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Carrán-Los Venados

Photo of this volcano
  • Chile
  • Pyroclastic cone(s)
  • 1979 CE
  •  
  • Country
  • Primary Volcano Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  •  
  • 40.35°S
  • 72.07°W

  • 1114 m
    3655 ft

  • 357140
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

Most Recent Bulletin Report: December 1979 (SEAN 04:12) Citation IconCite this Report

Fumarolic activity continues

Fumarolic activity has persisted from Mirador crater since its ash and lava eruption of April-May. A dense, yellowish-white steam cloud emerged from Mirador's summit during a visit by L. López, A. Lahsen, and H. Moreno on 1 November. The surfaces of two lava flows extruded on 12 May were covered by a yellowish salt deposit composed mainly of iron chlorides.

Information Contacts: H. Moreno R., Univ. de Chile, Santiago.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Carrán-Los Venados.

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.

04/1979 (SEAN 04:04) Voluminous ash emission and lava flow

05/1979 (SEAN 04:05) Eruption resumes

07/1979 (SEAN 04:07) Eruption ends

12/1979 (SEAN 04:12) Fumarolic activity continues




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


April 1979 (SEAN 04:04) Citation IconCite this Report

Voluminous ash emission and lava flow

An eruption of pyroclastics from Mirador, one of the craters in the Carrán volcanic group (figure 1), began at 0200 on [14] April, preceded by local seismicity. The column of gas and ash reached altitudes of 3-4 km, and was accompanied by gas explosions in the mouth of the crater. After about 40 hours, lava began to flow SSW, traveling about 500 m by the 17th. Voluminous ash emission persisted, with explosions occurring every 5 minutes, and local seismicity was continuous. The activity continued to increase through 18 April. Ash covered agricultural land near the volcano. No one has been killed, but authorities have evacuated 125 people from the area.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 1. Sketch map of Mirador (Carran-Los Venados group) and vicinity, from Lopez and Moreno (1981) showing eruption sites and flows from the 1979 eruption. Six-digit numbers mark sample localities.

The most recent previous activity in the area was an explosive eruption in 1955, in which two people were killed. At least two of the volcanic features in the Carrán group are maars.

Reference. López, L. and Moreno, H., 1981, Erupción de 1979 del volcán Mirador, Andes del Sur, 40°21'S: características geoquímicas de las lavas y xenolitos graníticos: Revista Geológica de Chile, no. 13-14, p. 17-33.

Information Contacts: O. González-Ferrán, Univ. de Chile, Santiago.


May 1979 (SEAN 04:05) Citation IconCite this Report

Eruption resumes

Local authorities report that the eruption of Mirador crater resumed on 12 May (figure 15-17) [see also 4:7] and was continuing 24 hours later. Incandescent material rose 30 m above the vent and a series of low-intensity tremors occurred. Subterranean rumbling, followed by several hours of earthquakes, was reported from Río Buenos, about 40 km away. Carrán's vigorous mid-April eruption had stopped after a few days.

Information Contacts: Latin Radio Network, Buenos Aires, Argentina.


July 1979 (SEAN 04:07) Citation IconCite this Report

Eruption ends

The eruption of Mirador began violently on [14] April, but activity declined quickly to more moderate levels. Explosions and accompanying seismicity then gradually decreased in frequency and intensity until the eruption ended on 25 May. Ash deposits were 2-3 cm thick at the base of Mirador and ash fell as much as 20 km away. A small amount of lava (andesitic basalt in hand specimen) flowed NE and SE.

Further References. Moreno, H., 1980, La erupción del volcán Mirador en Abril-Mayo de 1979, lago Ranco-Rininahue, Andes del Sur: Comunicaciones, Universidad de Chile, no. 28, p. 1-23.

Information Contacts: O. González-Ferrán, Univ. de Chile, Santiago.


December 1979 (SEAN 04:12) Citation IconCite this Report

Fumarolic activity continues

Fumarolic activity has persisted from Mirador crater since its ash and lava eruption of April-May. A dense, yellowish-white steam cloud emerged from Mirador's summit during a visit by L. López, A. Lahsen, and H. Moreno on 1 November. The surfaces of two lava flows extruded on 12 May were covered by a yellowish salt deposit composed mainly of iron chlorides.

Information Contacts: H. Moreno R., Univ. de Chile, Santiago.

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.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 3 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1979 Apr 14 - 1979 May 20 Confirmed Eruption Max VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode Mirador
1979 Apr 14 - 1979 May 20 Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 10 Events for Episode 1 at Mirador

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Eruption cloud
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
   - - - -    - - - - Cinder Cone
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Bombs
   - - - -    - - - - Scoria
   - - - -    - - - - Earthquakes (undefined)
   - - - -    - - - - Evacuations
1979 Apr 14    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

1955 Jul 27 - 1955 Nov 12 Confirmed Eruption Max VEI: 4

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode Carrán Maar
1955 Jul 27 - 1955 Nov 12 Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 13 Events for Episode 1 at Carrán Maar

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Eruption cloud
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Bombs
   - - - -    - - - - Blocks
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice
   - - - -    - - - - Earthquakes (undefined) Before.
   - - - -    - - - - Earthquakes (undefined)
   - - - -    - - - - Property Damage
   - - - -    - - - - Evacuations
1955 Jul 27
(?)
   - - - - Fatalities
1955 Jul 27    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

1907 Apr 9 - 1908 Feb (in or after) Confirmed Eruption Max VEI: 3

Episode 1 | Eruption Episode Riñinahue Maar
1907 Apr 9 - 1908 Feb (in or after) Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 10 Events for Episode 1 at Riñinahue Maar

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Cinder Cone
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Earthquakes (undefined) Before.
   - - - -    - - - - Lahar or Mudflow
   - - - -    - - - - Property Damage
1907 Apr 9    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Carrán-Los Venados.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Carrán-Los Venados.

Photo Gallery

The third historical eruption of the Carran-Los Venados volcanic field began with strombolian explosions at 0100 hrs on April 14, 1979. A 3-4 km high eruption column produced ashfall that covered agricultural lands near the volcano. A new pyroclastic cone rose at the site of a prehistorical cone. Lava flowed 1 km to the SSW from the new breached crater in April. Beginning on May 12, lava flows traveled short distances from the breached crater to the SE and from the crater rim to the NE base of the cone. The eruption ended on May 20.

Photo by Hugo Moreno, 1979 (University of Chile).
An ash plume rises from Volcan Mirador, a pyroclastic cone that formed during an eruption in 1979. The Carran-Los Venados volcano group includes about 50 scoria cones, maars, and a small stratovolcano that are broadly aligned along a 17-km-long ENE-WSW trend. The volcano group occupies a low-lying area north of the Cordón Caulle-Pueyhue volcanic chain. In addition to the 1979 Mirador scoria cone, two maars, Rininahue and Carran, were formed during eruptions in the 20th century.

Photo by Hugo Moreno, 1979 (University of Chile).
Incandescent ejecta are visible at the base of a strombolian eruption column from Volcán Mirador in 1979. The eruption began on April 14 at the site of a prehistorical cinder cone. Almost constant explosive activity produced a new 200-m-high cinder cone, Volcán Mirador, and deposited ash over agricultural areas, prompting the evacuation of 125 people living nearby. Short lava flows traveled to the SE and NE in April and May before the eruption ended on May 20.

Photo by Hugo Moreno, 1979 (University of Chile).
GVP Map Holdings

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included. The maps database originated over 30 years ago, but was only recently updated and connected to our main database. We welcome users to tell us if they see incorrect information or other problems with the maps; please use the Contact GVP link at the bottom of the page to send us email.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

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

External Sites