Antofalla

The volcano Antofalla is a active Stratovolcan of Argentina. It is located in the province of Catamarca, Département of Antofagasta of the Sierra, with the latitude of 25° 32′ south, and the longitude of 67° 59′ west.

Description

With its 6 437 meters of altitude, it is the higher third among the active volcanos of planet, and the higher sixth among the nonextinct volcanos. It is a powerful solid mass which has three aligned tops of west in is on a distance of more or less three kilometers. The Western summit, higher and exposed to the wet winds come from the Pacifique is covered with a cap of permanent snow. It is Nevado de Antofalla, high of 6 437 meters. The top of the center in has 6 329 and that of the east 6 375.

The volcano dominates the length Salar de Antofalla which extends on 163 kilometers in a narrow basin lengthened from the south-south-west to the north-north-east, with a score of kilometers of him. The surface waters of Antofalla formed an important alluvial cone in the shape of nearly perfect range, in edge of this salar.

The volcanic area of Antofalla

Antofalla is in the center of a vast covered zone of high volcanos.

In the North-East, with ten kilometers hardly, is the Conito de Antofalla of 5 583 meters of altitude, from which the old lava flows extend in the salar.

Any close relations also, one can see in the south with twelve kilometers of him, the cone of the volcano Aguada (5 780 meters), and in south-west with twelve kilometers also the active volcano, but in sleep, called Cerro Cajeros (5 725 meters). At the center of the triangle formed by Antofalla, Aguada and Cajeros, and at less than eight kilometers of Antofalla, are located the cone of Botijuela, a volcano him too. In the west, with about fifteen kilometers, is the volcano Lila (5 752 meters).

More moved away already, with approximately twenty-five kilometers in the North-West, one sees the volcanos Ojo de Antofalla and Onas.

Lastly, with a little more than 40 kilometers to the west-north-west, draw up the extinct volcanos Abra Grande (5 391 meters) and Pajonal (5 143 meters).

Tourism - exploration

Antofalla is drawn up in a quasi uninhabited region except for the small town of Antofalla, populated of forty inhabitants. It is the case of all the area, which incontestably one of is moved back and the most isolated from Argentine. Tourism is connected here rather with exploration.

See too

the List of the volcanos of Argentina
the Salar de Antofalla
the Department of Antofagasta of the Sierra

External bonds

List and photographs of the principal volcanos of South America of which Antofalla
Chart of the province of Catamarca
Seen by satellite
List of the Andean tops of more than 6000 meters