Sedimentological characteristics of the Quizapú Volcano ashes erupted in 1932, Llancanelo lake region, Mendoza (Argentina).

ROVERE, ELIZABETH; VIOLANTE, ROBERTO; OSELLA, A.,; DE LA VEGA, MATIAS; ROMANO, ANDREA

Mendoza

Congreso; 18° International Sedimentological Congress "Sedimentology at the foot of the Andes",; 2010

International Association of Sedimentologists.

Field and laboratory activities were carried out in the context of Project MINCyT-ANPCyT-PICT 2006-1311 in the surroundings of Llancanelo lake, located around 100 km eastward of the volcano. Tephra deposits of Quizapú eruption were recognized in outcrops, diggings and sediment cores around the lake. The tephra layer has a regional distribution with a mean thickness of 10 cm, overlying lacustrine and eolian sediments as well as soils. Around 25 selected ash samples were studied by sedimentological techniques, observed under binocular, petrographic and electronic microscope and analyzed with the EDAX microprobe. Sedimentological and mineralogical characteristics of the Quizapú samples around Llancanelo lake indicate that volcanic processes involved in the tephras deposition were mainly direct fall from the ash clouds with possible pyroclastic flows and surges.