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Subsidence at Barrancas Center: A New Deformation Anomaly in Laguna del Maule

Federico Daniel Carballo 1, Nicolas Vigide2,3, Sebastian E. Garcia3, Eugenia Wright1, Maria Laura Pardo1, Loreto Cordova4

  • Affiliations: 1Dirección de Geomática, Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR), Argentina; 2Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; 3Observatorio Argentino de Vigilancia Volcánica (OAVV), Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR), Argentina; 4Observatorio Volcanológico de los Andes del Sur (OVDAS), Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería de Chile (SERNAGEOMIN, Chile

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Friday 16:30 - 18:00, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 53

  • Programme No: 2.3.39

  • Theme 2 > Session 3

Abstract

Cerro Barrancas (Neuquén, Argentina) is one of the longest-lived post-glacial eruptive centers in the Laguna del Maule Volcanic Complex (LdMVC). This eruptive centre includes a rhyolitic dome, obsidian and pyroclastic flows, younger than 14 ka. Using the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) - Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) technique, a deformation pattern characterized by subsidence has been identified under the Cerro Barrancas. The registered maximum displacement velocity in the Line of Sight (LOS) reaches up to 1.65 cm/year, between October 2014 and July 2023. Although this subsidence pattern is located more than 12 km away from the main deformation center affecting the Laguna del Maule, it has not been reported in prior studies. The subsidence pattern coincides with the location and geometry of the Cerro Barrancas, and could be considered an independent deformation event from the historic main deformation registered at LdMVC. It could also be correlated to the gravity anomaly and seismic cluster analyzed in different works. Given the high-silica composition of the magmatic reservoir, this subsidence may reflect a contraction of the magmatic body responsible for the Cerro Barrancas. The findings highlight a localized deformation anomaly that contributes to our understanding of magmatic processes in the area and raises questions about the dynamics of the multivent volcanic systems. This study underscores the importance of further geophysical and geological investigations focused on the Cerro Barrancas to refine the interpretation and assess its potential volcanic hazard.