La Pacana
Large Miocene-age caldera in northern Chile / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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La Pacana is a Miocene age caldera in northern Chile's Antofagasta Region. Part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, it is part of the Altiplano-Puna volcanic complex, a major caldera and silicic ignimbrite volcanic field. This volcanic field is located in remote regions at the Zapaleri tripoint between Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.
Pacana Caldera | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 4,500 m (14,800 ft) |
Listing | List of volcanoes in Chile |
Coordinates | 23°13′11″S 67°27′58″W[1] |
Geography | |
Northern Chile | |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Caldera |
Volcanic arc/belt | Altiplano–Puna volcanic complex |
Last eruption | 2 mya |
La Pacana along with other regional volcanoes was formed by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate in the Peru-Chile Trench. La Pacana is situated in a basement formed by various Paleozoic formations and Tertiary ignimbrites and volcanoes. Several major faults cross the region at La Pacana and have influenced its volcanic activity.
La Pacana is a supervolcano and is responsible for the eruption of the giant Atana ignimbrite, which reaches a volume of 2,500–3,500 cubic kilometres (600–840 cu mi) and constitutes the fifth-largest explosive eruption known. The Atana ignimbrite was erupted 3.8 ± 0.1 and 4.2 ± 0.1 million years ago, almost simultaneously with the much smaller (volume of 180 cubic kilometres (43 cu mi)) Toconao ignimbrite. The Pujsa ignimbrite was erupted by La Pacana before the Atana/Toconao ignimbrites, and the Filo Delgado and Pampa Chamaca/Talabre ignimbrites afterwards.