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photo by Christine Nguyen
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The volcano Licancabur (left)
is considered the most important geological feature
in the legends of San Pedro de Atacama. Some Atacameños
believe that Licancabur holds spiritual power. The
volcano Juriques is pictured on the right. view
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Volcanoes are formed from friction produced by currents
of liquid hot magma between continental masses, which fracture the
Earth´s crust. In Chile´s case, the Nazca oceanic plate
penetrates the South American continent.
The fused material can be found between 3 and 124
miles (4 and 200 kilometers) below the surface, with temperatures
reaching 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius). Fifteen
hundred active volcanoes have been identified in the world, with
almost 10 percent of these in Chile.
Licancabur Volcano
San Pedro is located at the base of Licancabur. The
native name of this inactive volcano menas Village Mountain.
Licancabur is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of San
Pedro, at the border between Chile and Bolivia, and rises 19,409
feet (5,916 meters) above sea level. From its summit, climbers can
see a complete panoramic view of the region, including the Atacama
Salt flat. Another inactive volcano, Juriques, rises to 18,864 feet
(5,750 meters) and it is located beside Licancabur.
Láscar Volcano
Láscar is one of the major active volcanoes
in South America. Its height rises to 18,346 feet (5,592 meters)
and is located 74 miles southeast of San Pedro. Lascars caldera
houses six overlapping craters. The active crater, located near
the center of the cluster, is about 2,640 feet (750 meters) wide
and 984 feet (300 meters) deep.
During its last eruption on July 20, 2000, Lascar
shot a huge plume of ash 27 miles (45 kilometers) into the sky.
In order to climb the volcano, it is necessary to acclamitize to
the altitude and be cautious of the high wind speed, which can reach
124 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour).
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photo by Christine Nguyen
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The mountain Quimal lies southwest of
San Pedro de Atacama and directly across from Licancabur.
Each year on July 29, Licancabur casts a shadow within
the canyon of Quimal, signifying the beginning of the
farming season. view
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