About this Research Topic

Background

The Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes (CVZA) comprises the ~14-28°S segment of the Andes where intense volcanism has been continuously active since 27 Ma (Late Oligocene). The CVZA is characterized by a thick continental crust imprinting a particular signature and controlling the composition of the emitted magmas on the surface. These magmas are dominated by silicic andesites-to-dacites and by the emission of an impressive volume of ignimbrites, which dominate the local landscape. The CVZA covers southern Peru, western Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, as well as northern Chile and currently has at least 44 active/potentially active stratovolcanoes, a few active/potentially active calderas, and several potentially active monogenetic fields. Despite the relative low frequency and long recurrence between eruptions compared with other volcanic arcs, the CVZA history records many catastrophic eruptions including super-eruptions (> 450 km3 of erupted magma) related to collapse-calderas, especially in the Altiplano-Puna region (~21-24°S). Some Pleistocene-to-Holocene examples of important eruptions correspond to the Soncor eruption of Lascar volcano (~27 ka) which emitted 10-15 km3 of magma, the VEI ≥ 6 (> 80 km3) Cerro Blanco caldera eruption at 4.2 ka, or the VEI 6 (30 km3 volume) eruption of Huaynaputina volcano in 1600 AD. Research in the CVZA spans a wide spectrum of topics including the origin and evolution of magmas, the role of the thickness and composition of the continental crust and of intra-crustal melted magma bodies (Altiplano-Puna Magma Body) in the composition and location of volcanoes, the evolution of single volcanic edifices, the evolution of recent eruptive activity, the chemistry of fluids released from active volcanoes and geothermal fields, spatio-temporal distribution of volcanism, the relationship between volcanoes and tectonic structures, the evolution of collapse caldera systems, volcanic hazards, archaeology, the biology of extremophiles in volcanic/geothermal environments, and many others. Despite this, the CVZA still lacks a deep knowledge and understanding of its evolution and the processes related to its eruptive activity.

This Research Topic is focused on the understanding of the evolution and impact of volcanism in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes from its formation (Late Oligocene) up to present times, from individual to multidisciplinary studies spanning a wide spectrum of topics including deep and shallow magmatic processes, active volcanism, volcanic monitoring, hazards, risk management, geoheritage and geoconservation, among others.

This Research Topic welcomes articles from original research to reviews on the following themes:
· Deep magmatic processes;
· Geodynamics related to volcanism;
· Shallow volcanic processes;
· Polygenetic and monogenetic volcanism;
· Geophysics related to volcanism;
· Fluid geochemistry;
· Volcanic monitoring;
· Eruptive processes;
· Volcanic hazards and risks;
· Cultural implications of volcanism;
· Geoheritage and geoconservation.

Keywords: volcanic monitoring, hazard/risk management, backarc volcanism, Altipano Puna Volcanic Complex, active volcanism

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