Tralcan
Encyclopedia
Tralcán is a triangular shaped mount near Riñihue Lake
, Chile
. It is located south of the outflow dividing western Riñihue in two arms. Despite been sacred for the huilliche
s for centuries, the mount became famous when several landslide
s near Tralcan dammed the Riñihue Lake, after the Great Chilean Earthquake
. The water levels in the lake rose more than 20 meters and became a threat to the existence of Valdivia city. These event come to be known as The Riñihuazo
("El Riñihuazo" in Spanish). There is evidence that a similar landslide occurred in 1575.
The mountain is made of volcanic sediment
s from the Triassic
making it one of the few fossiliferous secuences from the Mesozoic
in Zona Sur
.
Riñihue Lake
The Riñihue Lake is a lake of glacial origin in eastern Valdivia Province, southern Chile. It is surrounded by several mountains. The eastern side receives the waters of the Panguipulli Lake, by the Enco River its main contributor. It is the last of the Seven Lakes chain. In the west is it cut...
, 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 is located south of the outflow dividing western Riñihue in two arms. Despite been sacred for the huilliche
Huilliche
The Huilliche is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Toltén River and on Chiloé Archipelago...
s for centuries, the mount became famous when several landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s near Tralcan dammed the Riñihue Lake, after the Great Chilean Earthquake
Great Chilean Earthquake
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake of Sunday, 22 May 1960 is to date the most powerful earthquake ever recorded on Earth, rating 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale...
. The water levels in the lake rose more than 20 meters and became a threat to the existence of Valdivia city. These event come to be known as The Riñihuazo
Riñihuazo
The Riñihuazo is the name given to the damming of Riñihue Lake on 22 May 1960, after a landslide caused by the Great Chilean Earthquake blocked its outflow. According to the chronicler Mariño de Lobera a similar event occurred after the 1575 Valdivia earthquake.During the Great Chilean Earthquake,...
("El Riñihuazo" in Spanish). There is evidence that a similar landslide occurred in 1575.
The mountain is made of volcanic sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s from the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
making it one of the few fossiliferous secuences from the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
in Zona Sur
Zona Sur
The Zona Sur is one of the five natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. Its northern border is formed by the Bío-Bío River, the limit with the Central Chile Zone. By west with the Pacific Ocean, by the east with the Andean mountains and Argentina. Its southern border is...
.