Tunupa volcano and Andean puna vegetation Bolivia
by James Brunker
Title
Tunupa volcano and Andean puna vegetation Bolivia
Artist
James Brunker
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
A view of the Tunupa volcano (5320m / 17,460ft), which lies on the northern shore of the Salar de Uyuni salt flat in southwest Bolivia. Tunupa (sometimes written Thunupa) gets its name from an important Andean deity often associated with storm and lightning and has long been a sacred peak for people of the region. It features in legends about the origins of the Salar (which locals often call the Salar de Tunupa rather than the Salar de Uyuni).
Tunupa was mainly active in the Pleistocene era, with most of the volcano constructed by lava flows during eruptions between 1.3 and 1.6 million years ago. No recent eruptions have been recorded and the volcano is considered extinct, though small fumaroles have been reported. The volcano also once had glaciers on its flanks; look closely at the rock slabs bottom right and you can see the glacial striation lines or striae. These were caused by glacial abrasion - rocks and debris under the ice scraping over the bedrock as the glacier moved down the mountainside.
Photograph © James Brunker. Reproduction, transmission or publication in any form without prior written permission strictly prohibited.
Uploaded
September 28th, 2022
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