THE LARGEST EXPLOSIVE ERUPTION (VEI 6) IN HISTORICAL TIMES (1600 AD) IN THE CENTRAL ANDES AT HUAYNAPUTINA, SOUTHERN PERU

Huaynaputina comprises three vents on the floor of an avalanche calder a open in a deeply eroded stratovolcano located on the eastern edge of a high volcanic plateau. The eruption started on 19 February 1600, la sted at least 17 days and emplaced: (1) a widespread (greater than or equal to 85000 km(2)) pumice-fall deposit about 8 km(3) in volume; (2) several thin ash-fall layers; (4) ignimbrites ca. 1 km(3) in volume w ith proximal lag breccia on the caldera's flanks; (3) pyroclastic-surg e deposits; (5) a probable co-ignimbrite ash; (6) a crystal-rich airfa ll deposit; (7) a late ashfall deposit. In addition secondary ignimbri tes, mostly channeled removed the newly-erupted tephra in the valleys that drain the high plateau. Destructive debris flows swept down the c anyon of Tambo river as far as 120 km to the Pacific Ocean.