No latest activity reported for Ollagüe.

Below is a summary of eruption dates and Volcanic Explosivity Indices (VEI).

The following references are the sources used for data regarding this volcano. References are linked directly to our volcano data file. Discussion of another volcano or eruption (sometimes far from the one that is the subject of the manuscript) may produce a citation that is not at all apparent from the title. Additional discussion of data sources can be found under Volcano Data Criteria.

Casertano L, 1963a. Chilean Continent. {Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields}, Rome: IAVCEI, 15: 1-55

Clavero J, Polanco E, Godoy E, Aguilar G, Sparks R S J, van Wyk de Vries B, Perez de Arce C, Matthews S, 2004. Substrata influence in the transport and emplacement mechanism of the Ollague debris avalanche (northern Chile). {Acta Vulc}, 16: 59-76

de Silva S L, Francis P W, 1991. {Volcanoes of the Central Andes}. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 216 p

Feeley T C, Davidson J P, 1994. Petrology of calc-alkaline lavas at Volcan Ollague and the origin of compositional diversity at central Andeam stratovolcanoes. {J Petr}, 35: 1295-1340

Feeley T C, Davidson J P, Armendia A, 1993. The volcanic and magmatic evolution of Volcan Ollague, a high-K, late Quaternary stratovolcano in the Andean Central Volcaniz Zone. {J Volc Geotherm Res}, 54: 221-245

Francis P W, Wells G L, 1988. Landsat thematic mapper observations of debris avalanche deposits in the central Andes. {Bull Volc}, 50: 258-278

Gonzalez-Ferran O, 1972. Distribucion del volcanismo activo de Chile y la reciente erupcion del Volcan Villarrica. {Instituto Geog Militar Chile}, O/T 3491

Gonzalez-Ferran O, 1995. {Volcanes de Chile}. Santiago: Instituto Geografico Militar, 635 p

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. {IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior}.

Vezzoli L, Tibaldi A, Renzullic A, Mennac M, Flude S, 2008. Faulting-assisted lateral collapses and influence on shallow magma feeding system at Ollagüe volcano (Central Volcanic Zone, Chile-Bolivia Andes). {J Volc Geotherm Res}, 171: 137-159

Worner G, Hammerschmidt K, Henjes-Kunst F, Lezaun J, Wilke H, 2000. Geochronology (40Ar/39Ar, K-Ar and He-exposure ages) of Cenozoic magmatic rocks from Northern Chile (18-22° S): implications for magmatism and tectonic evolution of the central Andes. {Rev Geol Chile}, 27: 205-240

Volcán Ollagüe, also known as Oyahué, is a massive andesitic stratovolcano with a summit dacitic lava dome. A large Pleistocene debris-avalanche deposit extending westward from the Ollagüe volcano separates the Salar de San Martín from the Salar de Ollagüe. Three youthful-looking silicic lava flows mark late post-collapse eruptions, but show evidence of glaciation and are thought to pre-date the last glacial advance at about 11,000 years ago (Freeley et al., 1993). A youthful-looking scoria cone on the lower WSW flank, La Poruñita, was initially considered to be of Holocene age (González-Ferrán, 1995), however Wörner et al. (2000) later obtained Potassium-Argon dates of 420,000 to 680,000 years. Active sulfur mines on the upper western and southern flanks of Ollagüe are reached by a road that climbs to about 5500 m elevation. No historical eruptions have been recorded from Ollagüe; activity has been restricted to periods of intense fumarolic activity, and a persistent steam plume emanates from a fumarole on the south side of the summit dome.