Chile's Villarrica: Ongoing Eruptions and the Major Event of 2015

 Unlike many other active volcanoes that are distributed around the world, Chile’s Villarrica–located along the nation’s Southern Andes–periodically sputters with a mixture of ash and volcanic gasses without erupting entirely. At 2,840m tall, the volcano has historically been a popular spot for hikers, geologists, and volcanologists seeking both recreation and research at the summit. In particular, Villarrica offers the unique experience of being able to gaze down into the crater and view a lake of lava that is active but only intermittently so; even despite the threat that the volcano poses in its fairly frequent activity, both tourists and residents alike have not shied away from this unique apex of seismic activity.

Rucapillàn, as the locals call it, or, “House of the Spirits,” photographed from the base of the volcano. Its volcanic gasses that are periodically emitted into the atmosphere along with the ash that is spewed during both large and minor eruptions create this otherworldly effect, thereby earning the name that the locals gave it. Courtesy of Joanna Thompson.

But in 2015, the regularity of recreation in this area ceased to exist when a major eruption (in terms of this particular volcano) occurred. At around 3:00 AM local time on March 3, 2015, Villarrica erupted, spewing both ash and lava of a mixed composition into the sky. The ash was estimated to have been spewed up to 3,000 meters high, with a more vague reporting of the extent to which the lava reached. 

An image of Villarrica’s minor explosions captured from the International Space Station, 2023. This demonstrates the consistent sputtering and small eruptions that are characteristic of Villarrica. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory.

Both rainfall and melted snow and/or glacier ice mixing with the eruption’s flow caused massive lahars in the area, which are defined as mud and debris flow, and were present during two other major eruptions in the volcano’s history, taking place in 1964 and 1971. Because of the risk that these lahars posed to the surrounding area, residents within a 10km radius were instructed beforehand to evacuate to safer areas until the at-risk radius was confirmed safe. The largest city nearby, Santiago, was not intensely impacted by the eruptions of March 3, 2015, but local authorities did issue an Orange Alert for the residents of that city, which is the second-highest level of alert on a four-tier scale; according to USGS, this level means that a major eruption is either imminent or underway, but poses limited risk to surrounding aviation, as an eruption of this class would most likely only produce substantial lava flows. The alerts on this scale are based on seismic activity, ash emissions, gas and steam emissions, and ejections of incandescent material. 

In terms of impact, this eruption had minimal casualties, with no sources reporting deaths or injury to residents in the area; due to the ample warning time on part of Sernageomin, Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service, residents within the blast radius were able to evacuate in time and avoid the worst of the event. The ample warning time could be attributed to the minor blasts and sputters that the volcano produced in the days prior to the event, and seismic activity monitoring in the area allowed officials to properly spread the word of the impending eruption. Local communities were primarily threatened by ash, lava, floods, and mudslides as snow and glacial cap melted off the mountain in the wake of the heat released by the eruption. Residents of these areas were safe, but were instructed to use extreme caution and leave the area until the worst of the eruption had ceased. The greatest impact was felt by the infrastructure of the surrounding towns and waterways, as rising rivers following the lahars and lava flows caused bridges and surrounding architecture to be destroyed.

Left: February 22, 2015. Right: March 5, 2015.

Ice and snow content atop the mountain before and after the March 3 eruption, demonstrating the effect that the lava flow had on snow and glacial cap.

Villarrica is a stratovolcano containing lava composed of a basaltic-andesitic composition; its slopes were formed by cooling lava flows from past eruptions. It is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Chile, and is one of more than 2,000 volcanoes located in the Andes cordillera; about 90 of those 2,000 remain classified as ‘active.’ Villarrica in particular is the westernmost of three stratovolcanoes in the area, which trend perpendicular to the Andean chain along the Gastre Fault, the source of seismic activity in the area. 

In terms of damage caused by this eruption, this explosion was minimal. Human casualties remained unreported in all sources, indicating that the ample warning time provided by officials was substantial enough to allow for safe passage out of the area for all residents. While there is a possibility of undocumented casualties, it is highly unlikely. The greatest loss following this disaster had much more to do with infrastructure, as buildings and architecture in the path of the lava flows and rising water levels due to the eruption were destroyed and in need of reconstruction in the following months. 

Officials monitoring this seismic zone were proactive in terms of this eruption, and remain so in the years since. Sernageomin keeps four webcams on the volcano active at all times, allowing for constant surveillance of the area and thus maintaining a ready warning system should the need arise. 

Because this volcano consistently exhibits ongoing sputtering eruptions, Sernageomin continues to monitor and adjust warnings and procedures for local residents of the area, healthily maintaining a watch on the volcano and its potential hazards. 

Spectacular Eruption of Chile’s Villarrica Volcano; Thousands Evacuated

A brief news clip speaking on the day of the event. Thousands of local residents were instructed to evacuate from the area due to the risks posed by the impending eruption.

Massive volcano eruption: Chile’s Volcano Villarrica spews lava and ash 1,000 meters into the air

Another brief news clip speaking on the eruption. A brief explanation on the type of volcano, how it was formed, and its composition was included. Further, the video explained some of the causes for the explosivity of this particular volcano. 

Works Cited

“Alert Level Icons.” Alert Level Icons | U.S. Geological Survey,
www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/alert-level-icons#:~:text=WARNING%20/%20ORANGE,
no%20risk%20of%20ash%20production). Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

“Chile’s Villarrica Sputters.” NASA, NASA, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150898/chiles-villarrica-sputters.
Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

“Eruption of Villarrica Volcano.” NASA, NASA, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/85465/eruption-of-
villarrica-volcano. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Stone, Luke. “Villarrica Volcano Activity Increases, Alert Level Raised to Orange.” OpenSnow, 1 Oct. 2023,
opensnow.com/news/post/villarrica-volcano-activity-increases-alert-level-raised-to-orange.

Thompson, Joanna. “Lava-Lit Lenticular Cloud Crowns Volcano in Spectacular Photo.” Scientific American,
Scientific American, 29 July 2024, www.scientificamerican.com/article/lava-lit-lenticular-
cloud-crowns-volcano-in-spectacular-photo/#:~:text=
Villarrica%20is%20one%20of%20Chile’s,Villarrica’s%20crater%E
2%80%94it’s%20a%20cloud.

“Villarrica Volcano Eruption.” Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals, 5 Mar. 2015,
ricenorthwestmuseum.org/2015/03/05/villarrica-volcano-eruption/.