Villarrica Volcano
Villarrica
Stratovolcano · Chile · 2847m
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Country
- Chile
- Region
- South America Volcanic Regions / Southern Andean Volcanic Arc
- Elevation
- 2847m
- Coordinates
- -39.420, -71.930
- Last eruption
- 2025
- Tectonic setting
- Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
- Landform
- Composite
- Major rock type
- Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary
The glacier-covered Villarrica stratovolcano, in the northern Lakes District of central Chile, is ~15 km south of the city of Pucon. A 2-km-wide caldera that formed about 3,500 years ago is located at the base of the presently active, dominantly basaltic to basaltic andesite cone at the NW margin of a 6-km-wide Pleistocene caldera. More than 30 scoria cones and fissure vents are present on the flanks. Plinian eruptions and pyroclastic flows that have extended up to 20 km from the volcano were produced during the Holocene. Lava flows up to 18 km long have issued from summit and flank vents. Eruptions documented since 1558 CE have consisted largely of mild-to-moderate explosive activity with occasional lava effusion. Glaciers cover 40 km2 of the volcano, and lahars have damaged towns on its flanks.
From Wikipedia
Villarrica is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name, 750 km (470 mi) south of Santiago. It is also known as Rucapillán, a Mapuche word meaning "great spirit's house" or " the demon's house". It is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes that trend northwest to southeast obliquely perpendicular to the Andean chain along the Mocha-Villarrica Fault Zone, and along with Quetrupillán and the Chilean portion of Lanín, are protected within Villarrica National Park. Guided ascents are popular during summer months.
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Eruption history
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
Detailed timeline
- 2026VEI ?Observed2026-02-21 – 2026-03-13
- 2014VEI 3Observed2014-12-02 – 2025-04-19Summit crater
- 2013VEI 1Observed2013-07-25 – 2013-07-29Summit crater
- 2012VEI 1Observed2012-11-14 – 2012-11-14
- 2009VEI 1Observed2009-01-29 – 2009-03-24
- 2009VEI 1Observed2009-11-22 – 2012-04-20
- 2008VEI 1Observed2008-10-26 – Ongoing
- 2004VEI 1Observed2004-08-05 – 2007-12-24
- 2003VEI 1Observed2003-05-23 – 2004-03-25
- 1998VEI 1Observed1998-02-24 – 2002-06-16
- 1996VEI 1Observed1996-01-16 – Ongoing
- 1996VEI 1Observed1996-09-14 – 1997-08-16
- 1995VEI 1Observed1995-04-15 – 1995-06-02
- 1994VEI 1Observed1994-09-26 – 1994-12-30
- 1992VEI 1Observed1992-09-11 – 1992-12-16
- 1991VEI 2Observed1991-08-30 – 1991-09-17
- 1984VEI 2Observed1984-08-11 – 1985-11-18
- 1983VEI 1Observed1983-10-14 – 1983-10-16
- 1980VEI 2Observed1980-06-20 – 1980-09-24
- 1977VEI 1Observed1977-01-26 – 1977-01-30
- 1971VEI 2Observed1971-10-29 – 1972-02-21Summit, NE and SW flanks
- 1964VEI 2Observed1964-03-02 – 1964-04-21
- 1963VEI 3Observed1963-02-25 – 1963-09-21Summit and upper SW flank
- 1961VEI 1Observed1961-07-02 – Ongoing
- 1960VEI 1Geological estimate1960-07-02 – Ongoing
