Lautaro (volcano)

Coordinates: 49°01′08″S 73°30′14″W / 49.019°S 73.504°W / -49.019; -73.504
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lautaro
Ultra
Coordinates49°01′08″S 73°30′14″W / 49.019°S 73.504°W / -49.019; -73.504[1]
Geography
Location
Austral Volcanic Zone
Last eruptionMarch 1979
Climbing
First ascent29 January 1964 by Peter Skvarca and Luciano Pera
Easiest routesnow/ice climb

Lautaro is an active subglacial stratovolcano located in Chilean Patagonia, in the northern part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Its summit rises roughly 2,400 m (7,900 ft) above the average surface of the ice cap plateau.

Geography and geomorphology

Lautaro is located within the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and is the highest summit in its area. Bad weather and remote location make the volcano difficult to access.[2] The existence of a volcano at Lautaro was recognized in 1879, but it was identified as Lautaro only in 1961.[3] The volcano was named in 1952;[4] it was originally named "volcán de Los Gigantes"[3] and sometimes confused with the neighbouring non-volcano Cerro FitzRoy.[1]

The volcano is a

parasitic vent on the western side[8] and two volcanic craters just north of the summit, one of which is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide.[1] The Lautaro Glacier descends the western slope, while the icefield at the eastern foot is drained by the O'Higgins Glacier.[9]

It is part of the

Southern Volcanic Zone.[14]

Geology

Off the southwestern tip of South America, the

subducts beneath the South American Plate at a rate of 2 centimetres per year (0.79 in/year). The subduction process is responsible for the volcanism of the AVZ. To the north the subduction zone is limited by the Chile Triple Junction, to the south it gradually leads into the Magallanes-Fagnano fault zone. Other volcanoes in the region are Cerro Pampa northeast of Lautaro, which was active in the Miocene, Cerro del Fraile south-southeast and the Pali-Aike volcanic field far southeast of it.[10]

With the exception of a granite outcrop west of the volcano,[7] the basement under Lautaro is hidden beneath ice, but in the rest of the AVZ it consists of Paleozoic-Mesozoic metamorphic rocks, subsequent Mesozoic to Cenozoic volcanic rocks and sediments. Several AVZ volcanoes are located close to or on the South Patagonian Batholith.[5]

Lautaro has erupted

orthopyroxene,plagioclase and quartz.[15] Rocks of the AVZ define an adakitic suite.[16] The peculiar composition of AVZ magmas appears to reflect the melting of slab rocks from the downgoing Antarctic Plate.[17]

Eruption history

Lago San Martin are have been attributed to Lautaro.[21]

Lautaro is the most historically active volcano of the AVZ, with several eruptions.[8] Activity is recorded from 1876, 1878–1879, 1883, 1933, 1945, 1959–1960, 1972 and 1978–1979.[b][23] The 1959 eruption was observed from aircraft, clarifying the position of the volcano,[c][24] and is the only well-documented historic eruption in the AVZ.[d][5] Other possible eruptions took place in 1876, 1878, 1972 and 1976,[25] and an unknown volcano erupted in 1886.[23]

In the outflow glaciers of the Patagonian ice cap

block-and-ash flows may indicate the past occurrence of lava domes or coulees.[7] Tephra layers from several historical eruptions have been found in adjacent lakes,[23] where ecosystems were altered by the ash fallout.[27] However, distinguishing between Lautaro tephras and these of neighbouring volcanoes is difficult.[19]

In 1960 a fissure on the northern side was seen producing steam.[28] Fumarolic activity was also observed in 1964,[26] and smelled of sulfur.[6] Continuing fumarolic activity was observed in 1974.[29]

Ascent history

The first ascent of Lautaro was made by Peter Skvarca and Luciano Pera, on 29 January 1964. They climbed the southeast ridge, encountering many crevasses, some steep ice walls, cornices, and a snow mushroom at the summit. They found an active crater and strong sulfurous emissions near the summit.[6] The second ascent was made by Eric Jones, Mick Coffey, and Leo Dickinson on 2 March 1973, as part of a crossing of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.[29] Both the Pacific Ocean and the mountains to the east are visible from its summit.[30]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A volcano named Mimosa lies about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Lautaro and was fumarolically active in 1973.[11] Cerro Arenales is also located north of Lautaro[12] but it's not clear that it actually is a volcano.[13]
  2. ^ Tephra attributed to a volcano Arenales north of Lautaro may instead come from Lautaro.[22]
  3. ^ A German expedition in 1934 had discovered an active volcano, but without specifying where. This led to a long mystery of where this volcano was and whether there was more than one.[24]
  4. ^ A newspaper report in the region was dedicated to the eruption.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e GVP 2023, General Information.
  2. ^ Orihashi et al. 2004, Discussion and Conclusions: Evolution of Hudson and Lautaro Volcanoes: Lautaro Volcano.
  3. ^ a b Martinic 2016, p. 66.
  4. ^ Lliboutry 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d Stern & Kilian 1996, p. 265.
  6. ^ a b c Arko & Skvarca 1964, p. 223.
  7. ^ a b c Orihashi et al. 2004, Regional Geology and Field Observations: Lautaro Volcano.
  8. ^ a b Balbi et al. 2019, p. 20.
  9. ^ Motoki et al. 2006, Introduction.
  10. ^ a b Stern & Kilian 1996, p. 264.
  11. ^ Mateo 2008, p. 12.
  12. ^ Mayr et al. 2019, p. 207.
  13. ^ Stern et al. 2015, p. 17.
  14. ^ Orihashi et al. 2013, p. 236.
  15. ^ Orihashi et al. 2004, Samples and Petrography: Lautaro Volcano.
  16. ^ Stern & Kilian 1996, p. 267.
  17. ^ Orihashi et al. 2004, Introduction.
  18. ^ Orihashi et al. 2004, K-Ar dating results: Lautaro Volcano.
  19. ^ a b Smith et al. 2019, p. 149.
  20. ^ Markgraf et al. 2003, p. 583.
  21. ^ Villegas et al. 2009, Caracterización química de los materiales piroclásticos.
  22. ^ Fontijn et al. 2014, p. 75.
  23. ^ a b c Mayr et al. 2019, p. 216.
  24. ^ a b c Mateo 2008, p. 9.
  25. ^ Motoki et al. 2006, Recent volcanic eruptions of the Lautaro volcano..
  26. ^ a b Motoki et al. 2006, Recent volcanic eruptions of the Lautaro volcano.
  27. ^ Mayr et al. 2019, p. 218.
  28. ^ Shipton 1960, p. 395.
  29. ^ a b Dickinson 1974, p. 201.
  30. ^ Dickinson 1974, p. 200.

Sources

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