Welcome to the 2nd International VIPS Conference in Chile!
We invite you to be part of the 2nd International Conference of the VIPS Commission of IAVCEI, which will be held from November 1 to 6, 2026 at Hotel Nevados, in Chillán, Chile. This event is being hosted by the Millenium Institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes.
Conference Overview
Date: November 1–6, 2026
Location: Chillán, Chile
Official language: English
Contact: conference.vips@ckelar.org
Register your interest here
About the Conference
The international conference of the IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems (VIPS) aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum that fosters an integrated understanding of magma transport and storage within the Earth’s crust.
The conference focuses on the study of volcanic plumbing systems through multiple approaches, including:
- Analogue, numerical, and petrological modelling to constrain their dynamics and evolution
- Volcano geodesy and seismology to investigate active systems
- Structural geology, igneous petrology, and geochemistry to examine fossil, eroded, and active systems
* Early registrations, prior to 30 June, receive a 5 % discount on the registration cost but spaces for early registration places are limited. So, sign up as soon as possible!
What is the VIPS Commission?
The VIPS Commission (Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems) is an international working group within the IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior).
The primary objective of the Commission is to provide a forum for research on VIPS (Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems) that transcends disciplinary and methodological boundaries, with the aim of fostering an integrated understanding of magma transport and storage within the Earth’s crust. The Commission was established in 2016, and we are pleased to have grown into one of the largest commissions within the IAVCEI.
Local organizing committee:
Alexandra Fuentealba
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Carolina Gajardo
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Denise Leiva
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Felipe Aguilera
Universidad Andrés Bello – Ckelar Volcanoes (Chile) – Scientific advisor
Marisol Cortes
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Mauricio Diaz
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Patricio Vasquez
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Pilar Canales
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Sebastian Ercoreca
Millennium institute on Volcanic Risk Research – Ckelar Volcanoes – Logistical advisor
Scientific committee
Catherine Annen
John Browning
Matías Clunes
Ayleen Gaete
Location: Nevados de Chillán
The Nevados de Chillán volcanic complex is a group of active volcanoes in southern Chile that has shown frequent activity in recent years, including ash emissions, gas release, and the formation of lava domes. In addition to its importance for scientific research, it is a popular destination for its mountain landscapes, hot springs, and outdoor activities, making it a place where tourism and continuous volcanic monitoring coexist.
Geological context
The Nevados de Chillán Volcanic Complex (NChVC) comprises two sub-complexes: Cerro Blanco in the north and Las Termas (currently active) in the south, along with numerous satellite vents distributed between them. Each sub-complex is located at the intersection between the main trace of the Cortaderas-Chillán Lineament (CChL; WNW-ESE) and two regional NE-SW-striking faults, the Shangri-La and Valle Hermoso faults (ShLF and VHF, respectively). This spatial configuration suggests that the migration of eruptive centers is linked to the development of fault intersections.
Since 2016, the complex has entered a period of sustained eruptive activity characterized by eruptive columns, lava flows, and cyclic dome destruction and construction at the Nuevo crater, which continues to the present day (Coppola et al., 2016; Cardona et al., 2021). Geodetic and petrological evidence indicates that the NChVC is underlain by a compartmentalized system in which magma is stored and processed at multiple crustal levels (González-Vidal et al., 2018; Cardona et al., 2021; Oyarzún et al., 2022). An upper crustal reservoir, located at ~4-6 km depth, is primarily associated with recent eruptive cycles, including the 2016-2022 activity (Coppola et al., 2016; Cardona et al., 2021). InSAR data commonly identify inflation-deflation sources at these depths, reflecting pressurization of dacitic magma prior to magma injection and eruption (Cardona et al., 2021). For example, a recent unrest episode between January and November 2019 is consistent with an inflation source at 5.5 ± 0.5 km depth (Astort et al., 2022).
At greater depth, a feeder system located near the mid-to lower-crustal boundary (~15 km) has been identified as a primary staging zone for primitive, mantle-derived magmas. This system is characterized by dense intrusions that supply the thermal and chemical energy required to sustain volcanic activity (Lizama et al., 2025). Between these shallow and deep reservoirs, a complex mixing zone (~7-12 km depth) has been inferred, where hot mafic (basaltic-andesite) magma interacts with cooler, more evolved (dacitic) magma stored in the upper crust (Pineda et al., 2025).
The volcanic sits on Miocene basement of granitoids and volcano-sedimentary sequences which are heavily faulted and intruded by magma and outcrop at accessible levels to the west and south. Historic andesite-dacite lavas are also accessible, many exhibiting evidence of magma-ice interaction and columnar jointing. An exposed near-surface conduit, which fed a fissure on the south-west flank of the Las Termas, provides insight on magma densification and fragmentation processes (Rojas et al., 2025).
The NChVC therefore represents an exceptional natural laboratory for investigating the evolution of multi-level magmatic plumbing systems in subduction zones.
Understanding its plumbing system, the network of conduits, sills, and reservoirs through which magma is stored and transported, is essential for interpreting surface signals and assessing volcanic hazards.
Sponsorship Opportunities
We are actively seeking sponsorship for the meeting and welcome any assistance. Financial support from sponsors will be primarily used to reduce the costs for students, early-career researchers and researchers from resource-limited contexts.
Please contact conference.vips@ckelar.org if you are interested in sponsoring the meeting.
Code of conduct
All conference participants are expected to adhere to the code of conduct for meetings of the IAVCEI VIPS Commission and IAVCEI.
All participants will need to confirm they have read these codes upon conference registration.
As conference organisers we reserve the right to remove participants from the meeting in case of breach of conduct.
More information:
Abstract submission and registration
Travel Bursaries for ECRs
Scientific Programme and Fieldtrips
Contact
Email: conference.vips@ckelar.org