Lanín
Encyclopedia
Lanín is an ice-clad, cone-shaped stratovolcano
on the border of Argentina
and Chile
. It forms part of two national park
s: Lanín
in Argentina and Villarrica
in Chile. It is a symbol of the Argentine province of Neuquén
, being part of its flag and its anthem. Although the date of its last eruption is not known, it is estimated to have occurred within the last 10,000 years. Following the 1906 Valparaíso earthquake
a local newspaper reported the volcano to have erupted, however in a work published in 1917 by Karl Sapper
claims the news was disputed.
The ascent is regulated by the management of Argentine National Parks
and the Argentine National Gendarmerie
, and is technically relatively simple but has however a much higher level of exposure than the neighbouring volcanoes. The nearest towns, usually employed as a base for climbers, are Pucón
in Chile and Junín de los Andes
in Argentina.
There are two paths to the summit: one on the north, starting at 1,200 metres above mean sea level near Tromen Lake and the international Mamuil Malal Pass
, accessible via Neuquén's Provincial Route 60; and one on the south, starting beside Huechulafquen Lake, accessible via Provincial Route 61.
Lanín is the easternmost volcano of a north-west south-east oriented chain of 3 large stratovolcano
es volcanoes, being the westernmost volcano Villarrica
and Quetrupillán
the one in the middle. This alignment is attributed to the existence a fault beneath the volcanoes. In historical times Lanín has been the least active of these volcanoes. Apart from Quetrupillán and Villarrica there a number of old eroded remains of stratovolcanoes in the alignment.
The volcano itself lies rests above a basement of gneiss
es, felsic
pluton
s and volcaniclastic sequences. The basement rocks constitute a tectonically elevated block limited in the west by the north-south Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault
. Ages of ranging from Late Pliocene
to Early Pleistocene
have been suggested for the oldest known parts of the volcano which are dacitic lava flows with columnar joints.
Basalt
is the most common rock of the volcano. Lanín shows overall higher alkali (Na2O plus K2O) to silica ratio than Villarrica, which is interpreted as reflecting a lesser degree of partial melting
underneath the volcano and showing that the volcanoes of the chain have distinct source regions in Earth's mantle. Another petrologic
characteristic of Lanín is its bimodal volcanism
.
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
on the border of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It forms part of two national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s: Lanín
Lanín National Park
Lanín National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Neuquén Province, with forests of diverse tree varieties, mainly Fagaceae and conifers such as the lenga and the Araucaria, many species of which are not found elsewhere in Argentina....
in Argentina and Villarrica
Villarrica National Park
Villarrica National Park is located in the Andes, in the Araucanía and Los Ríos regions of Chile, near Pucón. The centerpiece of the park is a line of three volcanoes stretching transversely to the Andean range: Villarrica, Quetrupillán, and Lanín....
in Chile. It is a symbol of the Argentine province of Neuquén
Neuquén Province
Neuquén is a province of Argentina, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of Patagonia. It borders Mendoza Province to the north, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and Chile to the west...
, being part of its flag and its anthem. Although the date of its last eruption is not known, it is estimated to have occurred within the last 10,000 years. Following the 1906 Valparaíso earthquake
1906 Valparaíso earthquake
The 1906 Valparaíso earthquake was a strong earthquake that hit Valparaíso, Chile, on August 16, 1906 at 19:55 local time. Its epicenter was offshore from the Valparaíso Region, and its intensity was estimated at magnitude 8.2 MW....
a local newspaper reported the volcano to have erupted, however in a work published in 1917 by Karl Sapper
Karl Sapper
Karl Theodor Sapper was a German traveller, explorer, antiquarian and linguist, who is known for his research into the natural history, cultures and languages of Central America around the turn of the 20th century....
claims the news was disputed.
The ascent is regulated by the management of Argentine National Parks
National Parks of Argentina
The National Parks of Argentina make up a network of 30 national parks in Argentina. The parks cover a very varied set of terrains and biotopes, from Baritú National Park on the northern border with Bolivia to Tierra del Fuego National Park in the far south of the continent .The creation of the...
and the Argentine National Gendarmerie
Argentine National Gendarmerie
The Argentine National Gendarmerie is the gendarmerie and corps of border guards of Argentina.The Argentine National Gendarmerie has a strength of 12,000....
