Villarrica is a stratovolcano situated in Chile at a latitude of -39.42 and longitude of -71.93, with an elevation of 2,847 meters. Operating within a subduction zone and continental crust setting greater than 25 kilometers deep, Villarrica has a documented historical catalog of 152 confirmed eruptions maintained by the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. The record spans thousands of years, capturing both prehistoric activity analyzed through scientific dating methods and historical events documented through human observations.
Overview of Eruption History and Scale
The earliest recorded eruption in the Smithsonian dataset dates back to 7520 BCE, carrying an initial start-year uncertainty of 900 years and evaluated via tephrochronology correlation. Over the ensuing millennia, activity has ranged widely in magnitude, measured using the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). Out of the 152 confirmed eruptions, 147 include VEI observations. The largest recorded eruption in the official record reached a VEI of 5.0, an event determined via uncalibrated carbon-14 isotopic analysis with a start date of 1810 BCE and a year uncertainty of 200 years.
Historical methods for recording eruptions evolve across the timeline. Early prehistoric events rely on physical traces such as varve counts and tephrochronology. For instance, an eruption in 1526 CE was identified using sidereal varve counting with a VEI of 2.0. By the 18th century, written accounts begin to appear in the record; an eruption starting in 1742 was documented through reported observations, also registering a VEI of 2.0.
The structured record documents an eruption that began at the summit crater on December 2, 2014, with a VEI of 3.0, and concluded on April 19, 2025.
Century-by-Century Distribution of Confirmed Eruptions
The frequency of recorded activity varies significantly across centuries and millennia, influenced both by actual geological changes and the varying resolution of historical and scientific records. The table below illustrates the distribution of confirmed eruptions across specific centuries identified in the official record.
| Century / Era | Confirmed Eruption Count |
|---|---|
| 76th century BCE | 1 |
| 67th century BCE | 1 |
| 38th century BCE | 1 |
| 30th century BCE | 1 |
| 23rd century BCE | 1 |
| 22nd century BCE | 1 |
| 19th century BCE | 1 |
| 13th century BCE | 1 |
| 11th century BCE | 1 |
| 7th century BCE | 1 |
| 2nd century CE | 1 |
| 4th century CE | 1 |
| 14th century CE | 3 |
| 15th century CE | 16 |
| 16th century CE | 20 |
| 17th century CE | 16 |
| 18th century CE | 20 |
| 19th century CE | 23 |
| 20th century CE | 34 |
| 21st century CE | 7 |
Frequently asked questions
How many eruptions has Villarrica recorded?
Villarrica has 152 confirmed eruptions recorded in the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program database.
When did Villarrica's earliest recorded eruption take place?
The earliest recorded eruption in the dataset dates back to 7520 BCE, with a start-year uncertainty of 900 years.
What is the largest recorded eruption magnitude for Villarrica?
The largest recorded eruption reached a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 5.0, occurring around 1810 BCE.
Sources and further context
Official datasets support the event-specific facts.