Chilean Volcanic DataSheet

Greetings everyone.

I spent quite a bit of time today doing some research into the Chilean geologic makeup as it relates to the recent 8.8 earthquake that happened a few days ago. I researched tectonic data as it related to volcanic occurance, and I must share with you my absolute suprise at the frequency volcanic occurrance occurs within the Chilean, Peruvian, and Argentinian landscape!

But pertaining to Chile, I was, and still am amazed at this country's scenic diversity and beauty, which have been a direct result of the volcanic activity this country experiences. In this report I intend on reviewing most of the major volcanoes within the chilean region, which will include links to images.

See for yourself how awesome this country really is, even in the shadow of such disaterous posibilities!

first, Here is a list of known Chilean Volcanoes

Pretty amazing that one country can have not just that many volcanoes, but that many calderas too ! I stopped counting at 15 =)

now, here's a brief excerpt for some of the more active Chilean Locations:

Volcán Descabezado Grande



Descabezado Grande is a stratovolcano located in the Maule Region of central Chile. It is capped by a 1.4 kilometres (0.9 mi) wide ice-filled caldera and named for its flat-topped form, as descabezado means "headless" in Spanish. A smaller crater about 500 metres (1,600 ft) wide is found in the northeast part of the caldera, and it has active fumaroles.

Volcán Descabezado Grande is a late-Pleistocene to Holocene andesitic-to-rhyodacitic stratovolcano with a 1.4-km-wide ice-filled summit crater. Along with 3788-m-high Cerro Azul, only 7 km to the south, 3953-m-high Descabezado Grande lies at the center of a 20 x 30 km volcanic field. A lateral crater that formed on the upper NNE flank in 1932, shortly after the end of the major 1932 eruption from nearby Quizapu volcano on the north flank of Cerro Azul, was the site of the only historical eruption of Descabezado Grande. The Holocene Alto de las Mulas fissure on the lower NW flank of Descabezado Grande produced young rhyodacitic lava flows. Numerous small late-Pleistocene to Holocene volcanic centers are located north of the volcano. The northernmost of these, Lengua de Vulcano (or Mondaca) produced a very youthful rhyodacitic lava flow that dammed the Río Lentué.

Cerro Azul



Cerro Azul ("blue hill" in Spanish) is an active stratovolcano in central Chile's Maule Region, immediately south of Descabezado Grande volcano, part of the South Volcanic Zone. Capped by a 500-metre (1,600 ft) wide summit crater that is open to the north, the lower slopes have numerous scoria cones and flank vents. Cerro Azul has produced the largest eruptions ever in South America, once in 1846 and again in 1932. In 1846, an effusive eruption formed the vent at the site of present-day Quizapu Crater and sent lava flowing down the sides of the volcano, creating an 8–9 square kilometre lava field. Phreatic and strombolian volcanism between 1907 and 1932 excavated Quizapu Crater. In 1932, 9.5 cubic kilometres (2.3 cu mi) of dacitic tephra erupted from Quizapu
Crater on the northern flank of Cerro Azul in one of the largest explosive eruptions of the 20th century. The volcano's latest eruption took place in 1967. Cerro Azul, just 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Descabezado Grande volcano, is part of the Andes' South Volcanic Zone, which runs through central and western Chile. The volcano is part of the Descabezado Grande–Cerro Azul eruptive system, a volcanic field which comprises its two large namesake volcanic edifices and several smaller vents,[8] incuding 12 Holocene calderas. Both volcanoes lie on top of the Casitas Shield, a plateau built of over 100 lava flows that erupted in at least 12 volcanic episodes during the Quaternary period—the upper lava layers are dated at 340,000 years.

The South Volcanic Zone, of which Cerro Azul is a part, extends south to Argentina. This range includes at least nine caldera complexes, more than 70 of Chile's stratovolcanoes and volcanic fields that have been active in the Quaternary, and hundreds of minor eruptive centres. The South Volcanic Zone is the most volcanically active region in Chile, and produces around one eruption per year. Its largest historical eruption was at Quizapu crater, and its most active volcanoes are Llaima and Villarrica.

As with the majority of the Andean volcanoes, Cerro Azul is a stratovolcano, meaning that it consists of layers, or strata, of volcanic ash and lava flows. The cone of Cerro Azul has a total volume of about 11 km3, and is a young feature, having formed in Holocene. It is made of agglutinated pyroclasts and some dacite–andesine lavas. The cone has a few volcanic craters (calderas), with the majority of its eruptions in recorded history originating from Quizapu Crater on the northern flank of the Azul's cone. Two separate calderas lie within Quizapu: Cerro del Medio and Volcan Nuevo. Four other craters make up the volcano: Carasol, Crater los Quillayes, Crater la Resolana, and Crater sin Nombre. All of the craters lie between 2,000 and 3,000 metres (6,600 and 9,800 ft) in elevation except Quizapu, which is 3,292 metres (10,800 ft) up the volcano. The summit of Cerro Azul is crowned by an asymmetric crater about 500 m in diameter. Pleistocene glacial activity is evident in the form of 500 metres (1,640 ft) deep struts in the volcanoes' sides. These deep cuts have revealed strata of older rock.

