Volcano Watch Special: Volcán Guallatiri

Volcán Guallatiri could explode after 50 years of virtual dormancy

Based on its recent analysis, FEWW team believes that there’s an 80 percent probability Volcán Guallatiri (northern Chile) could erupt explosively after nearly five decades of dormancy.

Partial map of Chile showing approximate position of Volcán Guallatiri west of the border with Bolivia. Original map: USGS

Volcán Guallatiri is a 6071-meter high symmetrical stratovolcano located at the southwestern end of the Nevados de Quimsachata volcano group.  The snow-clad Guallatiri sits west of the border with Bolivia.

One of northern Chile’s most active volcanoes, Volcán Guallatiri rises to the SSE beyond Laguna Chungará, and steam rises from a prominent fumarole near its summit. The 6071-m-high Guallatiri, a symmetrical ice-clad stratovolcano, lies at the SW end of the Nevados de Quimsachata volcano group just west of the border with Bolivia and is capped by a central dacitic dome or lava complex, with the active vent situated at its southern side.  Thick lava flows are prominent on the lower northern and western flanks of the andesitic-to-rhyolitic volcano. Minor explosive eruptions have been reported from Guallatiri since the beginning of the 19th century. Intense fumarolic activity with “jet-like” noises continues, and numerous solfataras extend more than 300 m down the west flank. Photo by Lee Siebert, 2004 (Smithsonian Institution). Caption: GVP.

Volcano Name:  Guallatiri
Country:  Chile
Subregion:  Northern Chile

Volcano Type:  Stratovolcano
Last Known Eruption:  1960
Summit Elevation:  6,071 m (19,918 feet)
Latitude: 18.42°S (18°25’0″S)
Longitude: 69.092°W (69°5’30″W)

Related Links:

• FEWW Volcano Index
• Earthquakes