Nevados de Chillan, Central Andes
This photograph by an astronaut on the International Space Station highlights the Nevados de Chillan, a large volcanic area near the Chile-Argentina border. In this image, north is to the lower right. Like other historically active volcanoes in the central Andes, the Nevados de Chillan were created by upwelling magma generated by eastward subduction, as the dense oceanic crust of the Pacific basin dove beneath the less dense continental crust of South America. The rising magmas associated with this type of tectonic environment frequently erupt explosively, forming widespread ash and ignimbrite layers. They can also produce less explosive eruptions, with voluminous lava flows that layer together with explosively erupted deposits to build the classic cone-shaped edifice of a stratovolcano. The Nevados de Chillan includes three distinct volcanic structures built within three overlapping calderas. The snow-capped volcanic complex sits within the glaciated terrain of the central Andes. Glacial valleys are visible at image upper left, upper right, and lower right. The northwestern end of the chain is occupied by the 3,212 meter (10,538 foot) high Cerro Blanco, also known as Volcan Nevado. The 3,089 meter (10,134 foot) high Volcan Viejo (also known as Volcan Chillan) sits at the southeastern end; this volcano was active during the 17th to 19th centuries.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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