Lascar

Lascar is an active stratovolcano which lies in northern Chile. It is 5,592 m high and is the most active volcano of that region. Lascar has two cones: the Western Cone, which is extinct; and the Eastern Cone, which is active. Other volcanoes in the area include the Acamarachi and Chiliques, all of which form a spectacular backdrop for Laguna Lejia. Prominent lava flows descend its NW flanks.

The largest eruption of Lascar took place about 26.500 years ago, and following the eruption of the Tumbres scoria flow about 9.000 years ago, activity shifted back to the eastern edifice, where three overlapping craters were formed. Frequent small-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded from Lascar in historical time since the mid-19th century, along with periodic larger eruptions that produced ash fall up to hundreds hundreds of kilometers away from the volcano.

A large eruption of Lascar volcano occurred in 1993 when pyroclastic flows reached 8.5 km from the summit, as ash drifted 1200 miles in a South-East direction.

Lascar Volcano (2006 eruption)