Licancabur (Spanish pronunciation: [likaŋkaˈβuɾ]) is a prominent, 5,916-metre-high (19,409 ft) stratovolcano on the Bolivia–Chile border in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes. It is capped by a 400–500-metre-wide (1,300–1,600 ft) summit crater which contains Licancabur Lake, a crater lake that is among the highest lakes in the world. There are no glaciers owing to the arid climate. Numerous plants and animal species live on the mountain. The volcanoes Sairecabur and Juriques are north and east of Licancabur, respectively. Licancabur formed on top of ignimbrites produced by other volcanoes, and has been active during the Holocene. Three stages of lava flows emanated from the edifice and have a young appearance. Although no historical eruptions of the volcano are known, lava flows extending into Laguna Verde have been dated to 13,240±100 years before present, and there may be residual heat in the mountain. The volcano has primarily erupted andesite, with small amounts of dacite and basaltic andesite. Several archaeological sites have been found on the mountain, on both its summit and northeastern foot. They are thought to have been constructed by the Inca or Atacama people for religious and cultural ceremonies and are among the most important in the region. The mountain is the subject of myths in which it is viewed as the husband of another mountain, a hiding place used by the Inca, or the burial of an Inca king.
Etymology and importance The name Licancabur comes from the Kunza language, in which lican means "people" or "town" and cábur/, caur, caure or cauri mean "mountain". The name may refer to the archaeological sites on the mountain. The name of the volcano has also been translated as "upper village". Other names are Licancáguar, Licancaur, Tata Likanku and Volcán de Atacama. Licancabur is one of the widely known volcanoes within Bolivia and Chile and can be seen from San Pedro de Atacama. The region was conquered by the Inca in the 14th century and by the Spanish during the 16th century. Today it is of interest for research on animal health, remote sensing, telecommunication, and the fact that the environment around Licancabur may be the closest equivalent to Mars that exists on Earth, while current conditions at its lakes resemble those believed to have existed at former lakes on Mars.
Geography and geomorphology The volcano is in the Puna de Atacama and Cordillera Occidental of the Andes. The frontier between Bolivia and Chile goes over Licancabur; the Chilean portion is in the Antofagasta Region and the Bolivian in the Potosí Department. Toward the southeast is the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory. San Pedro de Atacama is 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of Licancabur while the adjacent region in Bolivia is largely uninhabited. The border crossing Paso de Jama and Chile Route 27 between Argentina and Chile passes along the southern foot of Licancabur. In 1953, a road was built by yareta cutters that reached an elevation of 4,300 metres (14,000 ft).
Licancabur is a 1.5-kilometre-high (0.9 mi) and 9-kilometre-wide (6 mi) uneroded symmetrical cone with steep slopes. The cone is formed by layers of lava and pyroclastics, and there are traces of lahars. The mountain dominates its surroundings. The summit, 5,916 metres (19,409 ft) in elevation, features a 500-metre-wide (1,600 ft) or 400-metre-wide (1,300 ft) summit crater. The 70-by-90-metre (230 ft × 300 ft) freshwater Licancabur Lake in the crater is one of the highest lakes in the world. The total volume of the volcano was estimated in 1996 to be 35 cubic kilometres (8 cu mi); a 2012 study estimated it to be 44 cubic kilometres (11 cu mi). Young-looking black-grey lava flows emanate from the summit crater and surround the cone, reaching distances of 15 kilometres (9 mi) from the summit west of Licancabur. The flows are 10-to-50-metre-thick (33 to 164 ft) block lavas, and feature structures like ridges, levees and blocks several metres thick. A debris avalanche deposit is found on the western side of Licancabur. The slopes of the mountain are unstable. The landscape around the volcano consists of basins separated by mountain chains. At the northeastern foot of Licancabur is Laguna Verde. The mountain is part of the drainage divide between the Altiplano and the Salar de Atacama. Southwest of Licancabur are the Vilama and San Pedro rivers, which flow to San Pedro de Atacama.
Geology
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