Volcán Mocho

Mocho-Choshuenco (Pronounced: MOTCH-oh choss-WEN-koh) is a glacier covered compound stratovolcano in the Andes of Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is made of the twin volcanoes Choshuenco in the northwest and the Mocho in the southeast. The highest parts of the volcano are part of the Mocho-Choshuenco National Reserve while the eastern slopes are partly inside the Huilo-Huilo Natural Reserve.

Choshuenco, located on the northwest rim of the 4 km wide caldera, is of late glacial age. It has a heavily eroded crater and is currently dormant. Mocho is an andesitic-dacitic volcano placed above the caldera. Some parasitic craters and cinder cones are located on the southwest and northeast flanks of the stratovolcano. Mocho has its earliest certainly recorded eruption in 1759, older eruptions reported are uncertain due to the usage of different names and inexact maps.

The northern foothills of Mocho-Choshuenco are surrounded by an arc of rivers and lakes formed by Fui, Enco and Llanquihue River, and Pirihueico, Panguipulli and Riñihue Lakes. The Fui River has high degree of underground infiltration, such that in some years the Huilo-Huilo Falls may dry out completely. As consequence of this infiltration a large aquifer is situated beneath Mocho-Choshuenco. The southern and eastern slopes drain to Pillanleufú River which flows south along the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault to Maihue Lake.