Miñiques


Miñiques is a massive volcanic complex containing a large number of craters, lava domes and flows, located in the Antofagasta Region of Chile. Located south of Volcán Chiliques and west of Cordón Puntas Negras, it is part of a frequently visited attraction conformed by the high plain lagoons Laguna Miscanti, Laguna Miñiques and the Cerro Miscanti volcano.

Mountain

Miñiques has two summits, a lower northern summit which reaches elevation and a higher southern one which is high. The mountain features two crater lakes, one at and the other at elevation on the southeastern and western side of the northern summit, respectively. A set of well developed moraines exists on the southern flank and may reflect glaciers advancing either from the summit area or a plateau at elevation; overall however glaciation on Miñiques was of limited extent and the terrain of Miñiques today is dominated by periglacial processes. Laguna Miñiques lies on its northwestern foot; it was separated from Laguna Miscanti by a lava flow from Miñiques.
The mountain rises from a high ignimbrite plateau. It is of Pleistocene age and formed by andesitic and dacitic rocks; the volcano is classified as extinct, but activity of the Pliocene-Pleistocene volcano may have continued into the Holocene. There are a number of craters, some of which contain lava domes and lava flows. Stone structures and archeological sites are found on the summit and the flanks of Miñiques mountain, and the church of Socaire is oriented towards the mountain.

Further sources