Cueros de Purulla
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| Cueros de Purulla | |
|---|---|
  Cueros de Purulla | |
| Highest point | |
| Coordinates | 26°33′S 67°49′W / 26.550°S 67.817°W[1] |
Cueros de Purulla is a volcano in Argentina. It consists of a lava dome and an associated ignimbrite. A large eruption dated to c. 7820 BP deposited ash into the Valles Calchaquies.
The volcano lies in Catamarca Province of Argentina[2] 60–70 kilometres (37–43 mi) southeast of Antofagasta de la Sierra.[3] Cerro Blanco volcano lies 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Cueros de Purulla.[1]
It is the northern of two lava domes which lie at the southern end of the Sierra de Calalaste[4] and on its eastern flank.[5] A 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) wide horseshoe-shaped collapse scar dominates the edifice of the lava dome and has generated large debris block.[6] and hummocky debris.[7] A second edifice developed within the collapse scar.[8] The total volume of the volcano is about 5.19 cubic kilometres (1.25 cu mi).[9]
The volcano is accompanied by ignimbrites[1] and a debris deposit consisting of obsidian lies at the foot of the dome.[4] Two volcanic fallout units are associated with Cueros de Purulla. A lower fallout unit consisting of lapilli and volcanic ash extends several kilometres from the volcano, and remnants occur as far as 180 kilometres (110 mi) from it.[10] The upper unit is formed by ignimbrites and pyroclastic density current deposits.[11]
The volcano is part of the Southern Puna high plateau, where during the Neogene-Quaternary volcanism associated with the Andean Central Volcanic Zone produced both calderas and monogenetic volcanoes.[12] The basement under Cueros de Purulla consists of Ordovician sediments, which are metamorphosed and intruded by volcanic rocks. This basement during the Permian was covered by continental sediments, and later during the Miocene to Holocene by volcanic rocks.[5]
Composition and ores
Volcanic rocks erupted at Cueros de Purulla are rhyolites that define a potassium-rich calc-alkaline suite.[13] Mineralogically, the rocks contain allanite, amphibole, apatite, biotite, clinopyroxene, epidote, feldspar, ilmenite, magnetite, muscovite, quartz, titanite and zircon.[11] The volcanic rocks have been subdivided into three separate units, depending on whether they formed before the collapse or after it took place.[6]
For the past five millennia,[14] the volcano has been used as a source of obsidian, which occurs at 4,380 metres (14,370 ft) in the form of blocks and nodules of various colours, and is of high quality.[3] Reportedly, gold and silver can be found at the volcano.[15][16]