Guallatiri
Encyclopedia
Guallatiri is one of the most active volcano
es in northern Chile
. It is just west of the border with Bolivia
and at the southwestern end of the Nevados de Quimsachata
. It is a symmetrical 6,071 m (19,918 feet = 3.7723 miles) high ice-clad stratovolcano
. Guallatiri is capped by a central dacitic dome or lava complex, with the active vent at its southern side.
The volcano featured in the Bolivia Special
episode of the British TV Show, Top Gear. The hosts attempted to take a short cut over the volcano but were forced to turn back after their cars kept breaking down due to the lack of oxygen and they were suffering from altitude sickness
. At one point their oxygen saturation
level fell below 85%, a level which would usually require a hospital check-up.
Guallatiri is the highest active volcano in South America.
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es in northern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It is just west of the border with Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and at the southwestern end of the Nevados de Quimsachata
Nevados de Quimsachata
Nevados de Quimsachata Volcanic Complex is a -long volcanic group on a north-south alignment along the border between Bolivia and Chile, overseeing Chungara Lake...
. It is a symmetrical 6,071 m (19,918 feet = 3.7723 miles) high ice-clad stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
. Guallatiri is capped by a central dacitic dome or lava complex, with the active vent at its southern side.
The volcano featured in the Bolivia Special
Top Gear: Bolivia Special
Top Gear: Bolivia Special is a special 76 minute episode of the motoring series Top Gear, originally broadcast on BBC Two in the United Kingdom at 19:45 on 27 December 2009....
episode of the British TV Show, Top Gear. The hosts attempted to take a short cut over the volcano but were forced to turn back after their cars kept breaking down due to the lack of oxygen and they were suffering from altitude sickness
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness , altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude...
. At one point their oxygen saturation
Oxygen saturation
Oxygen saturation or dissolved oxygen is a relative measure of the amount of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium. It can be measured with a dissolved oxygen probe such as an oxygen sensor or an optode in liquid media, usually water.It has particular significance in medicine and...
level fell below 85%, a level which would usually require a hospital check-up.
See also
Guallatiri is the highest active volcano in South America.