General characteristics of active andean volcanoes and a summary of their activities during recent centuries

Casertano, L.

doi:10.1785/bssa0530061415

Cited by 76 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Lastarria has not erupted in recorded history but continues intense fumarolic activity (Global Volcanism Program, 2013). Llullaillaco erupted most recently in the 19th Century (Casertano, 1963). This volcanic activity influences the chemistry of the adjacent salars (Risacher et al, 2003;Chong Diaz et al, 2020).…”

Section: Site Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Morphologies in a Mars-Analog Ca-Sulfate Salar, High Andes, Northern Chile

Hinman

Hofmann

Warren-Rhodes

et al. 2022

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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Salar de Pajonales, a Ca-sulfate salt flat in the Chilean High Andes, showcases the type of polyextreme environment recognized as one of the best terrestrial analogs for early Mars because of its aridity, high solar irradiance, salinity, and oxidation. The surface of the salar represents a natural climate-transition experiment where contemporary lagoons transition into infrequently inundated areas, salt crusts, and lastly dry exposed paleoterraces. These surface features represent different evolutionary stages in the transition from previously wetter climatic conditions to much drier conditions today. These same stages closely mirror the climate transition on Mars from a wetter early Noachian to the Noachian/Hesperian. Salar de Pajonales thus provides a unique window into what the last near-surface oases for microbial life on Mars could have been like in hypersaline environments as the climate changed and water disappeared from the surface. Here we open that climatological window by evaluating the narrative recorded in the salar surface morphology and microenvironments and extrapolating to similar paleosettings on Mars. Our observations suggest a strong inter-dependence between small and large scale features that we interpret to be controlled by extrabasinal changes in environmental conditions, such as precipitation-evaporation-balance changes and thermal cycles, and most importantly, by internal processes, such as hydration/dehydration, efflorescence/deliquescence, and recrystallization brought about by physical and chemical processes related to changes in groundwater recharge and volcanic processes. Surface structures and textures record a history of hydrological changes that impact the mineralogy and volume of Ca-sulfate layers comprising most of the salar surface. Similar surface features on Mars, interpreted as products of freeze-thaw cycles, could, instead, be products of water-driven, volume changes in salt deposits. On Mars, surface manifestations of such salt-related processes would point to potential water sources. Because hygroscopic salts have been invoked as sources of localized, transient water sufficient to support terrestrial life, such structures might be good targets for biosignature exploration on Mars.

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Section: Site Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Morphologies in a Mars-Analog Ca-Sulfate Salar, High Andes, Northern Chile

Hinman

Hofmann

Warren-Rhodes

et al. 2022

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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“…Volcanic activity has been reported in some detail since the 19th century (e.g., [60]), including documentation of intense fumarolic activity without historical eruptions (Tacora, Guallatiri, Olca, Ollagüe, Apacheta-Aguilucho, Putana, Alitar, Lastarria and Ojos del Salado volcanoes; [33,[47][48][49]60,61], phreatic to phreatomagmatic events with a Volcanic Eruptive Index (VEI) 2 (Isluga, Irruputuncu and San Pedro volcanoes; [48,62,63], and a subplinian eruption of Lascar volcano with a VEI of 4 (19-20 April 1993;[64,65]). Currently, Lascar presents extensive fumarolic activity (e.g., [32]), with sporadic vulcanian events with VEI 2-3 (e.g., [66][67][68][69][70].…”

Section: Central Volcanic Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Minor eruptions have occurred during the second half of the 19th and 20th centuries. The last confirmed eruption was in 1913 [60]. Céspedes et al [63] reported a plume rising 400 m above the crater, a strong sulfur smell in zones close to the volcano, "underground" noises and low intensity seismicity during 2003.…”

Section: Study Casesmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Measurements of Gas Flux with a Low-Cost Smartphone Sensor-Based UV Camera on the Volcanoes of Northern Chile

