ABSTRACT. Prior to May 2008, it was thought that the last eruption of Chaitén Volcano occurred more than 5,000 years ago, a rather long quiescent period for a volcano in such an active arc segment. However, increasingly more Holocene eruptions are being identified. This article presents both geological and historical evidence for late Holocene eruptive activity in the 17 th century (AD 1625-1658), which included an explosive rhyolitic eruption that produced pumice ash fallout east of the volcano and caused channel aggradation in the Chaitén River. The extents of tephra fall and channel aggradation were similar to those of May 2008. Fine ash, pumice and obsidian fragments in the pre-2008 deposits are unequivocally derived from Chaitén Volcano. This finding has important implications for hazards assessment in the area and suggests the eruptive frequency and magnitude should be more thoroughly studied. RESUMEN. Historia holoceno tardía del volcán Chaitén: nueva evidencia de una erupción en el siglo XVII. Antes de la erupción de mayo de 2008, se pensaba que la última erupción del volcán Chaitén había ocurrido hace más de 5.000 años, lo que sugería un muy largo período de reposo en un segmento de arco volcánico tan activo. Sin embargo, cada vez más erupciones holocenas han sido identificadas. Este artículo presenta evidencia geológica e histórica de actividad eruptiva en el siglo XVII (AD 1625-1658) que incluye una erupción explosiva riolítica que generó un depósito de caída al oriente del volcán y produjo agradación del cauce del río Chaitén. Ambos efectos son similares a lo observado en la erupción de mayo 2008. La ceniza fina y los fragmentos de obsidiana y pómez en el depósito pre-2008 fuero inequívocamente derivados del volcán Chaitén. Este hallazgo tiene importantes consecuencias para la evaluación del peligro volcánico en el área y sugiere que tanto la frecuencia eruptiva como la magnitud de los eventos deben ser rigurosamente estudiadas.

A submarine eruption in Cumberland Bay, Robinson Crusoe Island, was reported by Thomas Sutcliffe, the former British Governor, shortly after the earthquake that struck the coast of Chile on 20 February 1835. This episode was described by Charles Darwin in his Voyage of the Beagle and extensive mention has been made since then, especially stimulated by a renowned painting by J.M. Rugendas. Because of the apparent causal relation, this event has also been widely cited as an example of remote tectonically triggered eruption. However, there are inconsistencies that pose doubts about the actual occurrence of an eruption. Here we present evidence against the hypothetical eruption based on both the absence of any geological evidence and a reinterpretation of the historical accounts. We first observe that no bathymetric anomaly is present immediately below the place of the depicted ‘eruptive column’. We also note the absence of any deposit or recent volcano morphology and then unravel some incompatibility between the expected volcanological parameters and the featured column. In addition, we analyse the historical records and conclude that they are compatible with a tsunami entering the bay. By means of numerical simulations we further demonstrate that the accounts well match with the expected behaviour of a distant earthquake-triggered tsunami. We infer that some tsunami-related processes (sound waves, rockfalls, lightning) may have been misunderstood at that time. The latter corresponds to the current knowledge of natural processes but also could have been deliberatively amplified in Sutcliffe’s report. Our multidisciplinary approach provides full consistent geographical evidence of a fact that did not happen. This finding is relevant from the hazard’s perspective, but also for the science of earthquakes and eruptions, or the knowledge of processes that control the late secondary volcanism at oceanic islands and seamounts.

El estrecho de Magallanes fue uno de los territorios que mayor atención despertó en los cartógrafos de los siglos

RESUMENEn la obra "Compendio della Storia geografica, naturale e civile del Regno del Chile" publicada en 1776 en forma anónima por el entonces ex jesuita Juan Ignacio Molina, se adjuntaron algunos mapas, planos y grabados, todos firmados por Giovanni Fabbri aunque atribuidos a Molina, en específico, un mapa de Chile, y un plano de la ciudad de Santiago. La razón de la atribución de Molina pese a no ser cartógrafo, se debe a que pudo ser el creador intelectual, coincidente por su condición de conocedor del espacio descrito, por lo que el nombre de artista, Fabbri, quien nunca estuvo en Chile, pasó a segundo plano. Sin embargo, un reciente hallazgo de nuevos manuscritos, permite descubrir que las referidas piezas, fueran realizadas por otro artista, Giussepe Mancini, quien supo representar tanto el territorio de la gobernación, así como su capital, siguiendo las instrucciones del sacerdote chileno, es decir, puso la ciencia cartográfica al servicio de la representación e imaginario de un intelectual que recordada su patria desde el exilio.Palabras claves: Juan Ignacio Molina, Giuseppe Mancini, Giovanni Fabbri, Cartografía, Jesuitas. ABSTRACTIncluded in the work "Compendio della Storia geografica, naturale e civile del Regno del Chile", published anonymously in 1776 by the then ex-Jesuit Juan Ignacio Molina, were several maps, plans, and engravings. Although attributed to Molina, the illustrations, and specifically a map of Chile and a plan of the city of Santiago, were signed by Giovanni Fabbri. The reason for attributing them to Molina, despite his not being a cartographer, is due to his likely being the intellectual author of the work and coincides with his knowledge of the represented areas. As a result, the name of the artist, Fabbri, who had never been in Chile, receded into the background. However, a recent discovery of additional manuscripts has revealed that the aforementioned illustrations were created by a diff erent artist, Giussepe Mancini, who was able to depict both the territory of the government and its capital, following the instructions of the Chilean priest. That is to say, Molina entrusted the science of cartography to the portrayal and imagination of an intellectual who remembered his homeland from exile.

El artículo analiza la acción misionera desarrollada por los jesuitas y franciscanos de la Gobernación de Chile durante el período 1765 y 1771, en la frontera sur del Imperio español, con la finalidad de establecer las posibles críticas que se presentaron a raíz de la labor misionera de la Compañía de Jesús, tanto antes como después del extrañamiento, siendo el sínodo y la estrategia misionera los principales focos de contrariedades