Chile · Stratovolcano
Villarrica Volcano
Villarrica
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Elevation
- 2847m
- Last eruption
- 2025
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Country
- Chile
- Region
- South America / Southern Andean Volcanic Arc
- Elevation
- 2847m
- Coordinates
- -39.420, -71.930
- Last eruption
- 2025
- Tectonic setting
- Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
- Landform
- Composite
- Major rock type
- Basalt / Picro-basalt
Geological summary
The glacier-covered Villarrica stratovolcano, in the northern Lakes District of central Chile, is ~15 km south of the city of Pucon. A 2-km-wide caldera that formed about 3,500 years ago is located at the base of the presently active, dominantly basaltic to basaltic andesite cone at the NW margin of a 6-km-wide Pleistocene caldera. More than 30 scoria cones and fissure vents are present on the flanks. Plinian eruptions and pyroclastic flows that have extended up to 20 km from the volcano were produced during the Holocene. Lava flows up to 18 km long have issued from summit and flank vents. Eruptions documented since 1558 CE have consisted largely of mild-to-moderate explosive activity with occasional lava effusion. Glaciers cover 40 km2 of the volcano, and lahars have damaged towns on its flanks.
From Wikipedia
Villarrica is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name, 750 km (470 mi) south of Santiago. It is also known as Rucapillán, a Mapuche word meaning "great spirit's house" or " the demon's house". It is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes that trend northwest to southeast obliquely perpendicular to the Andean chain along the Mocha-Villarrica Fault Zone, and along with Quetrupillán and the Chilean portion of Lanín, are protected within Villarrica National Park. Guided ascents are popular during summer months.
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Eruption history
163 recordedGlossarySummary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
Detailed timeline
- 2026VEI ?Observed2026-02-21 – 2026-03-13
- 2014VEI 3Observed2014-12-02 – 2025-04-19Summit crater
- 2013VEI 1Observed2013-07-25 – 2013-07-29Summit crater
- 2012VEI 1Observed2012-11-14 – 2012-11-14
- 2009VEI 1Observed2009-01-29 – 2009-03-24
- 2009VEI 1Observed2009-11-22 – 2012-04-20
- 2008VEI 1Observed2008-10-26 – end unknown
- 2004VEI 1Observed2004-08-05 – 2007-12-24
- 2003VEI 1Observed2003-05-23 – 2004-03-25
- 1998VEI 1Observed1998-02-24 – 2002-06-16
- 1996VEI 1Observed1996-01-16 – end unknown
- 1996VEI 1Observed1996-09-14 – 1997-08-16
- 1995VEI 1Observed1995-04-15 – 1995-06-02
- 1994VEI 1Observed1994-09-26 – 1994-12-30
- 1992VEI 1Observed1992-09-11 – 1992-12-16
- 1991VEI 2Observed1991-08-30 – 1991-09-17
- 1984VEI 2Observed1984-08-11 – 1985-11-18
- 1983VEI 1Observed1983-10-14 – 1983-10-16
- 1980VEI 2Observed1980-06-20 – 1980-09-24
- 1977VEI 1Observed1977-01-26 – 1977-01-30
- 1971VEI 2Observed1971-10-29 – 1972-02-21Summit, NE and SW flanks
- 1964VEI 2Observed1964-03-02 – 1964-04-21
- 1963VEI 3Observed1963-02-25 – 1963-09-21Summit and upper SW flank
- 1961VEI 1Observed1961-07-02 – end unknown
- 1960VEI 1Method not stated1960-07-02 – end unknown
- 1958VEI 1Observed1958-11-06 – 1959-12-21
- 1956VEI 1Observed1956-10-03 – 1956-11-16
- 1950VEI ?Method not stated1950-07-02 – end unknown
- 1948VEI 2Observed1948-04-10 – end unknown
