Nevados de Quimsachata
Encyclopedia
Nevados de Quimsachata Volcanic Complex is a 8 km (5 mi)-long volcanic group on a north-south alignment along the border between Bolivia
and Chile
, overseeing Chungara Lake. It contains three peaks, all stratovolcano
es.
Quimsa means three in the Andean Aymara language
, while some local people call these the "Three Sisters".
The group is formed N to S by Volcán Humarata - 5730 m (18,799 ft), Volcán Acotango - 6052 m (19,856 ft) and Cerro Capurata - 5990 m (19,652 ft) (also known as Cerro Elena Capurata). The active Volcán Guallatiri
, to the west of Cº Capurata is not part of the group.
The Acotango
stratovolcano is the central and highest of the three. It is in a fairly advanced stage of dissection, but a morphologically youthful lava flow on its northern flank suggests Holocene activity. Humarata, with a summit crater breached to the ESE, and Capurata, a complex of lava domes and associated pyroclastic-flow deposits, may also have been active during the Holocene
.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, overseeing Chungara Lake. It contains three peaks, all stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
es.
Quimsa means three in the Andean Aymara language
Aymara language
Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
, while some local people call these the "Three Sisters".
The group is formed N to S by Volcán Humarata - 5730 m (18,799 ft), Volcán Acotango - 6052 m (19,856 ft) and Cerro Capurata - 5990 m (19,652 ft) (also known as Cerro Elena Capurata). The active Volcán Guallatiri
Guallatiri
Guallatiri is one of the most active volcanoes in northern Chile. It is just west of the border with Bolivia and at the southwestern end of the Nevados de Quimsachata. It is a symmetrical 6,071 m high ice-clad stratovolcano...
, to the west of Cº Capurata is not part of the group.
The Acotango
Acotango
Volcán Acotango - is the central and highest of a group of stratovolcanoes straddling the border of Bolivia and Chile. The group is known as Nevados de Quimsachata and consists, apart of Acotango, of Volcán Humarata - to its north and Cerro Capurata - on its south.The group lies along a...
stratovolcano is the central and highest of the three. It is in a fairly advanced stage of dissection, but a morphologically youthful lava flow on its northern flank suggests Holocene activity. Humarata, with a summit crater breached to the ESE, and Capurata, a complex of lava domes and associated pyroclastic-flow deposits, may also have been active during the Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
.