Cerro del León facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cerro del León |
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| Puma Orko (Male puma) | |
The Cerro del León (left) and Cerro Toconce seen from the "Vado de Putana" wetlands.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,760 m (18,900 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Antofagasta, Chile |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
Cerro del León is a large volcano in Chile, located in the Antofagasta Region. Its name means "Lion Hill" in Spanish. It is also known as Puma Orko, which means "Male Puma" in the Quechua language.
This volcano is part of a group of volcanoes in the Andes mountains. It's connected to nearby volcanoes like Paniri and Toconce. These volcanoes were active even recently, during the Holocene period. Cerro del León was built up over time by different types of lava. Ice (glaciers) also helped shape its sides.
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About the Volcano
Cerro del León is a stratovolcano, which means it's a tall, cone-shaped volcano. It's made up of many layers of hardened lava and ash. The volcano is about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) wide.
At the very top of Cerro del León, there are two craters, one inside the other. These craters are about 260 to 270 meters (850 to 890 feet) across. There's another volcano nearby called Volcán Lagunita. It's older and more worn down by weather and water.
Where is it located?
Cerro del León is part of the Central Volcanic Zone. This is a long chain of volcanoes in the Andes mountains. Volcanoes have been active in this area for a very long time, since the Oligocene epoch.
The main group of volcanoes, including Cerro del León, formed about 300 to 350 kilometers (186 to 217 miles) away from the coast. Some volcanoes in this area, like San Pedro and Lascar, have erupted in recorded history.
Cerro del León is part of a 65-kilometer (40-mile) long chain of volcanoes. This chain also includes famous volcanoes like San Pedro, Paniri, and Toconce. This whole line of volcanoes was active during the late Pleistocene and Holocene periods.
How the Volcano Formed
Cerro del León was built up in several stages. The lowest parts of the volcano are made of lava flows that sit directly on older rock. These first lava flows erupted from the west and east sides. Later, lava also erupted from the northwest and southeast.
The top and main part of the volcano are made from the latest lava flows. These flows created the shape we see today.
Shaped by Ice
The volcano was also affected by glaciation, which means it was covered by ice. Large sheets of ice, called glaciers, moved down its sides. These glaciers left behind piles of rocks and dirt called moraines. You can still see these moraines as low as 5,200 meters (17,000 feet) high.
These glacial features were formed during the last ice age, about 15,000 to 11,000 years ago. The effects of the glaciers are most noticeable on the north and northwest sides of the volcano.
Religious Importance
Cerro del León is considered a holy mountain by the local people. An ancient Inca religious site is located right on its summit. This shows that the mountain has been important to people for a very long time.
See also
- Cerro Chao
- List of volcanoes in Chile
- Cerro Paniri has a recent satellite photo of the region.
In Spanish: Cerro del León para niños