- 1948VEI 3Observed1948-10-09 – 1949-02-03
- 1947VEI 1Observed1947-07-02 – end unknown
- 1938VEI 1Method not stated1938-02-11 – end unknown
- 1938VEI 2Observed1938-12-01 – 1939-02-01
- 1935VEI 1Observed1935-12-01 – 1936-06-27
- 1933VEI 2Observed1933-01-05 – 1933-01-18
- 1929VEI 1Observed1929-12-27 – end unknown
- 1927VEI 2Observed1927-07-02 – 1928-07-02
- 1922VEI 2Observed1922-10-24 – 1922-11-27
- 1921VEI 2Method not stated1921-12-10 – end unknown
- 1920VEI 2Observed1920-12-10 – 1920-12-13
- 1919VEI ?Method not stated1919-07-02 – end unknown
- 1915VEI 1Observed1915-07-02 – 1918-07-02
- 1909VEI 2Observed1909-08-19 – 1910-07-02
- 1908VEI 2Observed1908-10-31 – 1908-12-12
- 1907VEI 2Observed1907-05-05 – 1907-05-26
- 1906VEI 2Observed1906-04-22 – 1906-12-16
- 1904VEI 2Observed1904-07-02 – end unknown
- 1902VEI 2Geological estimate1902-07-02 – end unknown
- 1897VEI 2Observed1897-12-01 – 1898-02-01
- 1893VEI 2Observed1893-12-01 – 1894-02-01
- 1890VEI 2Geological estimate1890-07-02 – end unknown
- 1883VEI 2Observed1883-07-02 – end unknown
- 1880VEI 2Observed1880-07-02 – end unknown
- 1879VEI 2Observed1879-02-02 – 1879-03-16
- 1877VEI 2Observed1877-03-12 – 1877-05-16
- 1875VEI 2Observed1875-11-17 – 1876-07-02
- 1874VEI 2Observed1874-04-16 – end unknown
- 1871VEI 2Geological estimate1871-07-02 – end unknown
- 1869VEI 2Observed1869-02-04 – 1869-02-24
- 1867VEI ?Method not stated1867-07-02 – 1868-07-02
- 1864VEI 2Observed1864-10-16 – end unknown
- 1859VEI 2Observed1859-05-19 – 1860-04-12
- 1853VEI 2Observed1853-11-16 – end unknown
- 1852VEI ?Method not stated1852-07-02 – end unknown
- 1850VEI 2Geological estimate1850-07-02 – end unknown
- 1841VEI 2Geological estimate1841-07-02 – end unknown
- 1837VEI 2Observed1837-11-07 – 1837-11-21
- 1836VEI 2Geological estimate1836-07-02 – end unknown
- 1832VEI 2Observed1832-12-24 – end unknown
- 1826VEI 2Geological estimate1826-07-02 – end unknown
- 1822VEI 2Observed1822-11-19 – 1822-11-25
- 1815VEI 1Observed1815-07-02 – 1818-07-02
- 1806VEI 2Observed1806-04-16 – 1806-05-16
- 1798VEI 2Geological estimate1798 – end unknown
- 1790VEI 1Observed1790-01 – 1801-07-02
- 1787VEI 2Observed1787 – end unknown
- 1780VEI 1Observed1780 – end unknown
- 1777VEI 1Observed1777 – 1779
- 1775VEI 2Method not stated1775 – end unknown
- 1771VEI 2Geological estimate1771 – end unknown
- 1767VEI 2Geological estimate1767 – end unknown
- 1761VEI 2Geological estimate1761 – end unknown
- 1759VEI 1Observed1759-12 – 1759-12
- 1751VEI 1Observed1751-12-14 – end unknown
- 1745VEI 1Observed1745 – end unknown
- 1742VEI 2Observed1742 – end unknown
- 1737VEI 2Observed1737-12-24 – end unknown
- 1730VEI 2Observed1730-07-08 – end unknown
- 1721VEI 2Geological estimate1721 – end unknown
- 1716VEI 1Observed1716 – end unknown
- 1715VEI 2Geological estimate1715 – end unknown
- 1709VEI 2Geological estimate1709 – end unknown
- 1708VEI 2Geological estimate1708 – end unknown
- 1705VEI 2Geological estimate1705 – end unknown
- 1688VEI 1Observed1688 – end unknown
- 1682VEI 2Geological estimate1682 – end unknown
- 1675VEI 2Geological estimate1675 – end unknown
- 1672VEI 2Geological estimate1672 – end unknown
- 1669VEI 2Geological estimate1669 – end unknown
- 1657VEI 1Observed1657-03-15 – end unknown
- 1647VEI 1Observed1647-05-13 – end unknown
- 1645VEI 2Geological estimate1645 – end unknown
- 1642VEI 2Geological estimate1642 – end unknown
