Earth from Space - Image Information


LOCATION Direction Photo #: ISS029-E-20003 Date: Oct. 2011
Geographic Region: BOLIVIA
Feature: PARINACOTA VOLCANO,POMERAPE VOLCANO,LAKE CHUNGARA,LAKE COTACOTANI


IMAGE
 
Parinacota Volcano, Chile-Bolivia Border Region, South America

Note: This caption refers to the image versions labeled "NASA's Earth Observatory web site".

Volcan Parinacota ("flamingo lake" in the regional Aymara language) is a potentially active stratovolcano located on the Altiplano, a high plateau situated within the Andes mountains of west-central South America. While no direct observations of eruptive activity are recorded, surface exposure age-dating of lava flows suggests that activity occurred as recently as 290 AD +- 300 years. Local Aymara stories also suggest that the volcano has erupted during the past 1000 years.

This detailed astronaut photograph from the International Space Station highlights the symmetrical cone of Parinacota, with its well-developed summit crater (elevation 6348 meters above sea level) at image center. Dark brown to dark gray surfaces to the east and west of the summit include lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, and ash. A companion volcano, Pomerape, is located across a low saddle to the north - this volcano last erupted during the Pleistocene Epoch (extending from approximately 3 million to 12,000 years ago). The summits of both volcanoes are covered by white permanent snowpack and small glaciers. Together, the two volcanoes form the Nevados de Payachata volcanic area.

Eruptive activity at Parinacota has directly influenced development of the local landscape beyond the emplacement of volcanic deposits - approximately 8,000 years ago the western flank of the volcano collapsed, creating a debris avalanche that traveled 22 km to the west. This debris avalanche blocked drainages, leading to the formation of Lake Chungara to the south (just visible at the lower left of this view). The uneven, hummocky surface of the debris avalanche deposit provides ample catchments for water, as evidenced by the numerous small ponds and Cotacotani Lake to the west.


Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 207k
Mission: ISS029  
Roll - Frame: E - 20003
Geographical Name: BOLIVIA  
Features: PARINACOTA VOLCANO,POMERAPE VOLCANO,LAKE CHUNGARA,LAKE COTACOTANI  
Center Lat x Lon: 18.1S x 69.2W
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera:: N2
 
Camera Tilt: HO   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 400  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: SE   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number: 1845  
 
Date: 20111007   YYYYMMDD
Time: 132734   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 13.4S  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 71.9W  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 85   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 211   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 43   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: CRATER, PLATEAU, VOLCANO  
Water Views: LAKE, SEA  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views:  
City Views:  

Photo is not associated with any sequences


NASA
Home Page
JSC
Home Page
JSC Digital
Image Collection
Earth Science &
Remote Sensing

NASA meatball logo
This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.
ESRS logo