Auquihuato (possibly from Quechua, ''awki'': prince, ''watu'': prediction, fortuneteller) is a
cinder cone
A cinder cone (or scoria cone) is a steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic clinkers, volcanic ash, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are formed by explosive eruptions o ...
in the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
of
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, high. It is situated in the
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho () is a department and region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit in the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as ...
,
Paucar del Sara Sara Province
Paucar del Sara Sara Province is a province located in the south-eastern corner of the Ayacucho Region of Peru. It is one of eleven provinces that make up the region. The province has a population of 10,610 inhabitants 2005 census. It is bounded ...
, on the border of the districts Colta and Oyolo.escale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL Map of the Paucar del Sara Sara Province (Ayacucho Region) Auquihuato lies northeast of Sara Sara volcano.
Geology
Context
Auquihuato is surrounded by a
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 the cone formed on the plateau's southern margin. Sara Sara lies southwest and Firura lies farther east. Auquihuato lies east of the main
volcanic arc
A volcanic arc (also known as a magmatic arc) is a belt of volcanoes formed above a subducting oceanic tectonic plate,
with the belt arranged in an arc shape as seen from above. Volcanic arcs typically parallel an oceanic trench, with the arc lo ...
and is aligned with several other volcanic centres in a northwest-southeast line.
Volcano
Auquihuato is high and a
lava flow
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or und ...
extends southward from the cone, reaching a length of . The lava flow has a pahoehoe texture and a thickness of . It has well developed
levee
A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...
s.
Activity
The
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...
developed during the
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
and
Holocene
The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...
. The noticeable lava flow is of
Holocene
The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...
age but no
radiometric dating
Radiometric dating, radioactive dating or radioisotope dating is a technique which is used to date materials such as rocks or carbon, in which trace radioactive impurities were selectively incorporated when they were formed. The method compares t ...
is available and no historical eruptions are known. The Geophysical Institute of Peru began to monitor the
geodesy
Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equivale ...
of the system in 2019 and it is considered a low-hazard volcano.
Ground deformation has been observed by InSAR observation, centered southeast of Auquihuato and with a circular shape. The ground deformation may be caused by changes in the pressure within the volcano's
magma
Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
system, at depths probably exceeding , but an origin in a hydrothermal system is also possible. Volcano-tectonic earthquakes have been recorded.