, and is technically relatively simple but has however a much higher level of exposure than the neighbouring volcanoes. The nearest towns, usually employed as a base for climbers, are Pucón
Pucón
Pucón is a Chilean city and commune administered by the municipality of Pucón located in the Province of Cautín, Araucanía Region, 100 km to the southeast of Temuco and 780 km to the south of Santiago....
in Chile and Junín de los Andes
Junín de los Andes
Junín de los Andes is a village in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. It has 10,592 inhabitants as of the , and is the head town of the Huiliches Department...
in Argentina.
There are two paths to the summit: one on the north, starting at 1,200 metres above mean sea level near Tromen Lake and the international Mamuil Malal Pass
Mamuil Malal Pass
Mamuil Malal Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass connects Pucón and Curarrehue in Chile with Junín de los Andes in Argentina. The road is paved on the Argentinian side and passes just north of Lanín Volcano . During winter the pass may close...
, accessible via Neuquén's Provincial Route 60; and one on the south, starting beside Huechulafquen Lake, accessible via Provincial Route 61.
Geography and geology
Lanín lies at the Atlantic-Pacific water divide of the Andes, being for that reason located in the Argentina-Chile border according to the 1881 border treaty between these countries. To the north and south lies the Tromen and Paimun Lakes respectively.Lanín is the easternmost volcano of a north-west south-east oriented chain of 3 large stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
es volcanoes, being the westernmost volcano Villarrica
Villarrica (volcano)
Villarrica is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name. The volcano is also known as Rucapillán, a Mapuche word meaning "House of the Pillán". It is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes that trend perpendicular to the Andean chain along the...
and Quetrupillán
Quetrupillán
Quetrupillán Volcano is a stratovolcano located in the Araucanía Region of Chile. It is situated between Villarrica and Lanín volcanoes, within Villarrica National Park. Geologically, Quetrupillán is located in a tectonic basement block between the main traces of Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault and...
the one in the middle. This alignment is attributed to the existence a fault beneath the volcanoes. In historical times Lanín has been the least active of these volcanoes. Apart from Quetrupillán and Villarrica there a number of old eroded remains of stratovolcanoes in the alignment.
The volcano itself lies rests above a basement of gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
es, felsic
Felsic
The word "felsic" is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium....
pluton
Pluton
A pluton in geology is a body of intrusive igneous rock that crystallized from magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Plutons include batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, lopoliths, and other igneous bodies...
s and volcaniclastic sequences. The basement rocks constitute a tectonically elevated block limited in the west by the north-south Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault
Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault
The Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault is a second-order geological fault located in the Chilean and Argentine Andes. As the name implies it runs from Pirihueico Lake to Reigolil Valley...
. Ages of ranging from Late Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
to Early Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
have been suggested for the oldest known parts of the volcano which are dacitic lava flows with columnar joints.
Basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
is the most common rock of the volcano. Lanín shows overall higher alkali (Na2O plus K2O) to silica ratio than Villarrica, which is interpreted as reflecting a lesser degree of partial melting
Partial melting
Partial melting occurs when only a portion of a solid is melted. For mixed substances, such as a rock containing several different minerals or a mineral that displays solid solution, this melt can be different from the bulk composition of the solid....
underneath the volcano and showing that the volcanoes of the chain have distinct source regions in Earth's mantle. Another petrologic
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
characteristic of Lanín is its bimodal volcanism
Bimodal volcanism
Bimodal volcanism refers to the eruption of both mafic and felsic lavas from a single volcanic centre with little or no lavas of intermediate composition...
.
See also
- List of volcanoes in Chile
- List of volcanoes in Argentina
- QuetrupillánQuetrupillánQuetrupillán Volcano is a stratovolcano located in the Araucanía Region of Chile. It is situated between Villarrica and Lanín volcanoes, within Villarrica National Park. Geologically, Quetrupillán is located in a tectonic basement block between the main traces of Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault and...