ERUPTION OF THE HUAYNAPUTINA VOLCANO OF THE YEAR 1600 AD

The eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano was the largest historical eruption
(volcani eruption index – vei = 6) in the andes mountains. It began on February
19 and continued until March 6 or 15, AD 1600 at Huaynaputina, a dacitic
stratovolcano located on a high volcanic in the south part Peru. Spanish
chronicles reported that almost 15 villages existed around the volcano, of which
six of them were totally destroyed by the eruption. The names of these settlement
are: Thus, Calicanto, Cojraque, San Juan de Dios, Estagagache, Chimpampa
and Moro Moro. The consequences of the large eruption was severe for the
people and colonial economy of South Perú.

Tephra falls, pyroclastic flows and waves wiped out all human and animal life
around 5000 km2 around the volcano, and after that, ash-fall was reported 200 –
500 km around the volcano, even falling in Chile and Bolivia. This eruption
consists on five phases, in which the ejected ash was of different types. (1) First
phase – Between February 19 and 20, the first phase ocurred. Pumice stone fall,
the measured thicknesses of the pumice deposit allowed the reconstruction of an
isopach map, resulting in a large lobe of 95’000 km2! With a volume of 7.9 km3!
The pumice fall deposit is called “Plinian” based on its dispersion, texture and
composition. (2) Second phase: Post-plinian ash-fall layers, it ocurred between
20 – 22 (February) a dwindling column sent ash-falls on proximal to medial areas
and possibly pyroclastic surges on proximal slopes. (3) Third phase: Ignimbrites
and pumice flow deposits, during this phase ignimbrite forming with interspersed
hydromagmatic events, pyroclastic flows 1.5 – 2.0 km2 in volume were channeld
into the Tambo River Canyon and tributaries. The strong winds, due to the height
of the eruptive column, dispersed and mixed the co-ignimbrite and co-plinian
ashes, forming deposits in area of 265’000 km2. (4) Fourth phase: Crystal ash-
fall.- This ocurred between March 2 – 3, this ash is the most unusual product of
the 1600 AD eruption, originating from a phreatomagmatic eruption (this happens
when magma meets a underground river! (5) Fifth phase: Ash flow.- During this,
ash flows produced surge deposits and lag-fall breccias near vent, small volume
and flows deposits in proximal catchments, and a thin ash-fall layer in medial to
distal areas.
In the 16th century, the economy of the southern zone of Perú was mostly in the
form of barter, many indegenous inhabitants exchanged products with the towns
surrounding the Huaynaputina volcano, when all these towns dissapeared, an
economic crisis ocurred in the following years of having a deficiency in some
products, which increased its exchanged value, being accesible only to spanish
settlers or furnilies related to Inca royalty.

The damage in some Inca’s villages was as follows: (a) Quinistacas was one of
the most important that existed in the region, it had important comercial exchange
(corn, wheat, wine, etc.) with the Potosi mines. This town was buried by the five
eruptive phases, but life ended with the pumice-fall and most of the buildings
were buried by pyroclastic and tephra flows. (b) Estagagache it was the only town
NEAR the volcano didn’t suffer significant damage, other than roof collapses due
to the excesive weight of stones. (c) Calicanto is other village buried by the plinian
pumice lapilli fall deposits and by the post-plinian flow and fall layers. (d) Pampa
Gentilar.- Wall of houses and terraces were mantled by pyroclastics from the
eruption. (e) Cojraque was buried for pumice fall and mantled by tephra flow, with
isopachs of 5 – 6 meters!

In conlusion, the eruption of the year 1600 AD brought devasting consequences

for nearly life and for the world in general, since the planet’s temperature
decreased by 1°C, causing a famine in Russia, but in the proximal zone 1600
people died (indigenous). Great care most be taken and constant monitoring of
all volcanos in this area, being as the eruption of Huaynaputina sets a precedent
for how violent eruptions can be.

Presented by: Ricardo C. Ugarte Dávila.