Reclus (volcano) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reclus |
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Amalia Glacier with Reclus behind
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,000 m (3,300 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Chile |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Cinder cone |
| Last eruption | 1908 ± 1 year |
Reclus is a volcano found in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Chile. It is named after Élisée Reclus. Sometimes, people get it mixed up with another mountain called Cerro Mano del Diablo.
Reclus is part of the Austral Volcanic Zone in the Andes mountains. Its top is about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level. It has a large hole at the top, called a crater, which is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) wide. The Amalia Glacier is very close to the volcano and is slowly wearing it away.
This volcano has been active for a very long time, even during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods. One huge eruption happened about 15,000 years ago. It was one of the biggest eruptions ever known in this area! It shot out over 5 cubic kilometers (1.2 cubic miles) of ash and rock, called tephra. This ash spread far across Patagonia, even reaching Tierra del Fuego. It changed the environment in the whole region. After that, there were other, smaller eruptions. The last time Reclus erupted was in 1908.
Because Reclus is in a very remote area, scientists have only recently started watching it closely. There are two large dams nearby that could be affected if the volcano erupts again.
Contents
What is Reclus Like?
Reclus is a volcano that stands about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) tall. It is a type of volcano called a pyroclastic cone. This means it's built up from volcanic ash and rock pieces. From above, it looks a bit like an egg.
The volcano has a wide summit crater at its top, which is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) across. Most of the volcano is made of reddish-brown volcanic material. Some parts are covered by snow. Even though glaciers are nearby, there aren't many signs of them wearing down the volcano itself.
In 2019, a large landslide happened on one side of Reclus. It slid down under the Amalia Glacier. The main things that come out of Reclus when it erupts are lava and pyroclastics (hot ash and rock).
Where is Reclus Located?
Reclus is located within a bowl-shaped area carved out by the Amalia Glacier. The glacier is actively eroding the volcano. As the glacier has melted and moved back, parts of the volcano have become visible.
The volcano is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of the Amalia Fjord. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field and the Cordillera Sarmiento are also close by. The famous Torres del Paine national park is about 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of Reclus. Reclus is in the area of Natales, Chile.
For a while, people thought Reclus was another mountain called Cerro Mano del Diablo. But in 1987, scientists figured out its true location. Like other volcanoes in this remote region, Reclus is far from towns and cities. This, along with the bad weather, makes it hard to study these volcanoes.
Reclus is one of six volcanoes in the Austral Volcanic Zone. These volcanoes are not super tall, usually less than 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). Most of them are stratovolcanoes, which are cone-shaped volcanoes with layers of hardened lava and ash. They also have glaciers on them. Many of them have been active in recent times. For example, the Lautaro volcano erupted in 1959.
Eruptions of Reclus
Reclus, along with other volcanoes like Aguilera and Monte Burney, has been a big source of ash (tephra) for Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia.
The R1 Eruption
A very large eruption, called "R1," happened at Reclus around 12,640 years ago. Scientists used special dating methods to figure this out. This eruption was huge, releasing over 5 cubic kilometers (1.2 cubic miles) of ash. It was one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in the Austral Volcanic Zone. It was even bigger than the 1991 eruption of Cerro Hudson.
The ash from the R1 eruption spread over a very large area. It landed in many places across southern Chile and Argentina, including Tierra del Fuego. Some of this ash first fell on glaciers and was then carried to other places. This massive ashfall definitely changed the local environment and affected people living in the region. It might even have caused some animals, like a type of vicuña, to disappear from Patagonia.
Scientists study these ash layers because they help them understand past events, like the end of the last ice age in the region.
Past Eruptions
After the huge R1 eruption, other eruptions happened at Reclus.
- Around 15,700 years ago, ash from Reclus fell into a lake called Laguna Potrok Aike.
- About 12,000 years ago, a large eruption sent ash over the Grey Glacier and Tyndal Glacier. Ash from this eruption reached as far as Punta Arenas.
- Smaller eruptions might have happened between 8,270 and 9,435 years ago. Ash from one of these, about 9,180 years ago, might have reached Tierra del Fuego.
- Scientists have found at least six layers of ash covering old plant material (peat) that is 3,780 years old. This shows many eruptions happened over time.
- Other ash layers found in places like Torres del Paine and Lago Guanaco also came from Reclus. These include eruptions around 2,000 years ago, 1,789 years ago (called "R2 tephra"), and 1,035 years ago (called "R3 tephra").
- In 2019, some scientists suggested that an eruption in 1458 AD might have come from Reclus.
Recent Activity
Sailors on a ship called HMS Alert saw a volcanic eruption in an icefield in 1879. They named the volcano Reclus. Some records suggest an even earlier eruption in 1869. Local stories from the Tehuelche people also talk about "black smoke" in the area, which could have been from Reclus.
The last recorded eruption of Reclus was in 1908. However, there have been reports of earthquakes and possible volcanic activity in recent years.
- In the 1980s and 1990s, local news reported earthquakes linked to Reclus.
- In 1998 and 2003, scientists noticed seismic activity (small earthquakes) at Reclus.
- In 2008, there were reports of ash falling and cracks appearing in the glaciers, which could mean the volcano was active.
In 2015, a Chilean agency called SERNAGEOMIN announced they would set up a system to watch Reclus. By 2020, Reclus was classified as a "type III" volcano. This means it is a high-hazard volcano. If Reclus erupts in the future, ash could fall into the water reservoirs of the Néstor Kirchner Dam and Jorge Cepernic Dam on the Santa Cruz River. This could affect how they work.
See also
In Spanish: Volcán Reclus para niños
- List of volcanoes in Chile
