Miñiques

Miñiques is a massive volcanic complex containing a large number of craters, lava domes and flows, located in the Antofagasta Region of Chile. Located 21 km south of Volcán Chiliques and 26 km west of Cordón Puntas Negras, it is part of a frequently visited attraction conformed by the high plain lagoons Laguna Miscanti, Laguna Miñiques and the Cerro Miscanti volcano.

Mountain
Miñiques consists of four overlapping volcanoes formed by lava domes and stratovolcanoes. It has two summits, a lower northern summit which reaches 5790 m elevation and a higher southern one which is 5910 m high. The mountain features two crater lakes, one at 5450 m and the other at 5500 m elevation on the southeastern and western side of the northern summit, respectively. A set of well developed moraines exists on the southern flank and may reflect glaciers advancing either from the summit area or a plateau at 4900 m elevation; overall however glaciation on Miñiques was of limited extent and the terrain of Miñiques today is dominated by periglacial processes. Laguna Miñiques lies on its northwestern foot; it was separated from Laguna Miscanti by a lava flow from Miñiques.

The mountain rises from a 4100 m high ignimbrite plateau. It is of Pleistocene age and formed by andesitic and dacitic rocks; it formed during two stages in the Pliocene and Plio-Pleistocene. There is no indication of historical eruptions and the volcano is classified as extinct and its lava flows have been offset by faulting, but activity of the Pliocene-Pleistocene volcano may have continued into the Holocene. Renewed eruptions may impact as well as the surroundings of Laguna Miñiques and would mostly consist of lava flows, but are unlikely to impact populated areas.

There are a number of craters, some of which contain lava domes and lava flows. Stone structures and archeological sites are found on the summit and the flanks of Miñiques mountain, and the church of Socaire is oriented towards the mountain. The Inca associated the mountain with the god Tunupa and with lightning.