Tupungato

Tupungato
Aerial view of Tupungato volcano from Argentina.
Highest point
Elevation	6,570 m (21,560 ft) ^{[upper-alpha 1]}
Prominence	2,765 m (9,072 ft) ^[1]
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	33°21′30″S 69°46′12″W / 33.35833°S 69.77000°W / -33.35833; -69.77000Coordinates: 33°21′30″S 69°46′12″W / 33.35833°S 69.77000°W / -33.35833; -69.77000 ^[1]
Geography
Tupungato Location on the Argentina–Chile border
Location	Mendoza Province, Argentina – Metropolitan Region, Chile
Parent range	Andes
Geology
Age of rock	Pleistocene
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Volcanic arc/belt	South Volcanic Zone
Last eruption	0.8 million years ago.^[2]
Climbing
First ascent	1897 by Matthias Zurbriggen and Stuart Vines

Tupungato, one of the highest mountains in the Americas, is a massive Andean stratovolcano dating to Pleistocene times. It lies on the border between the Chilean Metropolitan Region (near a major international highway about 80 km (50 mi) east of Santiago) and the Argentine province of Mendoza, about 100 km (62 mi) south of Aconcagua, the highest peak of both the Southern and Western Hemispheres. Immediately to its southwest is the active Tupungatito volcano, which last erupted in 1987.

The mountain gives its name to the Tupungato Department, an important Argentine wine producing region in the Mendoza province.

1947 plane crash

Main article: BSAA Star Dust accident

On August 2, 1947, the airliner Star Dust, an Avro Lancastrian carrying six passengers and five crew over the Andes range, crashed into a steep glacier high on the Argentine side of Tupungato. The plane was quickly buried in the resulting avalanche and heavy snowfall that was taking place at the time. The plane lay undetected deep beneath the snow and glacial ice for over 50 years, before its remnants finally re-emerged at the glacier terminus in 2000. Shortly thereafter, an Argentine army expedition discovered the scattered debris and wreckage, collecting some of the evidence for investigation.

Aerial view of Tupungato (center-left) and Tupungatito.

Tupungato volcano seen from Punta de Vacas, Argentina.

Notes

↑ The given elevation of 6,570 m (21,560 ft) comes from Chilean 1:50.000 topographic mapping and is in accordance with SRTM data; the frequently given elevation of 6,800 m (22,300 ft) is incorrect

References

1 2 "Argentina and Chile, Central Ultra Prominences". Peaklist.
↑ "Tupungato". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.

Sources

"Tupungatito". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.

External links

Andean volcanoes

Northern Volcanic Zone (6° N–3° S)	Romeral Nevado del Ruiz Nevado del Tolima Nevado del Huila Puracé Doña Juana Galeras Cayambe Reventador Pichincha Antisana Aliso Soche Illiniza Cotopaxi Quilotoa Chimborazo Tungurahua Sangay

Central Volcanic Zone (15°–27° S)	Auquihuato Firura Sara Sara Solimana Coropuna Hualca Hualca Sabancaya Huambo volcanic field Ampato Andagua volcanic field Chachani Misti Ubinas Huaynaputina Ticsani Tutupaca Yucamane Tacora Parinacota Irruputuncu Azufre Sairecabur Pacana Licancabur Lascar Llullaillaco Lastarria Galán San Francisco Ojos del Salado

Southern Volcanic Zone (33°–46° S)	Tupungato Tupungatito Maipo Calabozos Descabezado Grande Cerro Azul Nevado de Longaví Nevados de Chillán Antuco Copahue Callaqui Lonquimay Llaima Sollipulli Villarrica Quetrupillán Lanín Mocho-Choshuenco Carrán-Los Venados Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Casablanca Osorno Calbuco Hornopirén Huequi Michinmahuida Chaitén Corcovado Cay Macá Hudson

Austral Volcanic Zone (49°–55° S)	Lautaro Viedma Aguilera Reclus Burney Fueguino

Note: volcanoes are ordered by latitude from north to south

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