Galán

For other uses, see gentleman.

Galán
Galán Catamarca Province,  Argentina
Elevation	5,912 m (19,396 ft)
Location
Range	Andes
Coordinates	25°55′S 66°52′W / 25.917°S 66.867°W / -25.917; -66.867Coordinates: 25°55′S 66°52′W / 25.917°S 66.867°W / -25.917; -66.867
Geology
Type	Caldera
Age of rock	2.2 million years
Last eruption	Unknown

Cerro Galán is a caldera in Catamarca Province, Argentina, considered to be the best exposed large caldera in the world. It was formed 2.2 million years ago when 1,050 km³ of material was erupted, producing ignimbrite deposits stretching up to 100 km away. The caldera was originally the site of a large lake, but resurgence of the eastern caldera floor has confined the salty Laguna Diamante to the caldera's western edge.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Argentina

References

• Cordillera de los Andes (in Spanish)
• Cerro Galan - Volcanoes of the Central Andes
• Cerro Galan Caldera, Argentina, from How Volcanoes Work, by Vic Camp, Department of Geological Sciences, San Diego State University
• Ben G. Mason; David M. Pyle, and Clive Oppenheimer (2004). "The size and frequency of the largest explosive eruptions on Earth" (PDF). Bulletin of Volcanology 66 (8): 735–748. doi:10.1007/s00445-004-0355-9.