Within Anatolia, regional volcanism started in the middle-late Miocene. During the late Miocene-Pliocene period, widespread volcanism blanketed the entire East Anatolian-Iranian plateau under thick volcanic rocks. This volcanic activity has continued uninterrupted until historical times. Apparently, it reached a climax during the latest Miocene-Pliocene, 6 to 3 Ma. During the Quaternary, the volcanism became restricted to a few local volcanoes such as Mount Ararat. These volcanoes are typically associated with north-south tensional fractures formed by the continuing north-south shortening deformation of Anatolia.