In the Central Andes, large Plinian eruptions (VEI ≥ 6) occur at a relatively high frequency: one every 2000 to 4000 years over the past 50,000 years in southern Peru. This recurring, explosive activity poses a challenge to a region hosting c. three million people. Our objective is to use the 1600 CE Huaynaputina eruption as a reference to better assess the impacts of large events in the region. With VEI 6, this is considered the largest historical eruption in South America. In the framework of the Huayruro project, we have re-examined the Plinian stage of the eruption using recent models to estimate the volume and dispersal of the tephra-fall deposit. We reconsidered the case study in 2015–2017, revising the dataset and applying recent models to unravel to which extent these developments improved tephra studies. These studies have considerably evolved over the past decade. Sampling ...

In the Central Andes, large Plinian eruptions (Volcanic Explosivity Index ≥ 5) occur at a relatively high frequency, i.e. average one every 2000 to 4000 years over the past 50,000 years in Peru. Such recurring explosive activity represents a significant challenge for regions typically hosting several million people (e.g. Southern Peru, Western Bolivia and Northern Chile). With VEI 6, the 1600 CE Huaynaputina eruption is considered the largest historical eruption in South America. We have re-examined the first Plinian phase of this eruption in order to better assess critical eruption source parameters (i.e. erupted volume, plume height, mass eruption rate, eruption duration).The revised bulk volume of the tephra-fall deposit associated with the Plinian phase is approximately 13–14 km3, almost twice the previous estimate (7–8 km3 within the 1 cm isopach) based on methods including po...