[edit on 6-3-2010 by DarkspARCS]

Laguna del Maule caldera



The 15 x 25 km wide Laguna del Maule caldera contains a cluster of small stratovolcanoes, lava domes, and pyroclastic cones of Pleistocene-to-Holocene age.

The caldera lies mostly on the Chilean side of the border, but partially extends into Argentina. Fourteen Pleistocene basaltic lava flows were erupted down the upper part of the Maule river valley. A cluster of Pleistocene cinder cones was constructed on the NW side of the Maule lake, which occupies part of the northern portion of the caldera. The latest activity produced an explosion crater on the east side of the lake and a series of Holocene rhyolitic lava domes and blocky lava flows that surround Laguna del Maule.

Nevados de Chillán (otoño)



The compound volcano of Nevados de Chillán is one of the most active of the Central Andes of Chile. Three late-Pleistocene to Holocene stratovolcanoes were constructed along a NNW-SSE line within three nested Pleistocene calderas, which produced ignimbrite sheets extending more than 100 km into the Central Depression of Chile.

The largest stratovolcano, dominantly andesitic, 3212-m-high Cerro Blanco (Volcán Nevado), is located at the NW end of the group, and 3089-m-high Volcán Viejo (Volcán Chillán), which was the main active vent during the 17th-19th centuries, occupies the SE end. The new Volcán Nuevo lava-dome complex formed between 1906 and 1945 between the two volcanoes and grew to exceed Volcán Viejo in altitude. The Volcán Arrau dome complex was constructed SE of Volcán Nuevo between 1973 and 1986, eventually exceeding its height by 20 m.

Volcán Callaqui



< br />

Sollipulli caldera



The 4-km-wide, glacier-filled Sollipulli caldera lies to the east of the Pleistocene Nevados de Sollipulli complex. Major silicic pyroclastic rocks
associated with caldera formation have not been found, and the caldera may have a non-explosive origin. Post-caldera eruptions have been focused along the caldera walls and have increased its height. A series of dacitic lava domes lines the eastern and southern caldera rims. The 1-km-wide Alpehué crater, which cuts the SW rim, was the source of a large plinian eruption 2900 years before present (BP).

Explosion craters and scoria cones are found on the outer flanks of the caldera. Two north-flank cones produced lava flows during the latest documented activity about 700 years BP (Naranjo et al., 1993). This low-profile volcano is less prominent than its neighbors Llaima and Villarrica, but its explosive history makes it a potentially hazardous volcanic center.

Calabozos caldera



The 26 x 14 km composite late-Pleistocene Calabozos caldera produced major rhyodacitic-to-dacitic ashflow sheets of ~200-500 cu km magma each, collectively referred to as the Loma Seca Tuff, at 0.8, 0.3, and 0.15 million years ago. Eruptive activity has continued into the Holocene, forming the 20-25 cu km dacitic-to-andesitic Cerro del Medio complex at the southern end of the caldera and the four clustered vents of Descabezado Chico near the western caldera rim. The late-Holocene 2.5 cu km Escorias dacitic lava flow from Descabezado Chico traveled >30 km to the south. Several hot-spring clusters are present along the margin of the central resurgent uplift within the caldera.

Tinguiririca stratovolcano complex



Tinguiririca is composed of at least seven Holocene scoria cones west of the Chile-Argentina border constructed along a NNE-SSW fissure over an eroded Pleistocene stratovolcano. The complex was constructed during three eruptive cycles dating back to the middle Pleistocene. The latest activity produced a series of youthful small stratovolcanoes and craters, of which the youngest appear to be Tinguiririca and Fray Carlos. Constant fumarolic activity occurs within and on the NW wall of the summit crater of Tinguiririca, and hot springs and fumaroles with sulfur deposits are found on the western flanks of the summit cones. A single historical eruption from Tinguiririca was recorded in 1917.

Planchón-Peteroa caldera complex



Planchón-Peteroa is an elongated complex volcano along the Chile-Argentina border with several overlapping calderas. Activity began in the Pleistocene with construction of the basaltic-andesite to dacitic Volcán Azufre, followed by formation of basaltic and basaltic-andesite Volcán Planchón, 6 km to the north.

