Geology and Minerals

Aucanquilcha

Aucanquilcha is a large compound volcano in the Antofagasta Region of northern Chile, within the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes. The volcano has the form of a ridge reaching an altitude of 6176 m above sea level, and formed between 1.04 and 0.23 million years ago; there is ongoing fumarolic activity. The volcano is part of a larger cluster of volcanoes sometimes known as the "Aucanquilcha cluster" or "Aucanquilcha complex". This cluster includes lava domes and lava flows that have formed in several stages over 11 million years of activity with varying magma output. During the ice ages, Aucanquilcha was covered in an ice cap that left moraines and cirques. The cluster has generated lava ranging in composition from andesite to dacite, with the main Aucanquilcha volcano having produced dacites exclusively. Systematic variations in temperature, crystal and biotite content have been recorded during the evolution of the cluster, reflecting changes in the crust from dispersed magma chambers to a centralized volcanic system. The volcano has sulfur deposits in its summit area, which were mined in the past. One mine at an altitude of 5950 m was opened in 1913 and remained in use from 1950 to 1992, constituting at that time the world's highest mine. As part of this mining activity, a road and an aerial cableway were built on Aucanquilcha, which still stand today although they are partially unusable. In 1986, four men were reported to be living at an altitude of 5900 m, making them the highest permanent residents on Earth and drawing scientific attention.

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See also

• ▸Geology of the Western Carpathians
• ▸History of music in the biblical period
• ▸Blairmore, Alberta

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