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Chacana

Caldera · Ecuador · 4643m

The floor of the massive Chacana caldera is seen here in the foreground, looking SE with glacier-covered Antisana volcano in the distance. Chacana is a 32 x 24 km caldera complex of Pliocene-Holocene age. Its outer flanks extend over 50 km, making it one of the largest rhyolitic centers of the northern Andes. Numerous lava domes were constructed within the caldera, which has been the source of frequent Holocene explosive eruptions. Dacitic lava flows were erupted during the 18th century and numerous hot springs are found on the caldera floor.
The floor of the massive Chacana caldera is seen here in the foreground, looking SE with glacier-covered Antisana volcano in the distance. Chacana is a 32 x 24 km caldera complex of Pliocene-Holocene age. Its outer flanks extend over 50 km, making it one of the largest rhyolitic centers of the northern Andes. Numerous lava domes were constructed within the caldera, which has been the source of frequent Holocene explosive eruptions. Dacitic lava flows were erupted during the 18th century and numerous hot springs are found on the caldera floor. · Photo: Photo by Minard Hall, 1976 (Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito).
Type
Caldera
Country
Ecuador
Region
South America Volcanic Regions / Northern Andean Volcanic Arc
Elevation
4643m
Coordinates
-0.375, -78.250
Last eruption
1773
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Caldera
Major rock type
Rhyolite
Geological summary

Chacana is a massive, eroded caldera complex of Pliocene-Holocene age that forms one of the largest rhyolitic centers of the northern Andes. The caldera is 32 km long in the N-S direction and 18-24 km wide E-W. It was constructed during three cycles of andesitic-to-rhyolitic volcanism, with major eruptions about 240,000, 180,00, and 160,000 years ago. Dacitic lava flows were erupted from caldera-floor fissures between about 30,000 and 21,000 years ago. Numerous lava domes were constructed within the caldera, which has been the source of frequent explosive eruptions throughout the Holocene as well as historical lava flows during the 18th century. The massive Antisana stratovolcano was constructed immediately to the SE.

From Wikipedia

Chacana is a large 32-km long - 18–24 km wide caldera that has erupted in historical times. It forms one of the largest rhyolite centers in the Northern Andes with major eruptions over the past 240,000, 180,00, and 160,000 years ago and has had andesitic-rhyolitic volcanism. With dacitic lava flows continuing into historical times. Lava domes were also constructed in the Holocene. Chacana is located 30 km from Quito and the large Antisana volcano is constructed to the southeast.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
8050 BCE~7723 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1829 BCE~1501 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?192 BCE~136 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1446~1773 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 08050 BCE5758 BCE3138 BCE846 BCE1446

Detailed timeline

  1. 1773VEI 0Observed
    1773 – Ongoing
    South part of caldera
  2. 1760VEI 0Observed
    1760 – Ongoing
    SW flank
  3. 50 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 50 – Ongoing
  4. 1580 BCE (±10 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 1580 – Ongoing
  5. 8050 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 8050 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.