About 11,500 years ago, much of Azufre and part of Planchón collapsed, forming the massive Río Teno debris avalanche, which traveled 95 km to reach Chile's Central Valley. Subsequently, Volcán Planchón II was formed. The youngest volcano, andesitic and basaltic-andesite Volcán Peteroa, consists of scattered vents between Azufre and Planchón. Peteroa has been active into historical time and contains a small steaming crater lake. Historical eruptions from the Planchón-Peteroa complex have been dominantly explosive, although lava flows were erupted in 1837 and 1937

San Pedro-Pellado volcanic complex



The San Pedro-Pellado volcanic complex (also known as San Pedro-Tatara) has been active from the Pliocene to the Holocene. The Tatara-San Pedro edifice overlies the deeply eroded Pellado stratovolcano; both were constructed within the 6 x 12 km Río Colorado caldera, which formed during an eruption about 0.5 million years ago. The Tatara basaltic-andesite shield volcano at the western end of the complex contains stacked sequences of up to 100 or more lava flows forming up to 1500 m of relief. The glacier-filled summit crater of the 3621-m-high dominantly andesitic San Pedro stratovolcano, which overlies the Tatara edifice, contains a young scoria cone that was the site of the most recent eruptions from the volcano.

A major Holocene east-flank debris avalanche filled the Río de la Puente valley to the south and was followed by eruptions originating within the avalanche scarp low on the east flank that produced lava flows down the Estero Pellado drainage. No historical eruptions have been recorded, but fumaroles are found SE of Pellado

Volcán Lomas Blancas



Volcán Lomas Blancas is a small shield-like stratovolcano of late-Pleistocene to Holocene age (Moreno and Naranjo, 1991) located about 15 km SE of Nevado de Longaví volcano. A 2.3-km-wide caldera, possibly formed by edifice collapse, is open to the SE. Basaltic-andesite aa lava flows extend 7 km from the collapse scarp. The basaltic central cone rises about 500 m to an elevation of 2268 m. Much of the volcano is covered by pumice deposits that probably originated from Nevado de Longaví

Payún Matru (Argentina)



Cerro Payún Matru is a massive hawaiian-style shield volcano in Argentina that lies 530 km from the oceanic trench. The 8 x 10 km alkaline caldera of Cerro Payún Matru was formed after about 168,000 years ago. The high point of the massif is 3680-m-high Cerro Payún stratovolcano, constructed over the SW flank of the shield. The Pleistocene Pampas Onduladas pahoehoe lava flow traveled 181 km, Earth's longest known Quaternary lava flow. Post-caldera basaltic eruptions produced more than 300 eruptive centers, mostly along E-W-trending fissures that extend across the entire shield volcano.

Fluid aa lava flows from a youthful concentration of vents on the west flank known as Los Volcanes traveled more than 10 km. Other vent clusters of the 5200 sq km Payún Matru volcanic field are found on the lower NE and southern flanks, and a lava flow from Volcán Santa María on the NW flank traveled 15 km to the NE. At least 30 trachyandesitic lava domes and basaltic lava flows were erupted contemporaneously with the basaltic fissure eruptions. Oral traditions note that native tribes were present at the time of the latest eruption.

Carrán-Los Venados



The Carrán-Los Venados volcano group includes a group of about 50 basaltic to basaltic-andesite scoria cones, maars, and a small stratovolcano that are broadly aligned along a 17-km-long ENE-WSW trend ESE of Lago Ranco. The volcano group occupies a low-lying area north of the more topographically prominent Cordón Caulle-Puyehue volcanic chain, and many of the vents are postglacial in age. The Mirador scoria cone and two maars, Riñinahue and Carrán, were formed during eruptions in the 20th century. These historical eruptions were concentrated where the regional Liquine-Ofqui fault zone intersects the alignment of volcanic vents.

Tupungato stratovolcano




Tupungato, one of the highest mountains in South America, is a massive stratovolcano dating to Pleistocene times. It lies on the border between Chile and the, near a major international highway about 80 km (50 mi) east of Santiago, Chile. It is located about 100 km (60 mi) south of Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, and gives its name to an important Argentine wine producing region within Mendoza, the Tupungato Department. Many villages are found in the area, and Tupungato is traditionally approached from either the north, west, or south. Nearby to the southwest is the smaller peak known as Tupungatito, an active volcano whose last eruption was in 1987.

Chaitén caldera



Chaitén is a small, glacier-free caldera with a Holocene lava dome located 10 km NE of the town of Chaitén on the Gulf of Corcovado. A pyroclastic-surge and pumice layer that was considered to originate from the eruption that formed the elliptical 2.5 x 4 km wide summit caldera was dated at about 9400 years ago.

