Melimoyu Volcano
Updated: Apr 16, 2024 10:50 GMT -
stratovolcano 2400 m / 7,874 ft
Southern Chile and Argentina (South America), -44.08°S / -72.88°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Southern Chile and Argentina (South America), -44.08°S / -72.88°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 14 Dec 2021 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)
Melimoyu is an active stratovolcano in southern Chile, 40 km NW of the town of Puyuhuapi and 135 km south of Chaiten volcano.
The volcano has an 8 km wide ice-filled caldera, which is largely filled by a younger edifice and is drained by a glacier flowing through a gap in the NE caldera rim. The basaltic-andesite volcano is elongated 10 km in an E-W direction and has several cinder cones and a 1 km wide summit crater.
Two large explosive eruptions have been identified at Melimoyu volcano from tephra layers (MEL-1 and MEL-2) and been dated to ca. 1800 and 2800 years ago.
[smaller] [larger]
Melimoyu volcano eruptions: 200 AD ± 75 years, 820 BC ± 100 years (radiocarbon dated)
Latest nearby earthquakes
| Time | Mag. / Depth | Distance / Location | |||
Eruptions of Melimoyu volcano
2010 Seismic unrest
A weak seismic swarm occurred at Melimoyu volcano in May and June 2010 and its alert level was raised to 2 (Green) on 8 June, 2010.
Increased seismic activity was detected during May. 9 long-period earthquakes were measured on 27 May. The next day 6 long-period earthquakes preceded 2 separate seismic swarms, located 2-12 km and 7-14 km south beneath the summit. All earthquakes were M 2.5 or less.
(GVP monthly reports)
A weak seismic swarm occurred at Melimoyu volcano in May and June 2010 and its alert level was raised to 2 (Green) on 8 June, 2010.
Increased seismic activity was detected during May. 9 long-period earthquakes were measured on 27 May. The next day 6 long-period earthquakes preceded 2 separate seismic swarms, located 2-12 km and 7-14 km south beneath the summit. All earthquakes were M 2.5 or less.
(GVP monthly reports)
Latest satellite images