et al. 2020

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UV cameras have been used for over a decade in order to remotely sense SO2 emission rates from active volcanoes, and to thereby enhance our understanding of processes related to active and passive degassing. Whilst SO2 column density retrievals can be more accurate/sophisticated using alternative techniques (e.g., Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer (DOAS), Correlation Spectrometer (COSPEC)), due to their higher spectral resolutions, UV cameras provide the advantage of high time-resolution emission rates, a much greater spatial resolution, and the ability to simultaneously retrieve plume speeds. Nevertheless, the relatively high costs have limited their uptake to a limited number of research groups and volcanic observatories across the planet. One recent intervention in this regard has been the introduction of the PiCam UV camera, which has considerably lowered instrumental cost. Here we present the first data obtained with the PiCam system from seven persistently degassing volcanoes in northern Chile, demonstrating robust field operation in challenging conditions and over an extended period of time, hence adding credence to the potential of these units for more widespread dissemination to the international volcanic gas measurement community. Small and weak plumes, as well as strongly degassing plumes were measured at distances ranging 0.6–10.8 km from the sources, resulting in a wide range of SO2 emission rates, varying from 3.8 ± 1.8 to 361 ± 31.6 td−1. Our acquired data are discussed with reference to previously reported emission rates from other ground-based remotely sensed techniques at the same volcanoes, in particular considering: resolution of single plume emissions in multi-plume volcanoes, light dilution, plume geometry, seasonal effects, and the applied plume speed measurement methodology. The main internal/external factors that influence positive/negative PiCam measurements include camera shake, light dilution, and the performance of the OpenCV and control points post processing methods. A simple reprocessing method is presented in order to correct the camera shake. Finally, volcanoes were separated into two distinct groups: low and moderate SO2 emission rates systems. These groups correlate positively with their volcanological characteristics, especially with the fluid compositions from fumaroles.

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“…Their volcanic products correspond to andesitic-to-dacitic lava flows and domes, pyroclastic flows and fallout deposits, and debris avalanche deposits (Naranjo, 1992;Naranjo, 2010). Although there are no records of historical eruptive activity, a persistent degassing has been observed since the early 19th century (Casertano, 1963;González-Ferrán, 1995), which is concentrated in four fumarolic fields (Figure 1) located in the northwestern flank (fumarolic field 1), in the eastern and western rim of crater IV (fumarolic fields 2 and 3) ,and inside of crater V (fumarolic field 4) (Aguilera et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of the magmatic-hydrothermal system at Lastarria volcano (Northern Chile) between 2006 and 2019: Insights from fluid geochemistry

Layana

Aguilera

Inostroza³

et al. 2023

Front. Earth Sci.

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One of the major problems in the volcanic surveillance is how data from several techniques can be correlated and used to discriminate between possible precursors of volcanic eruptions and changes related to non-eruptive processes. Gas chemical surveys and measurements of SO2 emission rates performed in the past (2006–2019) at Lastarria volcano in Northern Chile have revealed a persistent increment of magmatic sourced gas emissions since late November 2012, following a 13 years period of intense ground uplift. In this work, we provide new insights into the gas-chemical evolution of Lastarria’s fumarolic discharges obtained from direct sampling (2006–2019) and SO2 emission rates using UV camera and DOAS instruments (2018–2019) and link these to pre-existing information on ground deformation (1998–2016) in order to determine the origin of observed degassing and ground deformation processes. We revise the four mechanisms originally proposed as alternatives by Lopez et al. (Geosphere, 2018, 14 (3), 983–1007) to explain the changes observed in the fluid geochemistry and ground deformation between 2009 and 2012, in order to explain major changes in gas-geochemistry over an extended period between 1998 and 2019. We hypothesize that a continuous sequence of processes explains the evolution in the fluid geochemistry of fumarolic discharges. Two mechanisms are responsible of the changes in the gas composition during the studied period, corresponding to a 1) deep magma chamber (7–15 km depth) pressurized by volatile exsolution (1998–2020), which is responsible of the large-scale deformation; followed by 2) a crystallization-induced degassing (2001–2020) and pressurization of the hydrothermal system (2003-early November 2012), where the former process induced the changes in the gas composition from hydrothermal-dominated to magmatic-dominated, whereas the last produced the small-scale deformation at Lastarria volcano. The changes in the gas composition since late November 2012, which were strongly dominated by magmatic volatiles, produced two consecutive processes: 1) acidification (late November 2012–2020) and 2) depletion (2019–2020) of the hydrothermal system. In this work we have shown that a long-term surveillance of the chemistry of fluid discharges provides valuable insights into underlying magmatic/volcanic processes, and consequently, for forecasting future eruptions.

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General characteristics of active andean volcanoes and a summary of their activities during recent centuries

Cited by 76 publications

References 5 publications

Surface Morphologies in a Mars-Analog Ca-Sulfate Salar, High Andes, Northern Chile

Surface Morphologies in a Mars-Analog Ca-Sulfate Salar, High Andes, Northern Chile

First Measurements of Gas Flux with a Low-Cost Smartphone Sensor-Based UV Camera on the Volcanoes of Northern Chile

Evolution of the magmatic-hydrothermal system at Lastarria volcano (Northern Chile) between 2006 and 2019: Insights from fluid geochemistry

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