Global Volcanism Program

Antuco

Google Earth Placemark with Features

Cite Volcano Profile

Chile
Southern Andean Volcanic Arc
Composite | Stratovolcano
1869 CE

Country
Volcanic Region
Landform | Volc Type
Last Known Eruption

37.406°S
71.349°W
2,979 m
9,774 ft
357080

Latitude
Longitude
Summit
Elevation
Volcano
Number

Most Recent Weekly Report: 24 April-30 April 2013 Cite this Report

The Buenos Aires VAAC reported that only gas and steam rose from Antuco on 20 April; although a pilot reported ash emissions, ash was not identified in satellite imagery or by web camera during clear skies.

Source: Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)

Most Recent Bulletin Report: May 1992 (BGVN 17:05) Cite this Report

Fumarolic activity in summit crater's small scoria cone

During a February overflight, fumarolic activity was visible in the small scoria cone nested within the main crater. Weak summit fumaroles had previously been observed during visits in 1969, 1982, and March 1984. Fumarolic activity has apparently been continuous, but of variable intensity, from the cone since the volcano's last eruption in 1869. Lava flows from Antuco dammed Laja Lake's outlet in 1853, causing the water level to rise around 20 m.

Information Contacts: H. Moreno, SAVO, Temuco.

Weekly Reports - Index

2013: April

24 April-30 April 2013 Cite this Report

Source: Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)

Bulletin Reports - Index

Reports are organized chronologically and indexed below by Month/Year (Publication Volume:Number), and include a one-line summary. Click on the index link or scroll down to read the reports.

05/1992 (BGVN 17:05) Fumarolic activity in summit crater's small scoria cone

Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)

May 1992 (BGVN 17:05) Cite this Report

Fumarolic activity in summit crater's small scoria cone

Information Contacts: H. Moreno, SAVO, Temuco.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Antojo | Antoco | Laxa | Laja

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Condor, Cerro

Stratovolcano

Pangues, Los

Cone

Velluda, Sierra

Stratovolcano

3585 m

37° 28' 0" S

71° 24' 47" W

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Henedura, La

Crater

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

357080

1869 CE

2,979 m / 9,774 ft

37.406°S
71.349°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano
Pyroclastic cone

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

117
474
3,872
381,623

Geological Summary

Antuco volcano, constructed NE of the Pleistocene Sierra Velluda stratovolcano, rises dramatically above the SW shore of Laguna de la Laja. It has a complicated history beginning with construction of the basaltic-to-andesitic Sierra Velluda and Cerro Condor stratovolcanoes of Pliocene-Pleistocene age. Construction of the Antuco I volcano was followed by edifice failure at the beginning of the Holocene that produced a large debris avalanche which traveled down the Río Laja to the west and left a large 5-km-wide caldera breached to the west. The steep-sided modern basaltic-to-andesitic cone has grown 1,000 m since then; flank fissures and cones have also been active. Moderate explosive eruptions were recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries from both summit and flank vents, and lava flows have traveled into the Río Laja drainage.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Casertano L, 1963. Chilean Continent. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 15: 1-55.

Hildreth W, Moorbath S, 1988. Crustal contribution to arc magmatism in the Andes of central Chile. Contr Mineral Petr, 98: 455-489.

Lopez-Escobar L, Vergara M, Frey F A, 1981. Petrology and geochemistry of lavas from Antuco volcano, a basaltic volcano of the southern Andes (37° 25' S). J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 11: 329-352.

Moreno H, 1974. Airplane flight over active volcanoes of central-south Chile. Internatl Symp Volc Andean & Antarctic Volc Problems Guidebook, Excur D-3, 56 p.

