Global Volcanism Program

8 May-14 May 2013

On 10 May Instituto Geofísico de Perú (IGP) reported that results of an interferogram of Sabancaya provided by a collaborator at Cornell University showed that an area of deformation (subsidence of 7 cm centered at 6 km NE of the crater) was coincident with the main area of seismicity. Volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes continued to dominate the seismic signals, although long-period (LP) events continued to be detected. There was also an increase of hybrid events. On 10 May a M 4 VT event occurred 15 km W and fumarolic activity increased, with plumes rising 1.2 km high.

Sources: Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP)

Available Weekly Reports

2013: February | March | April | May |

8 May 2013 Back to Top

On 10 May Instituto Geofísico de Perú (IGP) reported that results of an interferogram of Sabancaya provided by a collaborator at Cornell University showed that an area of deformation (subsidence of 7 cm centered at 6 km NE of the crater) was coincident with the main area of seismicity. Volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes continued to dominate the seismic signals, although long-period (LP) events continued to be detected. There was also an increase of hybrid events. On 10 May a M 4 VT event occurred 15 km W and fumarolic activity increased, with plumes rising 1.2 km high.

Sources: Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP)

3 April 2013 Back to Top

On 4 April Instituto Geofísico de Perú (IGP) reported that volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes at Sabancaya dominated the seismic signals although long-period (LP) events continued to be detected.

Sources: Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP)

27 March 2013 Back to Top

In an Instituto Geofísico de Perú (IGP) report, a photo showed a fumarolic plume rising above Sabancaya on 8 March. During the third week of March, a bluish colored plume rose 500 m above the crater, possibly indicating sulfur dioxide emissions. On 25 March the seismic network detected a continuing high rate of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes and an increasing number of long-period (LP) events. On 27 March and 1 April VT earthquakes continued to be dominant and located below the NE sector of the crater. The number and amplitude of LP events did not change.

Previously, residents of Sallalli, 11 km S of Sabancaya, reported that fumarolic activity had increased on 5 December 2012. Four earthquakes within 15 km of the crater during 22-23 February caused damage in Maca, 20 km NE. In response, the Instituto Geofísico de Perú (IGP) installed seismic stations and recorded hundreds of earthquakes per day.

INGEMMET also installed monitoring equipment, and in partnership with IGP increased monitoring efforts. On 27 February scientists observed that the emissions were mostly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. During 28 February-5 March there were 400-500 earthquakes per day recorded, mostly volcano-tectonic events.

Sources: Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico (INGEMMET) , Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP)

13 March 2013 Back to Top

INGEMMET reported that during 24 February-6 March fumarolic emissions from Sabancaya rose 400-1,000 m above the crater. On 27 February scientists who visited the volcano noted no ash deposits, and observed that the fumarolic emissions were comprised mostly of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. During 28 February-5 March there were 400-500 earthquakes per day recorded, mostly volcano-tectonic events. The temperature of La Calera hot spring was unchanged from the previous year. The Alert Level remained at Yellow.

Sources: Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico (INGEMMET)

20 February 2013 Back to Top

According to news articles, INGEMMET recorded 536 earthquakes from Sabancaya, or about 20 per hour, during 22-23 February. About 80 homes were damaged by the earthquakes, causing some evacuations. A plume rose 100 m; plumes had been intermittently visible since 15 January.

Sources: Reuters

Summary of eruption dates and Volcanic Explosivity Indices (VEI).

Start Date	Stop Date	Eruption Certainty	VEI	Evidence
2003 Jul 30 ± 1 days	Unknown	Confirmed	2	Historical
2000 Apr (?)	2000 Oct 29 (in or after)	Confirmed	2	Historical
1990 May 28	1998 Sep (?)	Confirmed	2	Historical
1988 Jun 22	1988 Oct (?)	Confirmed	1	Historical
[ 1987 Aug 7 ]	[ Unknown ]	Uncertain	2
1986 Dec	Unknown	Confirmed	1	Historical
1784 Jul	Unknown	Confirmed		Historical
1750	Unknown	Confirmed		Historical
1350 ± 150 years	Unknown	Confirmed		Tephrochronology
3490 BCE ± 40 years	Unknown	Confirmed	0	Radiocarbon (uncorrected)
6600 BCE (?)	Unknown	Confirmed		Tephrochronology

Sabancaya, located on the saddle between 6288-m-high Ampato and 6025-m-high Hualca Hualca volcanoes, is the youngest of these volcanic centers and the only one to have erupted in historical time. The oldest of the three volcanoes, Nevado Hualca Hualca, is of probable late-Pliocene to early Pleistocene age. Both Nevado Ampato and Nevado Sabancaya are only slightly affected by glacial erosion and consist of a series of lava domes aligned along a NW-SW trend. The name of 5967-m-high Sabancaya (meaning "tongue of fire" in the Quechua Indian language) first appeared in records in 1595 AD, suggesting activity prior to that date. Holocene activity has consisted of plinian eruptions followed by emission of voluminous andesitic and dacitic lava flows, which form an extensive apron around the volcano on all sides but the south. Records of historical eruptions of Sabancaya date back to 1750.