El Laco

El Laco
	On the right on the horizon the summit Pico El Laco , on the left with the black zones Cerro Laco Sur and Cerro Laco Norte . The picture shows only about half of the volcanic complex.
height	5325 m
location	Chile , ; San Pedro de Atacama
Mountains	To the
Coordinates	23 ° 49 ′ 6 ″ S , 67 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ W Coordinates: 23 ° 49 ′ 6 ″ S , 67 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ W
Type	Stratovolcano
rock	Andesite , hematite
particularities	Mining area
	The optically unspectacular El Laco complex seen from about 15 km away. Only the conical peak is visible on the horizon above the motorcycle.
	The geological map shows the distribution of the iron deposits that have already been exploited.

The El Laco - volcanic complex is located in the Altiplano of the central Andes in northern Chile, in San Pedro de Atacama . It is a single volcanic building which, spread over an area of 30 km², consists of at least seven smaller stratovolcanoes and domes with a central crater at its tip, the Pico El Laco.

El Laco is characterized by the presence of iron ore lava flows. This iron deposit with 500 million tons of ore with 60% iron content consists mainly of magnetite and hematite with apatite and actinolite as gangue minerals. It was discovered in 1958 and industrially mined.

Web links

Commons : El Laco - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Naranjo, JA, Henríquez, F. "Geocronología K-Ar y antecedentes paleoambientales del volcanismo de óxido de fierro de El Laco." Santiago 22 (2009): S7_021. ( online )
↑ ^a ^b Nyström, Jan Olov, and Fernando Henriquez. "Magmatic features of iron ores of the Kiruna type in Chile and Sweden; ore textures and magnetite geochemistry." Economic Geology 89.4 (1994): 820-839. ( PDF )
^ Henriquez, Fernando, and Robert F. Martin. "Crystal-growth textures in magnetite flows and feeder dykes, El Laco, Chile." The Canadian Mineralogist 16.4 (1978): 581-589. ( PDF )
↑ Naranjo, José A., Fernando Henríquez, and Jan O. Nyström. "Subvolcanic contact metasomatism at El Laco volcanic complex, central Andes." Andean Geology 37.1 (2010). ( online )
^ Park, Charles F. "A magnetite" flow "in northern Chile." Economic Geology 56.2 (1961): 431-436. ( online )
↑ Frutos, Jose, and J. Oyarzun M. "Tectonic and geochemical evidence concerning the genesis of El Laco magnetite lava flow deposits, Chile." Economic Geology 70.5 (1975): 988-990. ( online )

[Naranjo_2009-1] Naranjo, JA, Henríquez, F. "Geocronología K-Ar y antecedentes paleoambientales del volcanismo de óxido de fierro de El Laco." Santiago 22 (2009): S7_021. ( online )

[Nyström_1994-2] Nyström, Jan Olov, and Fernando Henriquez. "Magmatic features of iron ores of the Kiruna type in Chile and Sweden; ore textures and magnetite geochemistry." Economic Geology 89.4 (1994): 820-839. ( PDF )

[Henriquez_1978-3] Henriquez, Fernando, and Robert F. Martin. "Crystal-growth textures in magnetite flows and feeder dykes, El Laco, Chile." The Canadian Mineralogist 16.4 (1978): 581-589. ( PDF )

[Naranjo_2010-4] Naranjo, José A., Fernando Henríquez, and Jan O. Nyström. "Subvolcanic contact metasomatism at El Laco volcanic complex, central Andes." Andean Geology 37.1 (2010). ( online )

[Park_1961-5] Park, Charles F. "A magnetite" flow "in northern Chile." Economic Geology 56.2 (1961): 431-436. ( online )

[Frutos_1975-6] Frutos, Jose, and J. Oyarzun M. "Tectonic and geochemical evidence concerning the genesis of El Laco magnetite lava flow deposits, Chile." Economic Geology 70.5 (1975): 988-990. ( online )