Cerro del León

Coordinates: 22°08′21″S 68°06′39″W / 22.13917°S 68.11083°W / -22.13917; -68.11083
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Cerro del León
Puma Orko (Male
puma)[1]
The Cerro del León (left) and Cerro Toconce seen from the "Vado de Putana" wetlands.
Highest point
Elevation5,760 m (18,900 ft)[2]
Coordinates22°08′21″S 68°06′39″W / 22.13917°S 68.11083°W / -22.13917; -68.11083[2]
Geography
LocationAntofagasta, Chile
Parent rangeAndes
Geology
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Last eruptionUnknown

Cerro del León is a

dacitic
lava flows and was subject to glacial erosion.

Geology

The volcano has a diameter of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) and is constructed from andesites erupted through three stages of activity. Two nested craters lie on its summit and have diameters of 260–270 metres (850–890 ft). Volcán Lagunita is a neighbouring volcano and is more heavily eroded and

hydrothermally altered.[3]

Regional setting

Cerro del León is part of the

dacitic stratovolcanoes, has formed 300–350 kilometres (190–220 mi) away from the Peru–Chile Trench on a crust 120 kilometres (75 mi) thick. San Pedro and Lascar have historical activity, but only a few volcanoes have been studied, namely Lascar, Ollagüe and Parinacota.[2]

The volcano is part of the San Pedro-Linzor lineament, a 65 kilometres (40 mi) long volcanic chain that extends northwest-southeastward. It was constructed on top the Toconce and Sifon Ignimbrites. The alignment was active during the late Pleistocene–Holocene and contains San Pedro-San Pablo–Paniri–Cerro del León–Toconce–Linzor.[2]

Eruption history

The volcano was constructed in various phases. The base of the volcano is constructed from andesitic lava flows that directly overlie the ignimbrite basement. These at first erupted in the west and east, subsequently northwest and southeast. Dacites and andesites form the last stage and the bulk of the edifice.[2]

The volcano was subject to

glaciation, leaving moraines down to 5,200 metres (17,100 ft) altitude, formed during the last glaciation 15,000–11,000 years ago. Glacial effects are noticeable on the north-northwest flanks.[2]

Petrology

Lavas contain

Hydrothermal alteration has been reported.[4]

Religious importance

Cerro del Leon is a

Inca religious site is located on its summit.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.4067/S0717-73562004000200017
    .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Silva, Francisco; Aguilera, Felipe; Godoy, Benigno; Wörner, Gerhard; Kojima, Shoji (2012). "Evolución del sistema Volcánico Cerro el León (Región de Antofagasta, Chile), mediante interpretación fotogeológica, petrográfica y geoquímica" (PDF). Actas XIII Congreso Geológico Chileno, Antofagasta, Chile: 603–605.
  3. ^ Polanco, Eduardo; Clavero, Jorge; Giavelli, Also (August 2012). "Geología de la cadena volcánica Paniri-Toconce, Zona Volcánica Central, Altiplano de la Región de Antofagasta, Chile" (PDF). Congreso Geológico Chileno: 468–470. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2015.
  4. ISSN 0377-0273
    .

External links
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