A volcanic eruption 22 million years ago originating from the Lauca Caldera in northern Chile blanketed the South American landscape in ignimbrite, creating a geological “Pompeii” that preserved rolling foothills beneath a pyroclastic flow and provided researchers with insight into the slow-and-steady tectonic uplift of the Andes mountain range.
Published in the journal Science Advances, this research addresses debates regarding whether the Andes rose gradually or popped up rapidly in recent geological epochs.
In Plain English: The Takeaway
- Geological Preservation: Much like the Roman town of Pompeii preserved human history following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, a prehistoric volcanic flow in northern Chile encapsulated an ancient landscape under rock layers known as ignimbrite.
- Tectonic Sluggishness: Researchers calculated that crustal uplift prior to the eruption occurred at a rate of no more than 0.16 miles (0.26 kilometers) per million years, supporting a slow-and-steady mountain-building model.
- Analytical Modeling: Scientists bypassed the inability to dig directly into buried terrain by analyzing the shape of the volcanic blanket alongside established principles of how rivers erode and shape mountain terrain.
Unearthing the Andean Chronology Through Volcanic Archives
The eruption from the Lauca Caldera unleashed a pyroclastic flow—a mixture of rock, volcanic gas, and ash that sweeps across terrain like a broiling tsunami. When this material cooled, it formed a rock layer called ignimbrite across the region. According to Byron Adams, a geomorphologist at University College London, this event froze a moment in Earth history.
“Pompeii shows how volcanic eruptions can freeze a moment in human history,” Adams said in a public statement. “This study shows that much larger eruptions can also freeze moments in Earth history, burying whole landscapes beneath volcanic deposits and preserving clues to how mountains were being built before the eruption.”
By measuring the original slope of the volcanic flow—calculated at about 1.5 degrees—and examining subsequent erosion by the Lluta River, the research team modeled the landscape hidden beneath the hardened ash. They determined that the blanket covered rolling foothills rather than craggy peaks. Furthermore, by calculating erosion rates and assessing how fast rocks rose as the oceanic Nazca Plate pushed under the continental crust of South America, the team quantified the speed of Andean formation.
| Parameter | Measured Value | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Eruption Age | 22 Million Years Ago | Captures the middle history of Andean orogeny |
| Volcanic Source | Lauca Caldera (Northern Chile) | Origin of the ignimbrite sheet |
| Original Flow Slope | About 1.5 Degrees | Enables modeling of the pre-existing topography |
| Pre-Eruption Uplift Rate | ≤ 0.16 miles (0.26 km) per million years | Supports the slow-and-steady mountain growth hypothesis |
Resolving the Long-Standing Tectonic Debate
Geologists have debated the exact developmental timeline of the Andes. Two primary hypotheses have been discussed: whether the mountain chain grew slowly and steadily over a span of 40 to 50 million years, or whether they rose extremely slowly and then popped up more recently, in the last six to 10 million years.
The findings published in Science Advances support the former hypothesis. By establishing that the crustal uplift rate prior to 22 million years ago was no more than 0.26 kilometers per million years, the study aligns with earlier mineralogical data. Those previous methods tracked the formation of certain minerals within rocks to determine when a particular rock rose through the crust and approached the surface. Because these findings cover a large part of the middle of the mountain range’s history, they provide backing for the slow but steady model.
Future Trajectory and Global Applications
The analytical framework deployed in northern Chile is not geographically restricted to South America. The research team notes that the same method can be applied to other mountain ranges worldwide where volcanic activity has blanketed and preserved ancient topography. By combining fluvial erosion models and the shape of volcanic blankets, earth scientists possess a toolkit to peer beneath volcanic caps globally, unlocking the chronological secrets etched into the Earth’s crust.
References
- Adams, B., et al. Science Advances.
- Cooper, F. J. (Image credit).
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only.
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