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A new high-resolution hazard map for Villarrica volcano, Southern Chile: Methodology and Results

Franco Vera1 , Felipe Flores1, Laura Bono1

  • Affiliations: 1 National Network for Volcano Surveillance, Geological and Mining Survey of Chile (Sernageomin), Santiago, Chile. 

  • Presentation type: Poster

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

  • Poster Board Number: 119

  • Programme No: 6.7.24

  • Theme 6 > Session 7

Abstract

Villarrica Volcano (2,847 m a.s.l.; 39°25' S, 71°56' W) is recognized as the volcanic system with the highest Holocene eruptive recurrence in Chile (one eruption every 4.85 years) and represents the highest risk in the country. In 2000, the Geological Survey of Chile (Sernageomin) published the first 1:75,000 scale hazard map for Villarrica, primarily to support emergency response during an eruption. Over the past two decades, advances in simulation tools, higher-resolution topography, and a significant post-pandemic population increase in the region have emphasized the need for more detailed hazard assessments to inform land-use planning. This study provides a detailed analysis of the northern sector of the Villarrica volcano by constructing an integrated volcanic hazard map at a scale of 1:25,000. The volcanic hazard assessment addresses lava flows, pyroclastic density flows, lahars, tephra accumulation, and ballistics, based on field data, literature review, and numerical simulations. Eruptive scenarios were defined to identify exposed areas from each process, which were then classified into four hazard levels: very high, high, moderate, and low, using a semi-quantitative integration matrix based on magnitude, recurrence, and potential impact. Approximately 50,172 people in the northern sector of the volcano are exposed to multiple levels of hazard. In addition, major economic activities such as tourism, agriculture, and forestry could be severely affected by an eruption. This product is the first detailed scale volcanic hazard map in Chile and provides a significant contribution to volcanic risk management in the region.