Fostering geoheritage in volcanic risk areas: the case of the Calbuco volcano, Southern Chile.

Calbuco Volcano (41.3°S, 72,6ºW) is located in the Southern Andes of Chile, in the Los Lagos region. It ranks 3^rd in the Chilean volcanic risk ranking (www.sernageomin.cl) having both high hazard due to recent and frequent eruptions and exposure to that hazard of about 300 000 people in the region. Its last eruption (April 22-23, 2015), severely affected the surroundings of the volcano, including the village of Ensenada, evidencing a growing need for volcanic risk reduction. This task can be assisted by raising awareness of volcanic processes and geoheritage, contributing to reduce exposure to hazards, and to risk education and mitigation. In this work, an assessment of the geoheritage potential of the northern flank of the Calbuco Volcano is presented. Literature review, geological mapping, stratigraphy, and petrographic studies of some recent deposits and eruptive products were performed. Volcanic deposits and landforms (e.g., pyroclastic density currents, lahars, tephra falls, and lava flows) is key to reconstructing volcanic eruptions and providing volcanic hazard data. Besides, well-preserved, and easily accessible eruptive sequences can be used to educate communities exposed to volcanic hazard through different outreach and geoeducation techniques which can help volcanic risk mitigation. The identified geosites were numerically assessed, scoring through qualitative and quantitative procedures. The top-five ranked geosites have high scientific value and use potential, allowing the observation of volcanic processes under better accessibility conditions. They may offer scientific, educational, and touristic use if geoconservation strategies are considered in the management of the areas around the volcano. Part of the volcanic edifice remains inside parks, both public (Llanquihue National Reserve) and private (Parque Valle los Ulmos and Parque Volcanes), which gives it greater accessibility and conservation potential. The addition of further geosites to the inventory from other flanks of the volcano is aimed, for a more detailed characterization of the area and the support of geoconservation strategies and volcanic risk reduction. With these studies, more scientific knowledge and awareness of volcanic processes and hazards can be achieved, mainly to benefit the social and economic development of local population. A geopark project in the area would be an incentive to that development and a way to educate the population about geodiversity, geoheritage and volcanic hazards topics. This type of strategy would have to include local institutions in its management, such as local government bodies, universities and research units, nature conservation staff and local associations to be a nationally and internationally recognized project.

 

Key words: Calbuco volcano, Southern Andes, volcanic risk, geoheritage, education.