Falso Azufre

Complex in Chile-Argentina

Key Facts

Elevation

5,906 m (19,377 ft)

Type

Complex

Location

-26.800°, -68.370°

Region

Central Andean Volcanic Arc

Rock Type

No Data (checked)

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The Falso Azufre volcanic complex is a 15-km-long, E-W trending group of overlapping craters, lava domes, and composite cones extending from Chile into Argentina. The western portion includes the high point and principal edifice of the complex, Cerro Falso Azufre, and consists of overlapping craters that produced dominantly pyroclastic products. The eastern portion, located wholly in Argentina, contains two small composite cones and two lava domes that appear to represent the most recent activity of the complex and may be of Holocene age (de Silva, 2007 pers.

comm. ).

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskModerate

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

No Data (checked)

Silica Content

Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Formed by oceanic plate subduction, typically producing explosive eruptions due to water-rich magmas.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Evidence Uncertain

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

Metric	Value	Global Ranking	Significance
Total Recorded Eruptions	Unknown	Low	Moderately active volcano
Maximum VEI	VEI Unknown	Minor	Local impact potential
Recent Activity	Unknown	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in South America Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The South America Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

•Smithsonian ID: 355124
•Evidence: Evidence Uncertain
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

The Falso Azufre volcanic complex, covering 387 km2 at the Chile-Argentina border, was constructed largely by lava flows up to 7 km long and 4 km wide, shown in this April 2019 Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top; this image is approximately 22 km across). The crater of the Kunstmann edifice is in the upper left corner, and the eastern domes, coulees, and lava flows are to the far right. The summit region craters are aligned along a NW-SE trend to the W (the Falso Azufre edifice), and along a ENE-WSW trend on the eastern side (the Dos Conos edifice).

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).