Puyehue–Cordón Caulle, volcanic complex, SE Chile, in the Andes Mts. within Puyehue National Park. The volcanic chain comprises (NW to SE) the Cordillera Nevada caldera (5,902 ft/1,799 m high), the Cordón Caulle fissure vent system (5,899 ft/1,798 m high), and Puyehue stratovolcano (7,336 ft/2,236 m high); the Mencheca stratovolcano (6,037 ft/1,840 m high) lies NE of Puyehue. Records of eruptions before the 20th century are scarce. Cordón Caulle is the only currently active part of the complex. It had a major eruption in 1921–22, and following the 9.5 magnitude Valdivia, Chile, earthquake in 1960 it erupted over a period of three months. An eruption in 2011–12 affected air traffic in parts of South America and Australia. Puyehue–Cordón Caulle is the largest geothermal area in the S Andes.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Latin American and Caribbean Physical Geography
