No latest activity reported for Osorno.

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

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}.

Lara L, Rodriguez C, Moreno H, Perez de Arce C, 2001. Geocronologia K-Ar y geoquimica del volcanismo plioceno superior-pleistoceno de los Andes del sur (39-42° S). {Rev Geol Chile}, 28: 67-90

Lopez-Escobar L, Parada M A, Moreno H, Frey F A, Hickey-Vargas R L, 1992. A contribution to the petrogenesis of Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes, Southern Andes (41° 00' - 41° 30' S). {Rev Geol Chile}, 19: 211-226

Moreno H, 2004. Osorno-Calbuco. {IAVCEI Gen Assembly 2004 Pucon, Chile Field Trip Guide} C4, 14 p

Moreno H, 1985. . (pers. comm.)

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

The symmetrical, glacier-clad Osorno volcano forms a renowned landmark that towers over Todos los Santos and Llanquihué lakes. Osorno was constructed over a roughly 250,000-year-old eroded stratovolcano, La Picada, that has a mostly buried 6-km-wide caldera. La Picada underlies Osorno on the NE and has postglacial maars and scoria cones. The 2652-m-high dominantly basaltic to basaltic-andesite Osorno is one of the most active volcanoes of the southern Chilean Andes. The conical volcano contains two small dacitic lava domes on the NW and SSE flanks. Flank scoria cones and fissure vents, primarily on the west and SW sides, have produced lava flows that reached Lago Llanquihué. Frequent explosive eruptions including pyroclastic flows and surges have occurred during the past 14,000 years. Historical eruptions at Osorno have originated from both summit and flank vents and have produced basaltic and andesitic lava flows that have entered both Llanquihué and Todos los Santos lakes.