Uturuncu
Encyclopedia
Uturuncu, or Uturunku, the highest summit in southwestern Bolivia
, is a stratovolcano
. The volcano produced lava between 890,000 and 271,000 years ago, with younger lavas found at higher altitudes. There are clusters of active fumarole
near the summit.
Researchers have determined that a large, roughly circular "disc" of land surrounding the volcano, approximately 70 km across, has been rising at a rate of 1 to 2 cm per year since at least the early 1990s, making it "one of the fastest uplifting volcanic areas on the Earth", according to volcanologist Shan de Silva.
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...
, is a 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...
. The volcano produced lava between 890,000 and 271,000 years ago, with younger lavas found at higher altitudes. There are clusters of active fumarole
Fumarole
A fumarole is an opening in a planet's crust, often in the neighborhood of volcanoes, which emits steam and gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen sulfide. The steam is created when superheated water turns to steam as its pressure drops when it emerges from...
near the summit.
Researchers have determined that a large, roughly circular "disc" of land surrounding the volcano, approximately 70 km across, has been rising at a rate of 1 to 2 cm per year since at least the early 1990s, making it "one of the fastest uplifting volcanic areas on the Earth", according to volcanologist Shan de Silva.