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Aguas Calientes

Lascar

Stratovolcano · Chile · 5592m

Volcán Láscar (right) is the most active volcano of the northern Chilean Andes. A steam plume rises in 1986 from one of six overlapping summit craters capping the andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano, which is seen here from Toconao to the NW. Volcán Aguas Calientes (left center), an older, higher stratovolcano 5 km to the east, displays a well-developed summit crater and a probable Holocene lava flow near its summit. Frequent explosive eruptions have been recorded from Láscar since the mid-19th century.
Volcán Láscar (right) is the most active volcano of the northern Chilean Andes. A steam plume rises in 1986 from one of six overlapping summit craters capping the andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano, which is seen here from Toconao to the NW. Volcán Aguas Calientes (left center), an older, higher stratovolcano 5 km to the east, displays a well-developed summit crater and a probable Holocene lava flow near its summit. Frequent explosive eruptions have been recorded from Láscar since the mid-19th century. · Photo: Photo by Paul King, MINSAL Corporation, 1986 (courtesy of Peter Francis, Open University). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Chile
Region
South America Volcanic Regions / Central Andean Volcanic Arc
Elevation
5592m
Coordinates
-23.370, -67.730
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

Láscar is the most active volcano of the northern Chilean Andes. The andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano contains six overlapping summit craters. Prominent lava flows descend its NW flanks. An older, higher stratovolcano 5 km E, Volcán Aguas Calientes, displays a well-developed summit crater and a probable Holocene lava flow near its summit (de Silva and Francis, 1991). Láscar consists of two major edifices; activity began at the eastern volcano and then shifted to the western cone. The largest eruption took place about 26,500 years ago, and following the eruption of the Tumbres scoria flow about 9000 years ago, activity shifted back to the eastern edifice, where three overlapping craters were formed. Frequent small-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded since the mid-19th century, along with periodic larger eruptions that produced ashfall hundreds of kilometers away. The largest historical eruption took place in 1993, producing pyroclastic flows to 8.5 km NW of the summit and ashfall in Buenos Aires.

From Wikipedia

Aguas Calientes Volcano or Cerro Aguas Calientes, also called Simba, is a cone-shaped stratovolcano located 5 kilometres (3 mi) east of the Lascar volcano and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of Laguna Lejía, Chile. It is located within a 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi) area where the Cordón de Puntas Negras and the Cordón Chalviri volcanic chains intersect. The volcano is constructed from andesite and dacite containing hornblende and anhydrite; its pyroclastics are all older than Lascar. It has a diameter of about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi). Some xenoliths of calc-alkaline material are found in Aguas Calientes lavas, and magma mixing has generated lavas containing andesite inclusions in dacites. One eruption of Aguas Calientes postdates the first centre of Lascar and was originally linked to the Lascar Piedras Grandes eruption, before sampling on the deposits of this eruption indicated a relationship with the Lascar volcano itself. Effusion of lava ceased after the cone was built. One summit lava flow may be of Holocene age, but no evidence of historical activity is found.

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Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
7250 BCE~6941 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?5395 BCE~5086 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01717~2026 · 36 eruptions · max VEI 47250 BCE5086 BCE2612 BCE448 BCE1717

Detailed timeline

  1. 2026VEI ?Observed
    2026-02-08 – 2026-02-08
  2. 2022VEI 3Observed
    2022-12-10 – 2023-02-03
  3. 2015VEI 2Observed
    2015-10-30 – 2017-04-02
    Summit craters
  4. 2013VEI 1Observed
    2013-04-02 – 2013-11-20
    Central active crater
  5. 2006VEI 3Observed
    2006-04-18 – 2007-07-18
  6. 2005VEI 3Observed
    2005-05-04 – 2005-05-04
  7. 2003VEI 1Geological estimate
    2003-12-09 – 2003-12-09
  8. 2002VEI 2Observed
    2002-10-26 – 2002-10-27
  9. 2001VEI ?Geological estimate
    2001-05-17 – 2001-07-05
  10. 2000VEI 2Observed
    2000-07-20 – 2001-01-18
  11. 1996VEI 2Observed
    1996-10-18 – 1996-10-18
  12. 1994VEI 2Observed
    1994-07-20 – 1994-07-26
  13. 1994VEI 2Observed
    1994-11-13 – 1995-07-20
  14. 1993VEI 4Observed
    1993-01-30 – 1993-08-16
    Western crater of east summit cone
  15. 1993VEI 2Observed
    1993-12-17 – 1994-02-27
  16. 1991VEI 2Observed
    1991-10-21 – 1992-05-23
  17. 1990VEI 1Observed
    1990-11-24 – 1990-11-24
  18. 1987VEI 3Observed
    1987-11-16 – 1990-04-06
    Western crater of east summit cone
  19. 1986VEI 3Observed
    1986-09-14 – 1986-09-16
    Western crater of east summit cone
  20. 1984VEI 0Observed
    1984-12-16 – 1985-07-16
    Western crater of east summit cone
  21. 1974VEI 1Geological estimate
    1974-07-16 – 1974-09-16
  22. 1972VEI 2Geological estimate
    1972-07-02 – Ongoing
  23. 1969VEI 1Observed
    1969-05-16 – Ongoing
  24. 1959VEI 2Observed
    1959-11-16 – 1968-01-31
  25. 1954VEI 2Observed
    1954-06-16 – 1954-07-16
  26. 1951VEI 2Observed
    1951-11-16 – 1952-02-19
    East summit crater
  27. 1940VEI 2Observed
    1940 – Ongoing
  28. 1933VEI 2Observed
    1933-10-09 – 1933-12
  29. 1902VEI 2Observed
    1902 – Ongoing
  30. 1898VEI 2Observed
    1898 – 1900
  31. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883 – 1885
  32. 1875VEI 2Observed
    1875 – Ongoing
  33. 1858VEI 2Observed
    1858-04 – 1858-12
  34. 1854VEI 1Observed
    1854-01-20 – 1854-01-30
    Lascar or Aguas Calientes
  35. 1853VEI 2Geological estimate
    1853 – Ongoing
  36. 1848VEI 2Observed
    1848 – Ongoing
    Lascar or Agua Calientes
  37. 5150 BCE (±1250 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    BCE 5150 – Ongoing
    Eastern crater
  38. 7250 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 7250 – Ongoing
    Lascar II (Tumbres scoria flow)

External links

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