Aucanquilcha is a large
stratovolcano located in the
Antofagasta Region of northern Chile, just west of the border with Bolivia and within the
Alto Loa National Reserve. Part of the
Central Volcanic Zone of the
Andes, it takes the form of a ridge, with a maximum height of 6,176 metres (20,262 ft). The volcano is embedded in a larger cluster of volcanoes known as the Aucanquilcha cluster. This was formed in stages over 11 million years of activity with varying magma output, including
lava domes and
lava flows. Aucanquilcha was formed from four units that erupted between 1.04 and 0.23 million years ago. During the
ice ages, both the principal Aucanquilcha complex and the other volcanoes of the cluster were subject to
glaciation, resulting in the formation of
moraines and
cirques.
Photograph credit: Diego Delso