A rhyolitic, 962-m-high obsidian lava dome occupies much of the caldera floor. Obsidian cobbles from this dome found in the Blanco River are the source of prehistorical artifacts from archaeological sites along the Pacific coast as far as 400 km away from the volcano to the north and south. The caldera is breached on the SW side by a river that drains to the bay of Chaitén, and the high point on its southern rim reaches 1122 m. Two small lakes occupy the caldera floor on the west and north sides of the lava dome. The first historical eruption of Chaitén volcano in 2008 produced major rhyolitic explosive activity and growth of a lava dome that filled much of the caldera.

Mocho-Choshuenco twin stratovolcanoes



The compound Mocho-Choshuenco volcano is composed of twin glacier-covered stratovolcanoes, located east of Lago Rinihué and SE of Lago Panguipulli and post-dating a 4-km-wide basaltic caldera. The small 2415-m-high Choshuenco stratovolcano, constructed on the NW rim of the caldera, is late-glacial in age. A major plinian eruption produced the Neltume Pumice about 10,300 years ago. The larger andesitic-to-dacitic, 2422-m-high El Mocho volcano, constructed within the caldera, is postglacial and has been historically active. Parasitic craters and basaltic scoria cones are located on the flanks of Mocho-Choshuenco, primarily on the NE and SW sides. Two historical eruptions have been reported, one in 1864 and the other in 1937.

Viedma Subglacial volcano



An eruption in 1988 confirmed the presence of a postulated subglacial vent in the Patagonian Icefield NW of Viedma Lake (Kilian, 1991). A previously suggested vent location (Shipton, 1960) turned out to be a glacial nunatak of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The Volcán Viedma eruptive center is a subglacial dacitic volcano beneath the Patagonian Icecap west of the spectacular granitic spires of the Cerro Torre, Cerro Fitz Roy area. Only part of the older edifice rises above the surface of the icecap. Four large craters or calderas between 1.5 and 4 km in diameter are located along a N-S line. The 1988 eruption deposited ash and pumice on the Patagonian Icecap and produced a mudflow that reached Viedma Lake.

Puyehue-Cordón Caulle caldera complex




The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex (PCCVC) is a large NW-SE-trending late-Pleistocene to Holocene basaltic-to-rhyolitic transverse volcanic chain SE of Lago Ranco. The 1799-m-high Pleistocene Cordillera Nevada caldera lies at the NW end, separated from Puyehue stratovolcano at the SE end by the Cordón Caulle fissure complex. The Pleistocene Mencheca volcano with Holocene flank cones lies NE of Puyehue. The basaltic-to-rhyolitic Puyehue volcano is the most geochemically diverse of the PCCVC. The flat-topped, 2236-m-high Puyehue volcano was constructed above a 5-km-wide caldera and is capped by a 2.4-km-wide
summit caldera of Holocene age. Lava flows and domes of mostly rhyolitic composition are found on the eastern flank of Puyehue. Historical eruptions originally attributed to Puyehue, including major eruptions in 1921-22 and 1960, are now known to be from the Cordón Caulle rift zone. The Cordón Caulle geothermal area, occupying a 6 x 13 km wide volcano-tectonic depression, is the largest active geothermal area of the southern Andes volcanic zone.

Cay stratovolcano



Volcán Cay, located east of Macá volcano and NW of the town of Puerto Aisén, is a basaltic and dacitic stratovolcano. An explosion crater is open to the east, and about a half dozen explosion craters and pyroclastic cones lie along a fissure trending SW of the summit. Another 10 basaltic pyroclastic cones are located along second parallel fissure 5 km to the SE that is part of the major regional Liquiñe-Ofqui fault zone. These cones were considered to be of Holocene age by González-Ferrán (1995), but Naranjo and Stern (2004) found no evidence for Holocene tephra deposits.

Cerro Hudson Stratovolcano caldera



The ice-filled, 10-km-wide caldera of the remote Cerro Hudson volcano was not recognized until its first 20th-century eruption in 1971. Cerro Hudson is the southernmost volcano in the Chilean Andes related to subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate. The massive, 1905-m-high Cerro Hudson covers an area of 300 sq km. The compound caldera is drained through a breach on its NW rim, which has been the source of mudflows down the Río de Los Huemeles. Two cinder cones occur north of the volcano and others occupy the SW and SE flanks. Hudson has been the source of several major Holocene explosive eruptions. An eruption about 6700 years ago was one of the largest known in the southern Andes during the Holocene; another eruption about 3600 years ago also produced more than 10 cu km of tephra. An eruption in 1991 was Chile's second largest of the 20th century and formed a new 800-m-wide crater in the SW part of the caldera.

