OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that an explosion from Copahue at 1015 on 7 May recorded by a webcam produced a gas, steam, and ash plume that rose 350 m and drifted SE. Incandescence from the crater was visible at night. The Alert Level was raised to Yellow.

8 May 2013            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that an explosion from Copahue at 1015 on 7 May recorded by a webcam produced a gas, steam, and ash plume that rose 350 m and drifted SE. Incandescence from the crater was visible at night. The Alert Level was raised to Yellow.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

27 March 2013            Back to Top

Based on analysis of satellite imagery and a pilot observation, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that on 28 March steam-and-gas emissions with small amounts of ash rose from Copahue.

Sources: Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)

30 January 2013            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that during 29 January-4 February the web camera near Copahue recorded white gas plumes rising 350-1,550 m above the crater and drifting E and SE. Seismicity fluctuated but mostly remained at low levels. The Alert Level was lowered to Yellow on 4 February.

The Buenos Aires VAAC noted that although a pilot reported an ash plume between the altitudes of 3-4.6 km (10,000-15,000 ft) a.s.l., no ash was detected in mostly clear satellite images. The VAAC also noted that steam with possible diffuse ash was recorded by the OVDAS webcam.

Sources: Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) , Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

23 January 2013            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that during 22-28 January the web camera near Copahue recorded white gas plumes rising 100-800 m above the crater and drifting E and SE. Seismicity remained at low levels. An explosion at 2355 on 22 January produced a gas plume (with no ash) that rose 1.45 km above the crater. The Alert Level remained at Orange.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

16 January 2013            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that the web camera near Copahue recorded white gas plumes rising 250-1,300 m above the crater during 15-18 January and drifting W and NW. Seismicity remained at low levels. The Alert Level was lowered from Orange to Yellow on 18 January.

A seismic swarm of long-period earthquakes started at 1420 on 22 January. The earthquakes were initially deep but became shallower, and volcano-tectonic events were more frequently detected, until the next report posted at 2200. Web camera and satellite images did not show any changes. The Alert Level was raised to Orange.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

9 January 2013            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that the web camera near Copahue recorded white gas plumes rising 0.9-1.5 km above the crater during 9-15 January and drifting NNE, E, ESE, and SSE. Incandescence from the crater was observed on some nights. Satellite images showed plumes drifting 10 km E and SSE during 10-12 January. The Alert Level remained at Orange.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

2 January 2013            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that seismicity at Copahue during 31 December, and 2 and 4-5 January indicated magma movement focused at 4 km below the crater and moving to shallower depths. On 5 January seismicity increased as well as gray emissions observed with a web camera. The Alert Level was raised to Orange. Incandescence on the crater was noted during 5-6 January, and plumes rose 200 m above the crater and drifted E during 5-7 January.

Based on analysis of satellite imagery, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that on 2 January a diffuse gas-and-ash plume drifted 93 km NE and E. During 2-3 January web cameras near the volcano recorded steam-and-gas plumes drifting E and dissipating near the summit.

Sources: Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) , Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

26 December 2012            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that during 25-29 December white plumes observed with a web camera installed near Copahue rose 450-850 m and drifted NE and E. Plumes detected in satellite imagery drifting 16 km NE on 26 December. Incandescence from the crater was observed at night during 26-28 December; explosions were detected during 27-28 December. Seismicity had decreased during the reporting period. The Alert Level was lowered to Yellow on 29 December.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

19 December 2012            Back to Top

OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported increased seismicity at Copahue on 22 December. Seismicity fluctuated but was high and indicated that emissions from what was thought to be a phreatic eruption varied between white gas and dark ash plumes. The plumes rose 1-1.5 km above the crater and were observed in satellite imagery drifting 400 km SE. The Alert Level was raised to Orange.

Scientists aboard an overflight observed a low plume rising 1.5 km above a vent in Del Agrio Crater, in the same area as the previous eruption in 2000, and drifting SE. The scientists noted that at 1600 the emissions changed from ash to gas. Later that day web cameras showed incandescence from the crater reflecting in the clouds. The Alert Level was raised to Red, and people within a 15-km-radius and along drainages were warned about potential increases in activity or lahars.

On 23 December incandescence from the crater increased with explosions, as high as 450 m. Strombolian activity ejected incandescent blocks, and mostly white plumes turned dark during explosions. The plumes rose 1 km and drifted SE. On 24 December seismicity decreased. The camera recorded crater incandescence which increased to heights of 200 m with explosions. Incandescent blocks were again ejected with Strombolian explosions. Plumes rose 300 m and drifted SE; they were mostly white, but turned dark with ash during explosions. The Alert Level was lowered to Orange. On 25 December seismicity decreased to low values and tremor was not detected. Cloud cover obscured web camera views. Diffuse plumes visible in satellite images drifted 70 km SE.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)

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.

Bruggen J, 1950. {Fundamentals of the Geology of Chile}. Santiago: Editado por el Instituto Geografico Militar, p 1-374

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

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}.

Katsui Y (ed), 1971. List of the World Active Volcanoes. {Volc Soc Japan draft ms}, (limited circulation), 160 p

Moreno H, 1974. Airplane flight over active volcanoes of central-south Chile. {Internatl Symp Volc Andean & Antarctic Volc Problems Guidebook}, Excur D-3, 56 p

Moreno H, Naranjo J A, 1991. The southern Andes volcanoes (33°-41° 30' S), Chile. {6th Geol Cong Chile, Excur PC-3}, 26 p

Naranjo J A, Polanco E, 2004. The 2000 AD eruption of Copahue volcano, southern Andes. {Rev Geol Chile}, 31: 279-292

Newhall C G, Dzurisin D, 1988. Historical unrest at large calderas of the world. {U S Geol Surv Bull}, 1855: 1108 p, 2 vol

Varekamp J C, Maarten deMoor J, Merrill M D, Colvin A S, Goss A R, Vroon P Z, Hilton D R, 2006. Geochemistry and isotopic characteristics of the Caviahue-Copahue volcanic complex, province of Neuquen, Argentina. {In}: Kay S M, Ramos V A (eds) Evolution of an Andean margin: a tectonic and magmatic view from the Andes to the Neuquen Basin (35°-39° S lat), {Geol Soc Amer Spec Pap}, 407: 317-342

Varekamp J C, Ouimette A P, Herman S W, Bermudez A, Delpino D, 2001. Hydrothermal element fluxes from Copahue, Argentina: a "beehive" volcano in turmoil. {Geology}, 29: 1059-1062

Volcán Copahue is an elongated composite cone constructed along the Chile-Argentina border within the 6.5 x 8.5 km wide Trapa-Trapa caldera that formed between 0.6 and 0.4 million years ago near the NW margin of the 20 x 15 km Pliocene Caviahue (Del Agrio) caldera. The eastern summit crater, part of a 2-km-long, ENE-WSW line of nine craters, contains a briny, acidic 300-m-wide crater lake (also referred to as El Agrio or Del Agrio) and displays intense fumarolic activity. Acidic hot springs occur below the eastern outlet of the crater lake, contributing to the acidity of the Río Agrio, and another geothermal zone is located within Caviahue caldera about 7 km NE of the summit. Infrequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded at Copahue since the 18th century. Twentieth-century eruptions from the crater lake have ejected pyroclastic rocks and chilled liquid sulfur fragments.