Huaynaputina comprises three vents on the floor of an avalanche caldera open in a deeply eroded stratovolcano located on the eastern edge of a high volcanic plateau. The eruption started on 19 February 1600, lasted at least 17 days and emplaced: (1) a widespread (≥ 85000 km2) pumice-fall deposit about 8 km3 in volume; (2) several thin ash-fall layers; (4) ignimbrites ca. 1 km3 in volume with proximal lag breccia on the caldera's flanks; (3) pyroclastic-surge deposits; (5) a probable co-ignimbrite ash; (6) a crystal-rich airfall deposit; (7) a late ashfall deposit. In addition, secondary ignimbrites, mostly channeled, removed the newly-erupted tephra in the valleys that drain the high plateau. Destructive debris flows swept down the canyon of Tambo river as far as 120 km to the Pacific Ocean.