Volcán Mentolat caldera



Volcán Mentolat is an ice-filled 6-km-wide caldera in the central part of Magdalena Island across the Puyuhuapi strait from Puerto Cisnes. An eruption about 7000 years ago produced a pumice and scoria layer that extends to the SE. A young-looking andesitic lava flow on the west side of the volcano may be its most recent product. Historical reports by Serrano describe an eruption at the beginning of the 18th century that could refer to this lava flow.

Antuco Stratovolcano



Antuco volcano, constructed to the NE of the Pleistocene Sierra Velluda stratovolcano, rises dramatically above the SW shore of Laguna de la Laja. Antuco has a complicated history beginning with construction of the basaltic-to-andesitic Sierra Veluda and Cerro Condor stratovolcanoes of Pliocene-Pleistocene age. Construction of the Antuco I volcano was followed by edifice failure at the beginning of the Holocene that produced a large debris avalanche which traveled down the Río Laja to the west and left a large 5-km-wide horseshoe-shaped caldera breached to the west. The steep-sided modern basaltic-to-andesitic cone of has grown 1000 m since then; flank fissures and cones have also been active. Moderate explosive eruptions were recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries from
both summit and flank vents, and historical lava flows have traveled into the Río Laja drainage.

Callaqui stratovolcano



The late-Pleistocene to Holocene Callaqui stratovolcano has a profile of an overturned canoe due to its construction along an 11-km-long, SW-NE fissure above a 1.2-0.3 million year old Pleistocene edifice. The ice-capped, 3164-m-high basaltic-andesite Callaqui volcano contains well-preserved volcanic cones and lava flows, which have traveled up to 14 km. Small craters 100-500 m in diameter are primarily found along a fissure extending down the SW flank. Intense solfataric activity occurs at the southern part of the summit; in 1966 and 1978, red glow was observed in fumarolic areas (Moreno 1985, pers. comm.). Periods
of intense fumarolic activity have dominated at Callaqui, and few historical eruptions are known. An explosive eruption was reported in 1751, there were uncertain accounts of eruptions in 1864 and 1937, and a small phreatic ash emission was noted in 1980.

Volcán Copahue



Volcán Copahue is an elongated composite cone constructed along the Chile-Argentina border within the 6.5 x 8.5 km wide Trapa-Trapa caldera that formed between 0.6 and 0.4 million years ago near the NW margin of the 20 x 15 km Pliocene Caviahue (Del Agrio) caldera. The eastern summit crater, part of a 2-km-long, ENE-WSW line of nine craters, contains a briny, acidic 300-m-wide crater lake (also referred to as El Agrio or Del Agrio) and displays intense fumarolic activity. Acidic hot springs occur below the eastern outlet of the crater lake, contributing to the acidity of the Río Agrio, and another geothermal zone is located within Caviahue caldera about 7 km NE of the summit. Infrequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded at Copahue since the 18th century. Twentieth-century eruptions from the crater lake have ejected pyroclastic rocks and chilled liquid sulfur fragments.

Atuel Caldera



The 30 x 45 km wide Caldera del Atuel lies just east of the Argentina-Chile border and 18 km SSW of the rim of Diamante caldera. The western rim of Caldera del Atuel in part follows the international border, and the headwaters of the Río del Atuel drain to the SE through a wide breach in the caldera rim. The broad floor of the caldera is dotted with 15 dacitic lava domes and 25 basaltic-andesite to andesitic stratovolcanoes and cinder cones. A group of cones known as Las Lágrimas overlies the SW rim of the caldera, and Volcán Guanaqueros on the NE flank of the caldera is a group of young basaltic-to-andesitic cinder cones of possible historical age. The Volcán Overo complex in the NE part of the caldera and the Volcán Sosneado complex in the SE part of the caldera contain numerous very youthful basaltic-to-andesitic pyroclastic cones and lava flows. The Overo complex contains 20 centers, and lava flows of the Sosneado complex cover an area of 200 sq km.

