About the volcano
Ojos del Salado stands on the border between Chile and Argentina, at the edge of the Atacama Desert. It is the world's highest volcano and Chile's highest peak, second in the Andes only to Aconcagua. Despite its great height the summit is relatively dry and rarely snow-covered. The GVP dates its last eruption to around the 8th century; today its activity is limited to fumaroles – vents of hot gas. Near the summit, at around 6,400 metres, lies a crater lake considered one of the highest on Earth.
Eruption history
VEI – Volcanic Explosivity Index: 0 = lava outpouring, 4 = like Eyjafjallajökull 2010, 6 = like Pinatubo 1991, 7 = like Tambora 1815. The scale is logarithmic – each step is about 10 times more material.
| Start | End | VEI | Vent and dating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 750 ± 250 years | — | ? | Correlation: Tephrochronology |
Data: Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution (#355130) · Wikipedia (pl) · Wikipedia (en)