Volcán Aracar

Aracar is a steep-sided stratovolcano with a youthful-looking summit crater 1-1.5 km in diameter that contains a small lake. It is located just east of the Argentina-Chile border. The volcano was constructed during three eruptive cycles dating back to the Pliocene. The andesitic stratovolcano overlies dacitic lava domes. Lava flows found at the base of the volcano below 4500 m elevation are relatively well preserved, but upper-flank lavas, often an indication of youthful activity, are not present (de Silva, 2007 pers. comm.). There were reports of possible ash columns from the summit in 1993, but it is not known whether these were rockfall dust or eruption plumes.