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Misti

Misti, El

Stratovolcano · Peru · 5793m

El Misti, Perú's best known volcano, is a symmetrical stratovolcano that towers above the city of Arequipa. It is seen here from the west at the margin of Arequipa's airport. The modern symmetrical cone has a small, 1.5-km-wide summit caldera containing nested craters. It caps an older Pleistocene volcano that collapsed, producing debris avalanches to the west and SW. El Misti's most recent activity has been dominantly pyroclastic. Historical eruptions date back to the 15th century.
El Misti, Perú's best known volcano, is a symmetrical stratovolcano that towers above the city of Arequipa. It is seen here from the west at the margin of Arequipa's airport. The modern symmetrical cone has a small, 1.5-km-wide summit caldera containing nested craters. It caps an older Pleistocene volcano that collapsed, producing debris avalanches to the west and SW. El Misti's most recent activity has been dominantly pyroclastic. Historical eruptions date back to the 15th century. · Photo: Photo by Norm Banks, 1988 (U.S. Geological Survey). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Peru
Region
South America Volcanic Regions / Central Andean Volcanic Arc
Elevation
5793m
Coordinates
-16.299, -71.406
Last eruption
1985
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

El Misti is a symmetrical andesitic stratovolcano with nested summit craters immediately NE of the city of Arequipa, Peru. Eruptions from the active cone began about 13,700 and 11,300 years ago, within a 1.5 x 2 km caldera that underwent collapse about 50,000 years ago. A large scoria cone has grown with the 830-m-wide outer summit crater. At least 20 tephra-fall deposits and numerous pyroclastic-flow deposits have been documented during the past 50,000 years, including a pyroclastic flow that traveled 12 km S about 2,000 years ago. The most recent activity has been dominantly pyroclastic, and strong winds have formed a parabolic dune field of volcanic ash extending up to 20 km downwind. An eruption in the 15th century affected nearby Inca inhabitants. Some reported eruptions may represent increased fumarolic activity.

From Wikipedia

Misti is a volcano in the southern Peruvian Andes, rising above Arequipa, Peru’s second-largest city. It has a steep conical profile and two nested summit craters. The inner crater contains an active lava plug or dome, pierced by vents that emit volcanic gases. The summit reaches 5822 m above sea level, on the rim of the outer crater. Snow covers the summit but does not persist, and there are no glaciers. The upper slopes are largely barren, while lower elevations support scrub and other bushy vegetation.

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Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
7190 BCE~6884 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?5661 BCE~5355 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?4132 BCE~3826 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?3520 BCE~3214 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?2297 BCE~1991 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?462 BCE~156 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?156 BCE~150 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 4456~762 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1068~1373 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1373~1679 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 21679~1985 · 8 eruptions · max VEI 27190 BCE5049 BCE2602 BCE462 BCE1679

Detailed timeline

  1. 1985VEI 1Observed
    1985-07-02 – Ongoing
  2. 1870VEI 1Geological estimate
    1870-03 – Ongoing
  3. 1869VEI 1Geological estimate
    1869-09 – Ongoing
  4. 1831VEI 1Geological estimate
    1831-08 – Ongoing
  5. 1830VEI 1Geological estimate
    1830-08 – Ongoing
  6. 1826VEI 1Geological estimate
    1826-08 – Ongoing
  7. 1787VEI 1Observed
    1787-07-28 – 1787-10-10
  8. 1784VEI 2Observed
    1784-07-09 – Ongoing
  9. 1677VEI 2Observed
    1677-05-02 – Ongoing
  10. 1599VEI 1Geological estimate
    1599 – Ongoing
  11. 1542VEI 1Geological estimate
    1542 – Ongoing
  12. 1454 (±16 yrs)VEI 2Observed
    1454 – Ongoing
  13. 1350 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1350 – Ongoing
  14. 760 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    760 – Ongoing
  15. 90 (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    90 – Ongoing
  16. 80 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    BCE 80 – Ongoing
  17. 310 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 310 – Ongoing
  18. 2230 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 2230 – Ongoing
  19. 3510 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 3510 – Ongoing
  20. 4020 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 4020 – Ongoing
  21. 5390 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 5390 – Ongoing
  22. 7190 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 7190 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.