- 1640VEI ?Method not stated1640-02-03 – end unknown
- 1638VEI 2Geological estimate1638 – end unknown
- 1632VEI 2Geological estimate1632 – end unknown
- 1625VEI 2Geological estimate1625 – end unknown
- 1617VEI 2Geological estimate1617 – end unknown
- 1612VEI 2Geological estimate1612 – end unknown
- 1610VEI 2Geological estimate1610 – end unknown
- 1604VEI 2Geological estimate1604 – end unknown
- 1600VEI 2Geological estimate1600 – end unknown
- 1594VEI 2Observed1594 – end unknown
- 1584VEI 2Geological estimate1584 – end unknown
- 1582VEI 2Geological estimate1582 – end unknown
- 1579VEI 2Geological estimate1579 – end unknown
- 1564VEI 2Geological estimate1564 – end unknown
- 1562VEI 2Observed1562 – end unknown
- 1558VEI 2Observed1558 – end unknown
- 1553VEI 2Geological estimate1553 – end unknown
- 1543VEI 2Geological estimate1543 – end unknown
- 1539VEI 2Geological estimate1539 – end unknown
- 1538VEI 2Geological estimate1538 – end unknown
- 1537VEI 2Geological estimate1537 – end unknown
- 1526VEI 2Geological estimate1526 – end unknown
- 1523VEI 2Geological estimate1523 – end unknown
- 1521VEI 2Geological estimate1521 – end unknown
- 1516VEI 2Geological estimate1516 – end unknown
- 1515VEI 2Geological estimate1515 – end unknown
- 1509VEI 2Geological estimate1509 – end unknown
- 1503VEI 2Geological estimate1503 – end unknown
- 1497VEI 2Geological estimate1497 – end unknown
- 1494VEI 2Geological estimate1494 – end unknown
- 1492VEI 2Geological estimate1492 – end unknown
- 1483VEI 2Geological estimate1483 – end unknown
- 1479VEI 2Geological estimate1479 – end unknown
- 1474VEI 2Geological estimate1474 – end unknown
- 1471VEI 2Geological estimate1471 – end unknown
- 1466VEI 2Geological estimate1466 – end unknown
- 1463VEI 2Geological estimate1463 – end unknown
- 1454VEI 2Geological estimate1454 – end unknown
- 1448VEI 2Geological estimate1448 – end unknown
- 1433VEI 2Geological estimate1433 – end unknown
- 1417VEI 2Geological estimate1417 – end unknown
- 1413VEI 2Geological estimate1413 – end unknown
- 1410VEI 2Geological estimate1410 – end unknown
- 1404VEI 2Geological estimate1404 – end unknown
- 1392VEI 2Geological estimate1392 – end unknown
- 1388VEI 2Geological estimate1388 – end unknown
- 1384VEI 2Geological estimate1384 – end unknown
- 330VEI ?Geological estimate330 – end unknown
- 110VEI 0Geological estimate110 – end unknown
- 670 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate670 BCE – end unknown
- 1080 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate1080 BCE – end unknown
- 1230 BCE (±40 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate1230 BCE – end unknown
- 1810 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate1810 BCE – end unknown
- 1980 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate1980 BCE – end unknown
- 2140 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate2140 BCE – end unknown
- 2240 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate2240 BCE – end unknown
- 2990 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate2990 BCE – end unknown
- 3730 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate3730 BCE – end unknown
- 6690 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate6690 BCE – end unknown
- 7520 BCE (±900 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate7520 BCE – end unknown
Nearby volcanoes
External links
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