Licancabur
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| Licancabur | |
|---|---|
 Licancabur and Laguna Verde |
|
| Elevation | 5,920 metres (19,423 ft) |
| Location | Bolivia-Chile |
| Range | Andes |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Stratovolcano |
| Age of rock | Holocene |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
| First ascent | Inca, pre-Columbian |
| Easiest route | hike |
Licancabur is a highly symmetrical stratovolcano on the southernmost part of the border between Chile and Bolivia. It is located just southwest of Laguna Verde in Bolivia and northwest of Juriques volcano. The volcano dominates the landscape of the Salar de Atacama area. The summit crater is about 400 m wide and contains a 70 by 90 m crater lake which is ice-covered most of the year. This is one of the highest lakes in the world, and despite air temperatures which can drop to -30 °C, it contains planktonic fauna.
Licancabur's most recent volcanic activity produced extensive lava flows which extend 6 km down the northwest and southwest flanks, with older lava flows reaching 15 km and pyroclastic flow deposits as far as 12 km from the peak. Extensive Inca ruins are located at the summit, providing proof of pre-Columbian ascents as well as evidence for a lack of major eruptions over the past 500–1,000 years.
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[edit] Naming
The word Licancabur is the Castilianization of a Kunza name used by the Atacameño people to refer to the volcano, which means "Mountain of the People".
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program: Licancabur
- Biggar, John (2005). The Andes: A Guide for Climbers (3rd ed.). Andes Publishing (Scotland), 304 pp. ISBN 0-9536087-2-7.
- González-Ferrán, Oscar (1995). Volcanes de Chile. Santiago, Chile: Instituto Geográfico Militar, 640 pp. ISBN 956-202-054-1. (in Spanish; also includes volcanoes of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru)
- De Silva, Shanaka L.; Francis, Peter (1991). Volcanoes of the Central Andes. Springer-Verlag, 216 pp. ISBN 3540537066.
- NASA Licancabur Expedition: Exploring the Highest Lakes on Earth
- The Highest Lakes in the World
[edit] External links