- 1958VEI 1Observed1958-11-06 – 1959-12-21
- 1956VEI 1Observed1956-10-03 – 1956-11-16
- 1950VEI ?Geological estimate1950-07-02 – Ongoing
- 1948VEI 2Observed1948-04-10 – Ongoing
- 1948VEI 3Observed1948-10-09 – 1949-02-03
- 1947VEI 1Observed1947 – Ongoing
- 1938VEI 1Geological estimate1938-02-11 – Ongoing
- 1938VEI 2Observed1938-12-01 – 1939-02-01
- 1935VEI 1Observed1935-12-01 – 1936-06-27
- 1933VEI 2Observed1933-01-05 – 1933-01-18
- 1929VEI 1Observed1929-12-27 – Ongoing
- 1927VEI 2Observed1927 – 1928
- 1922VEI 2Observed1922-10-24 – 1922-11-27
- 1921VEI 2Geological estimate1921-12-10 – Ongoing
- 1920VEI 2Observed1920-12-10 – 1920-12-13
- 1919VEI ?Geological estimate1919 – Ongoing
- 1915VEI 1Observed1915 – 1918
- 1909VEI 2Observed1909-08-19 – 1910
- 1908VEI 2Observed1908-10-31 – 1908-12-12
- 1907VEI 2Observed1907-05-05 – 1907-05-26
- 1906VEI 2Observed1906-04-22 – 1906-12
- 1904VEI 2Observed1904 – Ongoing
- 1902VEI 2Geological estimate1902 – Ongoing
- 1897VEI 2Observed1897-12-01 – 1898-02-01
- 1893VEI 2Observed1893-12-01 – 1894-02-01
- 1890VEI 2Geological estimate1890 – Ongoing
- 1883VEI 2Observed1883 – Ongoing
- 1880VEI 2Observed1880 – Ongoing
- 1879VEI 2Observed1879-02-02 – 1879-03
- 1877VEI 2Observed1877-03-12 – 1877-05
- 1875VEI 2Observed1875-11-17 – 1876
- 1874VEI 2Observed1874-04-16 – Ongoing
- 1871VEI 2Geological estimate1871 – Ongoing
- 1869VEI 2Observed1869-02-04 – 1869-02-24
- 1867VEI ?Geological estimate1867 – 1868
- 1864VEI 2Observed1864-10 – Ongoing
- 1859VEI 2Observed1859-05-19 – 1860-04-12
- 1853VEI 2Observed1853-11 – Ongoing
- 1852VEI ?Geological estimate1852 – Ongoing
- 1850VEI 2Geological estimate1850 – Ongoing
- 1841VEI 2Geological estimate1841 – Ongoing
- 1837VEI 2Observed1837-11-07 – 1837-11-21
- 1836VEI 2Geological estimate1836 – Ongoing
- 1832VEI 2Observed1832-12-24 – Ongoing
- 1826VEI 2Geological estimate1826 – Ongoing
- 1822VEI 2Observed1822-11-19 – 1822-11-25
- 1815VEI 1Observed1815 – 1818
- 1806VEI 2Observed1806-04 – 1806-05
- 1798VEI 2Geological estimate1798 – Ongoing
- 1790VEI 1Observed1790-01 – 1801
- 1787VEI 2Observed1787 – Ongoing
- 1780VEI 1Observed1780 – Ongoing
- 1777VEI 1Observed1777 – 1779
- 1775VEI 2Geological estimate1775 – Ongoing
- 1771VEI 2Geological estimate1771 – Ongoing
- 1767VEI 2Geological estimate1767 – Ongoing
- 1761VEI 2Geological estimate1761 – Ongoing
- 1759VEI 1Observed1759-12 – 1759-12
- 1751VEI 1Observed1751-12-14 – Ongoing
- 1745VEI 1Observed1745 – Ongoing
- 1742VEI 2Observed1742 – Ongoing
- 1737VEI 2Observed1737-12-24 – Ongoing
- 1730VEI 2Observed1730-07-08 – Ongoing
- 1721VEI 2Geological estimate1721 – Ongoing
- 1716VEI 1Observed1716 – Ongoing
- 1715VEI 2Geological estimate1715 – Ongoing
- 1709VEI 2Geological estimate1709 – Ongoing
- 1708VEI 2Geological estimate1708 – Ongoing
- 1705VEI 2Geological estimate1705 – Ongoing
- 1688VEI 1Observed1688 – Ongoing
- 1682VEI 2Geological estimate1682 – Ongoing
- 1675VEI 2Geological estimate1675 – Ongoing
- 1672VEI 2Geological estimate1672 – Ongoing
- 1669VEI 2Geological estimate1669 – Ongoing
- 1657VEI 1Observed1657-03-15 – Ongoing
- 1647VEI 1Observed1647-05-13 – Ongoing
