Research in the region commenced in the 19th century and was mainly concentrated on mining. Cerro Blanco received attention from scientists after satellite images in the early 20th century observed deflation of the caldera. A number of Holocene tephra layers have been identified in the region, but linking these to specific eruptions has been difficult until 2008-2010 when some of these were linked to the Cerro Blanco vent. Scientific interest has risen in the 2010s due to the discovery of the large 4.2 ka eruption.