Descabezado Grande facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Descabezado Grande |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,953 m (12,969 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Descabezado Grande
Location in Chile
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| Location | Central Chile |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Pleistocene |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Volcanic arc/belt | South Volcanic Zone |
| Last eruption | June 1933 |
Descabezado Grande is a large stratovolcano in central Chile. It is also sometimes called Cerro Azul or Quizapu. This volcano is part of the Andes mountain range.
Its name, Descabezado Grande, means "big headless one" in Spanish. This is because it has a very flat top. This flat top is actually a wide, ice-filled bowl called a caldera. This caldera is about 1.4 kilometers (0.87 miles) wide.
Inside the main caldera, there is a smaller crater. This smaller crater is about 500 meters (1,600 feet) wide. Hot gases, called fumaroles, still come out of it. This shows that the volcano is still active.
Contents
What Descabezado Grande Is Made Of
This huge volcano is built from different kinds of rock. It has hardened lava flows that poured out during eruptions. It also has deposits from pyroclastic flows. These are fast-moving currents of hot gas and volcanic rock.
Descabezado Grande is very big at its base. It measures about 10 by 12 kilometers (6.2 by 7.5 miles) across. The total amount of rock in the volcano is about 30 cubic kilometers (7.2 cubic miles).
Part of a Volcanic Field
Descabezado Grande is not alone. It is part of a larger area with many volcanoes. This area is called a volcanic field. Another volcano, Cerro Azul, is only 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) to the south. Together, they are in the middle of a large volcanic field. This field stretches about 20 by 30 kilometers (12 by 19 miles).
History of Eruptions
Descabezado Grande has erupted many times over a long period. It formed during the Pleistocene epoch. This was a time in Earth's history that ended about 11,700 years ago.
The last known eruption of Descabezado Grande happened in June 1933. This means it is considered an active volcano. Scientists keep an eye on active volcanoes to predict future eruptions.
Images for kids
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Descabezado Grande volcano from the air, looking east.
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Descabezado Grande is at the top center of this image from NASA World Wind.
See also
- List of volcanoes in Chile
