Global Volcanism Program | Isluga

Isluga

Photo of this volcano

Google Earth Placemark with Features

Cite Volcano Profile

Chile
Andean Central Volcanic Arc
Composite | Stratovolcano
1913 CE

Country
Volcanic Province
Landform | Volc Type
Last Known Eruption

19.15°S
68.83°W
5,550 m
18,209 ft
355030

Latitude
Longitude
Summit
Elevation
Volcano
Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Isluga.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Isluga.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Isluga.

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

Islonga | Isluca

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

355030

1913 CE

5,550 m / 18,209 ft

19.15°S
68.83°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano

Rock Types

Major
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Dacite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

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

1
703
5,961
32,205

Geological Summary

The broad Isluga volcano lies 7 km W of the Chile/Bolivia border at the W end of a group of volcanoes extending to Tata Sabaya volcano in Bolivia. A stratovolcano, it contains a well-preserved, 400-m-wide summit crater at the W end of the elongated, snow-covered summit region. Numerous postglacial lava flows, many showing distinct levees, are most prominent along a broad front on the lower S flank. Activity from the summit crater was reported in the 19th and 20th centuries. A lava flow in 1878 destroyed several towns.

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.

de Silva S L, Francis P W, 1991. Volcanoes of the Central Andes. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 216 p.

Gonzalez-Ferran O, 1995. Volcanes de Chile. Santiago: Instituto Geografico Militar, 635 p.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 7 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1960 Jul 2 ± 182 days ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1960 Jul 2 ± 182 days - Unknown

Evidence from Unknown

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	1960	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1913 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1913 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 4 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Tephra
	- - - -	- - - -	Ash	Incandescent
	1913	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1885 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 1 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption

1885 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	1885	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1878 Feb Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1878 Feb - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 4 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
	- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
	- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
	1878 Feb	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1877 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption

1877 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	1877	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1869 Aug Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

1869 Aug - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

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

1868 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption

1868 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	1868	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1863 Aug Confirmed Eruption VEI: 1 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption

1863 Aug - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

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

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Isluga.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Isluga.

Photo Gallery

A long E-W-trending volcanic chain extends across the border between Chile and Bolivia in this NASA International Space Station image (with north to the upper right). The chain extends from historically active Isluga volcano (upper left) to eroded Saxani volcano at the lower right. The smaller volcano immediately to the west of Saxani with a sharp shadow is the steep-sided Tata Sabaya volcano. Tata Sabaya was the source of a major debris-avalanche deposit (bottom center) that forms the small dark-colored hills on the white floor of Salar de Coipasa.

NASA International Space Station image ISS009-E-6849, 2004 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).

The flanks of Isluga volcano in Chile are formed by numerous lobate lava flows visible in this June 2019 Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top; this image is approximately 23 km across). The lavas have lateral levees and pressure ridges especially visible on the southern flanks. The most recent 400-m-diameter summit crater is visible at the western side of the summit area.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

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.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Isluga 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 Isluga. 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 Isluga. 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 Isluga

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).