- 1645VEI 2Geological estimate1645 – Ongoing
- 1642VEI 2Geological estimate1642 – Ongoing
- 1640VEI ?Geological estimate1640-02-03 – Ongoing
- 1638VEI 2Geological estimate1638 – Ongoing
- 1632VEI 2Geological estimate1632 – Ongoing
- 1625VEI 2Geological estimate1625 – Ongoing
- 1617VEI 2Geological estimate1617 – Ongoing
- 1612VEI 2Geological estimate1612 – Ongoing
- 1610VEI 2Geological estimate1610 – Ongoing
- 1604VEI 2Geological estimate1604 – Ongoing
- 1600VEI 2Geological estimate1600 – Ongoing
- 1594VEI 2Observed1594 – Ongoing
- 1584VEI 2Geological estimate1584 – Ongoing
- 1582VEI 2Geological estimate1582 – Ongoing
- 1579VEI 2Geological estimate1579 – Ongoing
- 1564VEI 2Geological estimate1564 – Ongoing
- 1562VEI 2Observed1562 – Ongoing
- 1558VEI 2Observed1558 – Ongoing
- 1553VEI 2Geological estimate1553 – Ongoing
- 1543VEI 2Geological estimate1543 – Ongoing
- 1539VEI 2Geological estimate1539 – Ongoing
- 1538VEI 2Geological estimate1538 – Ongoing
- 1537VEI 2Geological estimate1537 – Ongoing
- 1526VEI 2Geological estimate1526 – Ongoing
- 1523VEI 2Geological estimate1523 – Ongoing
- 1521VEI 2Geological estimate1521 – Ongoing
- 1516VEI 2Geological estimate1516 – Ongoing
- 1515VEI 2Geological estimate1515 – Ongoing
- 1509VEI 2Geological estimate1509 – Ongoing
- 1503VEI 2Geological estimate1503 – Ongoing
- 1497VEI 2Geological estimate1497 – Ongoing
- 1494VEI 2Geological estimate1494 – Ongoing
- 1492VEI 2Geological estimate1492 – Ongoing
- 1483VEI 2Geological estimate1483 – Ongoing
- 1479VEI 2Geological estimate1479 – Ongoing
- 1474VEI 2Geological estimate1474 – Ongoing
- 1471VEI 2Geological estimate1471 – Ongoing
- 1466VEI 2Geological estimate1466 – Ongoing
- 1463VEI 2Geological estimate1463 – Ongoing
- 1454VEI 2Geological estimate1454 – Ongoing
- 1448VEI 2Geological estimate1448 – Ongoing
- 1433VEI 2Geological estimate1433 – Ongoing
- 1417VEI 2Geological estimate1417 – Ongoing
- 1413VEI 2Geological estimate1413 – Ongoing
- 1410VEI 2Geological estimate1410 – Ongoing
- 1404VEI 2Geological estimate1404 – Ongoing
- 1392VEI 2Geological estimate1392 – Ongoing
- 1388VEI 2Geological estimate1388 – Ongoing
- 1384VEI 2Geological estimate1384 – Ongoing
- 330VEI ?Geological estimate330 – Ongoing
- 110VEI 0Geological estimate110 – Ongoing
- 670 BCEVEI 4Geological estimateBCE 670 – Ongoing
- 1080 BCEVEI ?Geological estimateBCE 1080 – Ongoing
- 1230 BCE (±40 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimateBCE 1230 – Ongoing
- 1810 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimateBCE 1810 – Ongoing
- 1980 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimateBCE 1980 – Ongoing
- 2140 BCEVEI ?Geological estimateBCE 2140 – Ongoing
- 2240 BCEVEI ?Geological estimateBCE 2240 – Ongoing
- 2990 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimateBCE 2990 – Ongoing
- 3730 BCEVEI ?Geological estimateBCE 3730 – Ongoing
- 6690 BCEVEI 4Geological estimateBCE 6690 – Ongoing
- 7520 BCE (±900 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimateBCE 7520 – Ongoing
External links
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