Chaitén

The Chaité volcano rises 1,122 meters above sea level, featuring a rhyolitic lava dome with two small lakes filling the caldera floor.

The volcano remained dormant for 9,400 years until May 2008, when it erupted violently, producing ash plumes reaching heights of 30,000 meters.

Pre-Columbian populations collected and traded grey obsidian from Chaité, with artifacts found up to 400 kilometers away in various archaeological sites.

The Chilean Geological Survey maintains monitoring equipment around Chaité to detect volcanic activity and provide early warnings to nearby communities.

The 2008 eruption marked the first major rhyolitic magma explosion in a century, comparable only to the 1912 Novarupta eruption in Alaska.

Location: Palena Province

Elevation above the sea: 1,122 m

Made from material: rhyolite

GPS coordinates: -42.83708,-72.64777

Latest update: May 27, 2025 10:05