SERNAGEOMIN reported that the eruption at Villarrica was ongoing during 11-17 January. Strombolian explosions and lava fountaining from the vent on the crater floor were frequently visible in webcam images. Explosions during 11-12 January ejected material 80 m high and as far as 250 m onto the NE flank. The number of explosions increased during 14-15 January, some ejecting material up to 150 m above the crater rim. POVI scientists counted about 70 instances of lava fountaining from 2130 on 14 January to 0600 on 15 January. Material ejected by the explosions stayed within or near the crater during 16-17 January. The Alert Level remained at Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-color scale). ONEMI maintained the Alert Level at Yellow (the middle level on a three-color scale) for the municipalities of Villarrica, Pucón (16 km N), Curarrehue, and the commune of Panguipulli.

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.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN), Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI), Proyecto Observación Villarrica Internet (POVI)