Maipo
Caldera in Chile-Argentina
Key Facts
Elevation
5,323 m (17,464 ft)
Type
Caldera
Location
-34.164°, -69.832°
Region
Southern Andean Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
Maipo, a conical stratovolcano that straddles the Chile-Argentina border SE of Santiago, partially fills the 16 x 20 km Pleistocene Diamante caldera, which formed about 450,000 years ago during an eruption that produced an about 350 km3 of rhyolitic ignimbrite. The Pleistocene cones of Volcán Don Casimiro and Cerro Listado were formed on the SW rim and SW flank of the caldera, respectively. The post-caldera Maipo rises about 1,900 m above the caldera floor, and has several cones on the E flank along a series of en échelon NE-trending fractures.
Lava flows from one of these cones blocked drainages in 1826 inside the caldera, forming Lake Diamante on the eastern caldera floor.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows and surges
- Large explosive eruptions (VEI 4+)
- Ash fall and tephra deposits
- Lahars and debris flows
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
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 | 114 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in South America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 357021
- •Evidence: Eruption Observed
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
Maipo volcano, seen here from the west, partially fills the Pleistocene Diamante caldera. The floor of the large 15 x 20 km caldera, which formed about 0.45 million years ago during an eruption that produced a 450 cu km ignimbrite, is visible below Maipo. The 5264-m-high basaltic andesite stratovolcano has a relatively simple structure, but has a flank rhyodacitic lava-dome complex and pyroclastic cones on its eastern flank. Lava flows from these cones extend into Laguna Diamante on the eastern side of the caldera.
Photo by Wolfgang Foerster, courtesy of Oscar González-Ferrán (University of Chile).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.