Volcán Putana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Volcán Putana |
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Volcán Putana, with the summit fumaroles, sulfur deposits and the summit road all visible
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,884 m (19,304 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Bolivia-Chile |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 1810 |
Volcán Putana is a large volcano found in the Andes mountains. It sits right on the border between Bolivia and Chile. People sometimes call it Jorqencal or Machuca.
This volcano is a type called a stratovolcano. Its highest point is about 5,884 meters (19,304 feet) above sea level. At the very top, there's a main crater. Inside this big crater, you can find two smaller ones. Below the top, there are many lava domes and lava flows. Some of these flows came from openings on the volcano's sides.
Volcán Putana is always letting out gas. This is called fumarolic activity. It creates a big cloud of gas above the top. Sulfur from these gases has even been collected and used.
Contents
About Volcán Putana
Volcán Putana is located where Chile and Bolivia meet. The area around it is remote. This means it's hard to get to, so scientists haven't studied it much.
This volcano is part of a larger group. This group is called the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ). It stretches for about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) along the Andes. Volcanoes here form because the Nazca Plate is slowly sliding under the South American Plate. This process is called subduction.
Many volcanoes in the Central Volcanic Zone have been active recently. About 69 volcanoes show signs of activity in the last 10,000 years. At least 13 of them have erupted in recorded history. Láscar is the most active volcano in this zone. It had a big eruption in 1993.
The Volcano's Shape and Rocks
Volcán Putana is a tall volcano, about 5,890 meters (19,324 feet) high. It stretches out from north to south. The volcano is made up of lava and pyroclastic material. Most of it is built from thick lava flows and lava domes.
The lava flows are usually not very long. They often don't go further than 3 kilometers (1.9 miles). This is because the lava was very thick. Some newer lava flows are on the western side. They might be younger than the last ice age.
The main crater at the top is about 500 meters (1,640 feet) wide. Inside it, there's a 300-meter (980 feet) wide crater. There's also a smaller 130-meter (430 feet) wide crater in the center. Some lava flows and domes are found in the southern part of the main crater. There are also signs of past explosive eruptions.
Other openings, called adventive vents, are on the volcano's slopes. One noticeable fan-shaped lava flow came from a side vent. This flow is northwest of Volcán Putana.
The volcano is built on older rock layers. These layers are called Purificar and Tatio ignimbrites. They formed millions of years ago. The whole volcano grew around an even older volcano.
The rocks found at Volcán Putana include different types. These are basaltic andesite, andesite, and dacite. These rocks contain minerals like pyroxene, biotite, and hornblende.
Nearby Mountains and Water
Volcán Putana has several mountains nearby. To the east are the Cerros Aguita Blanca. Cerro Amarillo is to the southeast. Curiquinca is southwest, and Escalante and Cerro Colorado are to the south-southwest. Curiquinca, El Apagado, and Sairecabur form a large group of volcanoes.
In 1985, a map showed that Volcán Putana had a permanent cover of ice or snow. Water from the volcano's slopes flows in different directions. Some goes north into the Río Aguita Blanca. Some flows east into the Salar de Chalviri. Other water goes southeast into the Río Blanco. From there, it reaches the Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca lakes.
The Río Putana river starts on the northern side of the volcano. It joins with the Río Jauna to form the Río Grande. This river then meets the Río Salado. Together, they form the Río San Pedro de Atacama, which eventually drains into the Salar de Atacama.
Volcanic Activity and History
We don't know much about Volcán Putana's full history. This is because detailed studies haven't been done.
The last reported eruption was around 1810. Some say it was a major eruption. There are reports of increased gas activity or eruptions in 1810, 1886, 1960, and 1972. However, some of these reports are uncertain. Some experts believe there have been no real eruptions in recorded history.
Between late 2009 and early 2010, the volcano changed shape. The ground lifted by about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches). This was also accompanied by many small earthquakes. Scientists think about 300,000 cubic meters (10.6 million cubic feet) of magma moved underground. This happened about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) deep. This movement might be due to hot water systems inside the volcano.
Volcán Putana also has regular seismic activity. This means it experiences earthquakes. These can be single events or groups of earthquakes. Even the big 2010 Maule earthquake caused some shaking at Volcán Putana. If future eruptions happen, they will likely involve mostly lava flows. They would probably not have much explosive material.
Fumaroles and Sulfur
Volcán Putana has active fumaroles. These are vents that release gas. They create a gas plume that is 100 to 500 meters (330 to 1,640 feet) high. People have seen this plume since the 1800s.
The fumaroles come in different sizes. Some are just a few centimeters wide. Others are large openings, up to 10 meters (33 feet) wide. They are found in four main areas. Two are inside the northeastern crater. One is in the main summit crater. Another is outside the summit crater. In 1952, about 30 individual fumaroles were reported there.
These fumaroles release a mix of gases. The main ones are hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. They also contain hydrogen, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, and nitrogen. Small amounts of carbon monoxide, methane, and oxygen are also present.
Temperatures of the gases have been measured at 82 to 88 degrees Celsius (180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit). The source of these gases deep inside the volcano might be as hot as 500 degrees Celsius (930 degrees Fahrenheit). The gases mostly come from magma. But they also mix with a slightly cooler hot water system before reaching the surface.
The fumaroles at Volcán Putana leave behind deposits of sulfur. In 1952, a 250-foot (76 meter) high cliff was reported to be covered in sulfur. This sulfur was mined from the top of the volcano. A road was built to reach the summit for this purpose. The sulfur from Volcán Putana was known to be very pure.
Mining operations at Volcán Putana stopped in 1972. The Carnen sulfur mine is on the southeastern side of the volcano. Other mines are found on nearby mountains.
Images for kids
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Volcán Putana, with the summit fumaroles, sulfur deposits and the summit road all visible
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View to the crater, with the in-crater and out-of-crater fumaroles visible
See also
In Spanish: Volcán Putana para niños
- List of volcanoes in Bolivia
- List of volcanoes in Chile
- Cerros de Tocorpuri