Volcán San José



Volcán San José lies along the Chile-Argentina border at the southern end of a volcano group that includes the Pleistocene volcanoes of Marmolejo and Espíritu Santo. The glaciated 6109-m-high Marmolejo stratovolcano is truncated by a 4-km-wide caldera, breached to the NW, that has been the source of a massive debris avalanche. San José is a 5856-m-high stratovolcano of Pleistocene-Holocene age with a broad 2 km x 0.5 km summit region containing overlapping and nested craters, pyroclastic cones, and blocky lava flows. Volcán la Engorda and Volcán Plantat, located SW of Marmolejo and NW of San Jose, have also been active during the Holocene. An 8-km-long lava flow traveled to the SW from the 1-km-wide summit crater of Espíritu Santo volcano, which overlaps the
southern slope of Marmolejo. Mild phreatomagmatic eruptions were recorded from San José in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Maipo conical stratovolcano



Maipo, a conical stratovolcano that straddles the Chile-Argentina border SE of Santiago, partially fills the 16 x 20 km Pleistocene Diamante caldera, which formed about 0.45 million years ago during an eruption that produced an about 350 cu km rhyolitic ignimbrite. The Pleistocene cones of Volcán Don Casimiro and Cerro Listado were formed on the SW rim and SW flank of the caldera, respectively. The post-caldera Maipo stratovolcano rises about 1900 m above the caldera floor and was constructed by strombolian-vulcanian explosions. It has a youthful appearance, and ashfall deposits overlie glacial ice. Several parasitic cones were constructed on the east flank of Maipo along a series on en échelon NE-trending fractures. Lava flows from one of these cones blocked drainages in 1826 inside the caldera, forming Lake Diamante on the eastern caldera floor.

Tupungatito stratovolcano



Tupungatito volcano, the northernmost historically active volcano of the central Chilean Andes, is located along the Chile-Argentina border about 90 km east of Santiago and immediately SW of the Pleistocene Tupungato volcano. Tupungatito consists of a group of 12 Holocene andesitic and basaltic andesite craters and a pyroclastic cone at the NW end of the 4-km-wide, Pleistocene dacitic Nevado Sin Nombre caldera, which is filled by glaciers at its southern end and is breached to the NW. Lava flows from the northernmost vent have traveled down the NW flank breach. Tupungatito has produced frequent mild explosive eruptions during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Robledo caldera



The 6-km-wide Robledo caldera in NW Argentina is located 80 km SW of the much larger and better known Cerro Galán caldera. The Holocene Cerro Blanco del Robledo lava dome is located on the southern rim of the Robledo caldera (de Silva and Francis, 1991). Extensive rhyolitic pumice-fall deposits surround the dome. Well-preserved pyroclastic-flow deposits erupted prior to extrusion of Cerro Blanco are exposed on the floor of the caldera and on its NW flanks. Satellite geodetic surveys in the central Andes (Pritchard and Simons, 2002) showed subsidence of Robledo caldera in the 1990s.

Aracar stratovolcano



Aracar is a steep-sided stratovolcano with a youthful-looking summit crater 1-1.5 km in diameter that contains a small lake. It is located just east of the Argentina-Chile border. The volcano was constructed during three eruptive cycles dating back to the Pliocene. The andesitic stratovolcano overlies dacitic lava domes. Lava flows are found at the base of the volcano below 4500 m elevation are relatively well preserved, but upper-flank lavas, often an indication of youthful activity, are not present (de Silva, 2007 pers. comm.). There were reports of possible ash columns from the summit in 1993, but it is not known whether these were rockfall dust or eruption plumes

Olca-Paruña stratovolcano complex











The Olca-Paruña volcanic complex, forms a 15-km-long E-W ridge forming the border between Chile and Bolivia and is comprised of several stratovolcanoes with Holocene lava flows. Volcán Olca lies near the western end of the complex. It is flanked to the east by Volcán Paruña, which is immediately west of the higher pre-Holocene Cerro Paruña volcano, the conical peak in the background. Volcán Paruña has been the source of conspicuous fresh lava flows and has displayed persistent fumarolic activity in recent years.

Volcán Ollagüe, stratovolcano



Volcán Ollagüe, also known as Oyahué, is a massive andesitic stratovolcano with a summit dacitic lava dome. A large Pleistocene debris-avalanche deposit extending westward from the Ollagüe volcano separates the Salar de San Martín from the Salar de Ollagüe. Three youthful-looking silicic lava flows mark late post-collapse eruptions, but show evidence of glaciation and are thought to pre-date the last glacial advance at about 11,000 years ago (Freeley et al., 1993). A youthful-looking scoria cone on the lower WSW flank, La Poruñita, was initially considered to be of Holocene age (González-Ferrán, 1995), however
Wörner et al. (2000) later obtained Potassium-Argon dates of 420,000 to 680,000 years. Active sulfur mines on the upper western and southern flanks of Ollagüe are reached by a road that climbs to about 5500 m elevation. No historical eruptions have been recorded from Ollagüe; activity has been restricted to periods of intense fumarolic activity, and a persistent steam plume emanates from a fumarole on the south side of the summit dome.

