According to the IRNA correspondent in provincial capital city of Zahedan, the 4000-meter high Taftan volcano, with its beautiful virgin nature, is each year hosting tourists and mountaineers from across Iran and the world.
The spring season is the best time of the year for sightseeing on this high mountain and its beautiful skirts, amid very pleasant atmosphere and the scent of fragrant wild plantation that makes an unforgettable memory for all visitors.
Taftan mountain’s plantation is quite diverse and The climate at Taftan features cold winters accompanied by snowfall when temperatures drop below freezing between December and February, and hot summers with temperatures during July and August exceeding 30 °C.
Taftan is located in an arid locale but has more precipitation than the surrounding area, thus providing water to the surrounding terrain. Average precipitation is 150 millimeters per year.
Owing to the height of the mountain, there are distinct vegetation belts at Taftan.
The lowlands around the mountain are covered with Artemisia steppe and occasional shrub land. Open scrubs occur in a higher altitude belt of 1,800–2,500 meters where the terrain is rocky, and thorn-cushion vegetation at elevations of 2,600–3,700 meters; there is little vegetation in the summit area though.
The summit of Taftan and several other Iranian volcanoes were deemed national natural monuments in 2002.
In addition to the volcano’s summit, there are beautiful landscapes, gardens and fountains, some of which, lime the Jam-Chin Fountain are hot mineral water fountains with their particular attractions, while some others with their ice-chill water are attractive for some other people.
About five different active eruption periods have been discovered at Taftan volcano. Activity first involved lava and pyroclastics of dacitic to rhyodacitic composition.
Later, upper Pliocene lavas were erupted along with agglomerates. These can be found up to 10 kilometers away from the cone.
Three phases have been dated at 6.95, 6.01 and 0.71 million years ago; an even older phase west-northwest of the current volcano occurred 8 million years ago, while a Quaternary ignimbrite has produced an age of 404,000 years before the present day.
The youngest dates have been obtained on lava flows and indicate ages of 6,950 years ago, by radiometric dating.
Research published in 1897 indicated the absence of very fresh lava flows but the authors inferred from the fresh ash that volcanic activity had occurred during the present geological epoch.
That the name "Taftan" may be derived from an ancient Iranian word "taft" for "semi solid liquid material" could indicate that effusive activity was witnessed by the people of that time period around the volcano.
Eruptions are recorded in 1902, 1970 and 1993.
A report of smoke emission in 1877 may have confused clouds for volcanic activity.
In 1914, the volcano was described to be "belching out clouds of smoke", although a report in 1971 indicated the absence of historical activity.
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