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Geological Formations

Licancabur

Volcanic Formations

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Licancabur straddles the border between Chile's Antofagasta Region and Bolivia's Potosi Department in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, reaching an elevation of about 5,916 meters. It is a symmetrical stratovolcano whose summit holds a crater some 400 to 500 meters wide containing Licancabur Lake, one of the highest lakes in the world, and Inca ruins crown both the summit and a ceremonial way station lower on its slopes. No eruption is known from its recorded history, and its most recent dated lava flows are roughly 13,240 years old, though elevated crater temperatures suggest it remains potentially active rather than fully extinct. Its arid, glacier-free slopes and Mars-like conditions have made it a site for astrobiology research into environments resembling ancient Mars. This entity documents Licancabur specifically as a geological formation, a dormant Andean stratovolcano crowned by a high-altitude crater lake and Inca ceremonial ruins.

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