Cerro del Azufre stratovolcano complex



The large volcanic complex at the center of this NASA Space Shuttle image is Cerro del Azufre (large volcanic complex at the center of this NASA Space Shuttle image), a 5846-m-high volcano that lies just west of the Bolivian border, just south of Salar de Ascotán (the light-colored area at the upper right). A youthful lava dome forms a small circular area below and to the right of the center of the image, and the Holocene San Pedro-San Pablo volcanic complex lies at the left-center.

Cerro Chascón de Purico Pyroclastic shield complex



The Purico volcanic complex consists of two ignimbrite sheets, separated by a short erosional interval, that were erupted about 1.3 million years ago, along with several stratovolcanoes and lava domes that define a postulated 10 x 20 km ring fracture. Cerro Toco volcano overlies the vent area of the Cajón Ignimbrite. The youngest lava domes, Cerro Chascón de Purico and Cerro Aspero are of Holocene age (de Silva and Francis, 1991). Both domes differ morphologically from many other flat-topped silicic Andean volcanic domes and have 300-400 m high conical profiles. Cerro Chascón was formed by a series of viscous lava flows, whereas Cerro Aspero appears to be a single Pelean-type dome. The Chascón de Purico dacitic dome rising 1200 m above the ignimbrite shield has a well-preserved summit crater and lava flows that show no evidence of glacial modification. The dacitic-to-andesitic Macon stratovolcano of Holocene age lies at the southern end of the complex, and the Alitar maar at the SE end displays constant solfataric activity.

This is just a small report on major volcanic entities in the region, as the Wikipeadia list shows there's many more volcanic items to research - let alone the scores of gieser basins, hydrothermal pockets and pyroclastic vents. One could spend a lifetime, just in Chile alone, researching it's many volcanoes, hopefully my short quest will allow folks the time saving experience of informing themselves of this region's potential.

With that, I'll leave off of this massive report with several additional volcanic scenes that you may enjoy. I hope this post has been informative at beast. With the astounding amount of caldera hotspots Chile possesses, the potential for a YellowStone sized event is very plauseable! =)

Thank you for this effort. I will spend the time later today to go over this.

Originally posted by DarkspARCS
I spent quite a bit of time today doing some research into the Chilean geologic makeup as it relates to the recent 8.8 earthquake that happened a few days ago. I researched tectonic data as it related to volcanic occurance...

Well, nice information, and nice effort...But there is a slight problem. Nothing I have seen relates the 8.8 quake or its aftershocks directly to volcanic activity. It appears to be more an issue of tectonic subduction zone activity on the Nazca Plate... I have a thread about this very thing here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

And the new quakes we are getting all over the edges of the plate are really starting to suggest that there could be a major plate thrust upcoming. Read the thread for more details...

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Originally posted by DarkspARCS
I spent quite a bit of time today doing some research into the Chilean geologic makeup as it relates to the recent 8.8 earthquake that happened a few days ago. I researched tectonic data as it related to volcanic occurance...

Well, nice information, and nice effort...But there is a slight problem. Nothing I have seen relates the 8.8 quake or its aftershocks directly to volcanic activity. It appears to be more an issue of tectonic subduction zone activity on the Nazca Plate... I have a thread about this very thing here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

And the new quakes we are getting all over the edges of the plate are really starting to suggest that there could be a major plate thrust upcoming. Read the thread for more details...

While I'm glad that you have a thread for the earthquake - the title to THIS thread has nothing to do with your efforts, however volcanism IS directly related to tectonic activity - and what's more these earthquakes are precursors to shifting magmatic releases - yes, MOLTEN TECTONIC UPHEAVAL...

THIS IS A CHILEAN VOLCANIC FACTS thread -

AND I'M REAL TIRED OF FOLKS LIKE YOURSELF WHO COME INTO MY POSTS AND ***HIJACK*** THE THREAD!

Whether or not which tectonic plate is doing what, INEVITABLY that movement is going to set off one or more of these SEVERELY LIFE THREATENING volcanic calderas.

Speculation from even the Chilean Government was that one or more volcanoes from the mid Chilean volcanic complex were going to go, and speculation of that possibility remains on red alert!...

THIS thread is providing details about those volcanoes, along with several from the northern volcanic complex, and southern volcanic complex, and a couple of related volcanoes that exist in Argentina.

Please review the information that I've provided if you are so inclined to do so, and link your threads - but please don't try to tell me or others on ATS that my efforts here - or theirs for that matter - are not up to par with what you disinformally suggest it as being.

I spent half the day compiling this information, non stop, and to have someone like yourself almost instantly try to hijack this thread is a pretty insulting thing to do, and yes, I've taken offense at your efforts.

