Linzor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Volcán Linzor |
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Volcán Linzor seen from the south at the El Tatio geo-thermal field. In the background the summit of the El Apagado Norte volcano.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,680 m (18,640 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Bolivia and Chile |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Volcán Linzor is a large, cone-shaped stratovolcano located right on the border between Bolivia and Chile. It stands tall in the Andes mountain range. Nearby, you can find the beautiful Laguna Colorada (a red lake) and Cerro del León mountain.
Contents
How Volcanoes Form Here
The Earth's surface is made of huge pieces called tectonic plates. For millions of years, one of these plates, the Nazca Plate, has been slowly sliding underneath the South America Plate. This process is called subduction.
When one plate slides under another, it creates a lot of heat and pressure. This causes melted rock, called magma, to rise to the surface and erupt, forming volcanoes. This is how the many volcanoes of the Central Volcanic Zone in the Andes were created, including Linzor.
Linzor's Volcanic Rocks
Volcán Linzor is part of this active Central Volcanic Zone. Over time, many large eruptions have happened here. These eruptions produced huge sheets of rock called ignimbrites and rivers of melted rock called lava flows.
The rocks that make up Linzor and other nearby volcanoes are a mix of different types. You can find breccia (broken rock fragments), lava domes (mounds of thick lava), and more lava flows. Sometimes, fast-moving clouds of hot ash and gas, called pyroclastic flows, also erupted.
The main types of rocks found here are basaltic andesite, andesite, and dacite. These volcanoes were built on top of older ignimbrite layers that formed about 5 to 23 million years ago. Linzor itself is much younger, forming during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods, which means it's only a few million years old, or even younger.
An Ancient Discovery
An interesting discovery on Volcán Linzor is an Inca sanctuary. The Inca people lived in the Andes a long time ago and often built special places of worship on high mountains. Finding a sanctuary here shows that this volcano was important to them.
Linzor's Surroundings
Volcán Linzor is part of a line of volcanoes that stretches from north to south. This line includes the San Pedro volcano. In the past, this area was covered by large glaciers, which are huge sheets of ice.
A river called the Rio Toconce starts at the base of Linzor. This river eventually flows into the Loa River, which is an important river in the region.
See also
In Spanish: Linzor para niños
- List of volcanoes in Chile
- List of volcanoes in Bolivia
