Sairecabur

Sairecabur
Sairecabur and Saciel
Highest point
Elevation5,971 m (19,590 ft)[1]
Prominence1,300[2] m (4,300 ft)
Parent peakAcamarachi
Coordinates22°43′12″S 67°53′31″W / 22.72°S 67.892°W / -22.72; -67.892[1]
Geography
Map
LocationBolivia-Chile
Parent rangeAndes
Geology
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Climbing
First ascentPre-Columbian[3]

Sairecabur (Spanish pronunciation: [sajɾekaˈβuɾ]) is a volcano located on the frontier between Bolivia and Chile. It is part of the Andean Central Volcanic Zone. Sairecabur proper is 5,971 m (19,590 ft) high; other mountains in the range are 5,722 m (18,773 ft) high Curiquinca, 5,819 m (19,091 ft) high Escalante and 5,748 m (18,858 ft) high Cerro Colorado, all of which have erupted a number of lava flows. Also in close proximity to Sairecabur lie the volcanic centres Licancabur, Putana and Juriques.

Sairecabur proper is accompanied by a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) wide caldera. Before the formation of this caldera the volcano may have been 7,000 m (23,000 ft) high and thus one of the highest volcanoes on Earth. After the formation of this caldera lava effusion occurred during the Pleistocene and Holocene; there is no reported historical activity, however. Eruption products on Escalante and Sairecabur include andesite and dacite. The climate is dry, cold and very sunny.

An Inca sanctuary has been found on Sairecabur, and sulfur mines exist in the mountain chain. More recently, the Receiver Lab Telescope was installed on the volcano. It is the highest submillimeter telescope in the world at an altitude of 5,525 m (18,127 ft).

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GVP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Sairecabur". Andes Specialists. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. ^ Antonio Beorchia Nigris. Los Santuarios Indigenas.