Monte Burney

52°20′S 73°24′W / 52.33°S 73.4°W / -52.33; -73.4 Monte Burney is a volcano in southern Chile, part of its Austral Volcanic Zone which consists of six volcanoes with activity during the Quaternary. This volcanism is linked to the subduction of the Antarctic Plate beneath the South America Plate and the Scotia Plate.

Monte Burney is formed by a caldera with a glaciated stratovolcano on its rim. This stratovolcano in turn has a smaller caldera. An eruption is reported for 1910, with less certain eruptions in 1970 and 1920.

Tephra analysis has yielded evidence for many eruptions during the Pleistocene and Holocene, including two large explosive eruptions during the early and mid-Holocene. These eruptions deposited significant tephra layers over Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

The volcano is named after James Burney, a companion of James Cook. It is one of the many English language placenames in the region, which are the product of the numerous English research expeditions such as these by Robert FitzRoy and Phillip Parker King in 1825–1830.

Monte Burney is on the northwest Muñoz Gomera Peninsula. This area lies in the Patagonian region of Chile, which is known for its spectacular fjords. The volcano lies in the commune of Natales 200 kilometres (120 mi) northwest of Punta Arenas, and approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) southwest of Puerto Natales. The area is unpopulated and remote. The mountain was first ascended in March 1973 by Eric Shipton, Roger Perry and Peter Radcliffe.

The Andes feature about four areas of volcanic activity from north to south: the Northern Volcanic Zone, the Central Volcanic Zone, the Southern Volcanic Zone and the Austral Volcanic Zone. Aside from the main belt, so-called "back-arc" volcanism occurs as far as 250 kilometres (160 mi) behind the volcanic arc. These volcanic zones are separated by gaps lacking volcanic activity.

Volcanism in the region occurs because of the Southern Volcanic Zone and the Austral Volcanic Zone. These contain about 74 volcanoes with post-glacial activity; they include both monogenetic volcanoes, stratovolcanoes and volcanic complexes. Llaima and Villarrica are among the most active of these volcanoes. The Southern and Austral volcanic zones are separated by a gap without volcanic activity, close to the Chile Triple Junction.

The strongest volcanic eruption in the region occurred 7,750 years before present at Cerro Hudson volcano, which deposited tephra all over southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. This eruption probably caused a major depopulation of Tierra del Fuego, the temporary disappearance of long-range obsidian trade, and a change in the prevalent lifestyles of the region.