Lauca

Lauca reaches an elevation of 5,140 meters in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, featuring a large caldera with a lava dome at its northeastern rim.

The volcano formed during the Late Miocene period, approximately 10.5 million years ago, with a major ignimbrite eruption leading to its collapse in the Late Pliocene.

The name of the volcano derives from Aymara language, referring to the water grass that grows in the surrounding high-altitude environment.

The volcano contains two primary rock formations: altered plagioclase-rich varieties and fine-grained silicic types, with amphibole-rich lava flows forming its cone structure.

The Lauca ignimbrite deposits reach thicknesses of 150 meters and extend across the surrounding regions, including the El Diablo Formation and Lluta Canyon.

Location: Putre

Elevation above the sea: 5,140 m

GPS coordinates: -18.33333,-69.38333

Latest update: April 26, 2025 00:09