) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.3 (82.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
28.3 (82.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) |
0.1 (32.2) |
3.6 (38.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
9.8 (49.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
16.7 (62.1) |
16.8 (62.2) |
12.8 (55.0) |
9.3 (48.7) |
5.1 (41.2) |
0.5 (32.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
0.9 (33.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
13.2 (55.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
6.3 (43.3) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
4.7 (40.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.4 (22.3) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
1.2 (34.2) |
3.9 (39.0) |
7.0 (44.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
3.3 (37.9) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
2.3 (36.1) |
Record low °C (°F) | −16.5 (2.3) |
−19.0 (−2.2) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−9.0 (15.8) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−19.0 (−2.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 51.5 (2.03) |
41.3 (1.63) |
29.4 (1.16) |
30.9 (1.22) |
65.0 (2.56) |
75.6 (2.98) |
67.9 (2.67) |
53.8 (2.12) |
62.9 (2.48) |
40.9 (1.61) |
43.2 (1.70) |
53.5 (2.11) |
610.0 (24.02) |
Average precipitation days | 11.5 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 6.0 | 10.3 | 9.6 | 10.3 | 9.4 | 9.0 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 16.0 | 120.4 |
Source 1: Météo Climat [17] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Météo Climat [18] |
Notes
References
- ISBN 9781742203393.
The ice-flecked summit of Puy de Dôme (1465m)
- .
- ^ "Dôme, Puy de". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Auvergnat: Puèi Domat [ˈpœj duˈma(t)] or Puèi de Doma [ˈpœj də ˈdumɔ]
- ^ Johannes Baier (2021). "Das Vulkanfeld Chaîne des Puys". Aufschluss. 72 (6): 310–321.
- ISBN 9781136202926.
- ^ "Scientist of the Day:Florin Périer". 20 July 2023.
- ^ "The Puy de Dôme: A Mystical Olympus in Auvergne". 20 July 2023.
- ^ "The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites" (PDF). IUGS International Commission on Geoheritage. IUGS. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ "Le Puy-de-Dôme dans le Tour de France" (in French). ledicodutour. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "What is the Puy de Dôme?". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Puy de Dôme: Clermont Ferrand". www.climbbybike.com. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ Beltchenko, Neil. "Transcontinental Race releases 2016 controls". Bikepackers Magazine. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ a b c "Charade". racingcircuits.info. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ a b c "The Volcanic Rush of Clermont Ferrand". speedhunters.com. August 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ "A Brief History of Charade". theracingline.net. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ "French climate normals 1981-2010". Météo Climat. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ "Weather extremes for Puy de Dôme". Météo Climat. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- Scarth, Alwyn; Tanguy, Jean-Claude (2001). Volcanoes of Europe. ISBN 0-19-521754-3.
- Global Volcanism Program: Chaîne des Puys