Peru 2016 

Volcano Sabancaya

09-18. December

M.Rietze, R.Roscoe, Th.Boeckel


   

Peru, volcano Sabancaya with 5976m osl.
...the highest 'Active' erupted in the world.

The highest volcano in the world is the Nevado Ojos del Salado (6.893 m) in Argentina / Chile and considered as a dormant volcano, since only fumarolic activities are observed. 'Recent' outbreaks have not yet been documented and the world of experts is debating whether the Vulkan can be described as active at all. Then we have the Guallatari (6070m) in Chile. The only documented activity was a weak and modest steam cloud emission in 1960, which is not countable as an eruption.

So the Sabancaya would have moved to place 3. But I don't agree with this! This giant volcano was documented with its outbreaks since the 15th century and is now vehemently ejecting glowing slag and ash clouds into the stratosphere. According to this facts, it is for me the highest active volcano No.1 in the world, which offers serious eruptions by a may historic present activity now. By the way, the Cotopaxi in Ecuador is now the active No 2.

*************************************************************************
The arrival

    
L: The  grand Zocalo from Arequipa  R: Sabancaya pan cake from..

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel  Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel
... master cooking Peruan people well known by our guide Edison.

Up at the Volcano



Strong uprising ashplume with Geminid Meteors

The Meteor Stream of Geminids reaches its maximum every year on Dec. 14th. After our first observation point was located 5070m north of the volcano, crystal-clear conditions prevailed. Not even the bright full moon could obscure this "meteor shower". The left meteor is a 'Sporadic', but the right is a clear Geminid, which traversed the southern sky with an extremely bright glow of 20 °.




Our most beautiful eruption hurled red-hot material up to an estimated height of 500m

 Vulkan Masaya Nicaragua 2016 by Th Boeckel

Rare red night animations :-)

More animations as time lapses

  
Eruptions seen from the northern side.
  
Eruptions seen from the southern  side. The ash cloud moved over the imposant 6320m high volcano Ampato.
During our staytime the winter came back over the volcano plain.

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Further "red" cinder / ash discharges. Almost silent but with a little roaring, the eruption phases began, with ash plumes reaching an average altitude of 2-3 km.

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Initially (12-14 Dec) some ash discharges reached the edge of the stratosphere. According to the volcano institute OVI, this means that the ash discharges  had a maximum altitude of 4-5 km.

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

And who thinks we drive there just once up has sometimes grossly deceived. The 25km trip to the 5070m high Nordplatz was one of the wildest off-road jogging trips in my 4x4 Weeled life. The route was not visible any more, and even our highly experienced off-road driver put the crate into a beautiful morass hole in a lofty swampland. Because of existing flat plate the exposure lasted only 3 hours. Before that, however, we were still stuck in some sand dunes.

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel  Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel  Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel  Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel
Mighty ash discharges seen from the north side. 

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Ash ejection seen from the south side.


Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

In the altitude of 4500-5000m it seems almost hostile for life, anyway lama and alpaca herds are abundant. Right in the background the volcano Misti.

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel   Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel   Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

To the fauna the unique flora. Moss-like tubers up to 4 meters in diameter characterize the image of the elevated level. Where the Paramongras has already miserably abandoned, these 'Living Rocks' feel puddle. Tip for future planting and for amateur gardeners on Mars.

.
Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel     

Edison and our northern stand about 4-5 km from the volcano.
 
Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel   

Tent place in the southern area. Rest in an ancient Inka water canal. After this was used only by Martin, the purpose of the time could have been the melting-water collection. The global decline in glaciers makes this building over a few kilometers long superfluous. Glaciers were only seen from an estimated altitude of 5700m in the peak regions of the volcano Ampato (6288m) and Hualca Hualca (6025m)
 Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel   Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel   Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

A Peruvian shepherd with a lama who was just a few days young
 
Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel     Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Peruan people in their great classical costumes.

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel     Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel
  
Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel

Sweet Home in the village of ......

Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel    Peru Sabancaya 2016 by Th Boeckel
 A visit Besuch in the Volcanological Institution OVI.
Here we were told abaut the conditions at the Sabancaya and the other monitored volcanoes in a cordial friendliness.

Muchas Gracias :-)))

Mehr über unsere Peru Tour bei

ALPE  vulkane.net  


Etna    Stromboli    Volcano world    Cinema

From Etna to Stromboli     Planets & Space

©2016, Photos und Text Thorsten Boeckel , last modification  22.12.2016


This private, non-commercial web site do not use cookies !

 IMPRESSUM      PRIVACY     DATENSCHUTZ