Vn. San José, Chile

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The towering San José Volcano (5,856 msnm), dubbed Cerro Ardiente by German naturalist Meyen following his pioneering ascent in 1831, stands as a formidable Quaternary stratovolcano with a history of destructive eruptions over the past 130 years that have ravaged its craters and altered its morphometry (Brüggen, 1950). Slopes of San José Volcano are blanketed by ice fields on the eastern flank and less snow volume in the western sector, showcasing dynamic geomorphological processes due to its strategic location within the Andes Mountains. The volcano coexists in a distinct zonal environment, where direct climatic action, temperature fluctuations, humidity levels, water flow, wind forces, and gravity all converge to intensify erosive processes on this massif. San José Volcano poses a significant threat to Santiago, the capital of Chile, situated just 60 km away and vulnerable to geomorphological or eruptive scenarios that could have devastating consequences for the city's residents and infrastructure.