Now, to continue...

on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 07:39:25 PM there was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake - NOT AFTERSHOCK - BUT EARTHQUAKE - that occurred in Antofagasta, Chile. The Depth of this quake is what's the smoking gun pertaining to what type of tectonic activity caused it. at 105.10 km (65.3 miles) below the Earth's surface, this indeed represents the upheaval of the local magma chamber(s) releasing pressure, from one or more of the caldera complexes located practically in the same location as the earthquake.

These volcanoes exist in what's known as the central volcanic complex of the Andes mountains in Chile. I've provided information about most of those caldera complexes and other vents within the region within the post above.

Volcánes de Antofagasta, Chile




Cerro del León is a stratovolcano located in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile. Chao dacitic lava dome separates it from Paniri volcano and to its east lies Chillahuita, another dacitic lava dome. Cerro Chao has a volume of about 26 km³, making it the Earth's largest lava dome of its kind.

two volatile Volcanic complexes within the region of the original Bio-Bio 8.8 earthquake have indeed showed radical signs of awakening!

Volcan Villarrica, Araucanía Region, Chile



post about this volcano:

this is Villarrica volcano near Temuco in araucanía region.I was very close to this volcano by the time of the earthquake(in a countryside in lican ray)this volcano normally shows some activity, but it increased after the quake (39°25′12″S 71°56′21″O). www.povi.cl...

Villarrica is currently erupting

Volcan Chaiten, Chiaten Region, Chile



Chaitén is a small, glacier-free caldera with a Holocene lava dome located 10 km NE of the town of Chaitén on the Gulf of Corcovado. A pyroclastic-surge and pumice layer that was considered to originate from the eruption that formed the elliptical 2.5 x 4 km wide summit caldera was dated at about 9400 years ago. A rhyolitic, 962-m-high obsidian lava dome occupies much of the caldera floor. Obsidian cobbles from this dome found in the Blanco River are the source of prehistorical artifacts from archaeological sites along the Pacific coast as far as 400 km away from the volcano to the north and south. The caldera is breached on the SW side by a river that drains to the bay of Chaitén, and the high point on its southern rim reaches 1122 m. Two small lakes occupy the caldera floor on the west and north sides of the lava dome.

Chiaten is currently erupting

these two locations on Google Earth verified this report...

My oh my...We wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

The big quake and it's aftershocks were a subduction zone event, and had nothing to do with volcanoes, Because if they did, the USGS would likely have said right here in the earthquake summary of the big quake:

Tectonic Summary

This earthquake occurred at the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. The two plates are converging at a rate of 70 mm per year. The earthquake occurred as thrust-faulting on the interface between the two plates, with the Nazca plate moving down and landward below the South American plate.

Coastal Chile has a history of very large earthquakes. Since 1973, there have been 13 events of magnitude 7.0 or greater. The February 27 shock originated about 230 km north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960 -- the largest earthquake worldwide since the beginning of instrumental seismology at the beginning of the twentieth century. The giant 1960 earthquake spawned a tsunami that caused destruction on coasts throughout the Pacific Ocean basin. An estimated 1600 lives were lost to the 1960 earthquake and tsunami in Chile, and the 1960 tsunami took another 200 lives among Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines. Approximately 300 km to the north of the February 27 earthquake is the source region of the magnitude 8.2 earthquake of August 17, 1906. The tsunami associated with the 1906 earthquake produced some damage in Hawaii, with reported run-up heights as great as 3.5 m. Approximately 870 km to the north of the February 27 earthquake is the source region of the magnitude 8.5 earthquake of November, 1922. The 1922 earthquake significantly impacted central Chile, killing several hundred people and causing severe property damage. The 1922 quake generated a 9-meter local tsunami that inundated the Chile coast near the town of Coquimbo; the tsunami also crossed the Pacific, washing away boats in Hilo harbor, Hawaii. The magnitude 8.8 earthquake of February 27, 2010 ruptured the portion of the South American subduction zone separating the source regions of the 1960 and 1906 earthquakes.

A large vigorous aftershock sequence can be expected from this earthquake.

earthquake.usgs.gov...

I was merely pointing this out, and not trying to hijack your thread. Like I really need to hijack your thread?

In fact, I complemented you on your efforts. But merely quoted that your intent did not match up with known reports. So there is the report from the biggest authority of such on the planet. If their report is not good enough, and you choose to twist this into some kind of vitriolic response because I pointed that out, then that's on you my friend.

Wasn't my intent at all. You want opinions and come to ATS, and you'll get em. But don't freak when they don't all agree with yours, and the other guy is sourcing the most credible information there is. K? See ya.

lol.. you'll have to excuse me, I went through some issues on another thread that just got me riled up.

Welcome to ATS 101. If they can rile you up, they'll do it lol.