Moreno H, Naranjo J A, 1991. The southern Andes volcanoes (33°-41° 30' S), Chile. 6th Geol Cong Chile, Excur PC-3, 26 p.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 11 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1972 Jul 2 ± 182 days ] Discredited Eruption

[ 1929 ] Discredited Eruption

1869 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1869 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	1869	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1863 Dec Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1863 Dec - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	1863 Dec	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

[ 1862 Jan - 1862 Mar 3 ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1862 Jan - 1862 Mar 3

Evidence from Unknown

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Fumarolic or Solfataric

1861 Feb (?) - 1861 Aug (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

1861 Feb (?) - 1861 Aug (?)

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	1861 Feb (?)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1852 Nov - 1853 Jan Confirmed Eruption VEI: 3

Episode 1 | Eruption

NE flank fissure and summit

1852 Nov - 1853 Jan

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 6 Events for Episode 1 at NE flank fissure and summit

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
- - - -	- - - -	Lahar or Mudflow
1852 Nov	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)
1853 Jan	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

[ 1848 ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1848 - Unknown

Evidence from Unknown

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
1848	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1845 Feb 26 - 1845 Mar 1 (in or after) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1845 Feb 26 - 1845 Mar 1 (in or after)

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 7 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	weak or small
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Bombs
- - - -	- - - -	Blocks
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
1845 Feb 26	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

[ 1839 ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1839 - Unknown

Evidence from Unknown

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	1839	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1828 Dec 18 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1828 Dec 18 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 6 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion	weak or small
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Blocks
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
1828 Dec 18	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1820 - 1821 (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 1

Episode 1 | Eruption

1820 - 1821 (?)

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion	weak or small
- - - -	- - - -	Lahar or Mudflow
1820	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1806 May (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1806 May (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Tephra
1806 May (?)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1752 Jan 31 - 1752 Feb 1 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 3 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption

1752 Jan 31 - 1752 Feb 1

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 7 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Lapilli
- - - -	- - - -	Blocks
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
1752 Jan 31	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1750 ± 10 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1750 ± 10 years - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	1750 ± 10 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

7750 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

7750 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Phreatic activity
- - - -	- - - -	Avalanche
- - - -	- - - -	Edifice Destroyed	Collapse/avalanche

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Antuco.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Antuco.

Photo Gallery

Antuco volcano rises dramatically above the shores of Laguna de la Laja. Edifice failure at the beginning of the Holocene created a large horseshoe-shaped caldera whose NW rim forms the ridge descending diagonally across the photo to the right. The steep-sided modern basaltic cone has grown 1000 m since then, producing fresh-looking lava flows with prominent levees that have overtopped the caldera rim and reached the lake shore in the foreground. The most recent eruptions of Antuco occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Photo by Hugo Moreno (University of Chile).

A somewhat fanciful sketch depicts visitors fleeing a small phreatic explosion from a vent in the summit crater of Antuco volcano on March 1, 1839. Historical eruptions of Antuco have been recorded since the middle of the 18th century. All historical activity has consisted of mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions, with the exception of a flank eruption during 1852-53 that produced a lava flow.

From the collection of Maurice and Katia Krafft.

Antuco volcano, seen here from the NW, has a complicated history beginning with construction of an andesitic stratovolcano during the Pleistocene. Edifice failure at the beginning of the Holocene produced a large debris avalanche that traveled down the Río Laja to the west. The collapse left a large horseshoe-shaped caldera whose NW rim forms the ridge descending to the right. The steep-sided modern basaltic cone (upper right) has grown 1000 m since then. Moderate explosive eruptions were recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Photo by Norm Banks, 1990 (U.S. Geological Survey).

The snow-capped modern summit of 2979-m-high Antuco volcano rises above the rim of a large horseshoe-shaped caldera, whose WNW rim forms the flat ridge just above the snow line. The caldera was formed by collapse of an older Antuco volcano at the beginning of the Holocene. The 1-km-high modern cone subsequently grew at the head of the scarp. Eruptions from both summit and flank vents have occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Photo by Norm Banks, 1990 (U.S. Geological Survey).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Antuco in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Antuco. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Antuco. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Antuco

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).