Cerro Bonete

Cerro Bonete
Thomas Acher · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr · source
Name	Cerro Bonete
Elevation m	5630
Range	Andes
Location	Argentina / Bolivia
Coordinates	22°30′S 68°00′W
Type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	Holocene (possible)

Cerro Bonete is a high Andean stratovolcano situated on the border region between Argentina and Bolivia in the Altiplano-Puna plateau. The mountain rises among other notable peaks and volcanic centers, contributing to regional Altiplano-Puna volcanic complex tectonics and influencing local Lake Titicaca basin hydrology and Andean orogeny processes. Its summit and flanks host glacial, periglacial, and geothermal features that tie into broader interests in Puna de Atacama, Salar de Uyuni, and Atacama Desert environments.

Geography

Cerro Bonete stands in the central Andes near the eastern margin of the Altiplano, adjacent to provinces and departments such as Jujuy Province, Salta Province, Potosí Department, and Oruro Department. The peak is part of a cluster of high volcanoes including Llullaillaco, Ojos del Salado, Nevado Tres Cruces, Socompa, and Cerro Bonete Chico, which together influence regional drainage toward basins like the Salar de Tara and Salar de Pocitos. Prominent geographic neighbors include Potosí, San Pedro de Atacama, Uyuni, La Paz, and Antofagasta. The topography connects to the Bolivian orocline and aligns with structural trends such as the Calama-Olacapato-El Toro fault and the Llano de la Paciencia.

Geology

The edifice of Cerro Bonete is built on Precambrian and Paleozoic basement rocks similar to exposures in Sierra de Quilmes, Cordillera Oriental (Argentina), and the Arequipa-Antofalla Craton. Magmatism at Bonete links to continental arc processes that affected the Central Volcanic Zone during Neogene-Quaternary times, with compositional affinities to neighboring centers like Volcán Lastarria, Cerro Galán, Incahuasi, and Cerro Miscanti. The volcano exhibits andesitic to dacitic lithologies comparable to suites described from Purico Complex, Laguna Colorada, Tocorpuri, and Cerro Tuzgle. Structural controls include segmentation by the Bolivian orogenic front and accommodation on faults related to the Nazca Plate subduction beneath the South American Plate.

Volcanic History

Eruptive products on Cerro Bonete include lava flows, domes, and pyroclastic deposits analogous to records at Llullaillaco and Lascar. Radiometric ages from the region elsewhere show activity from the Miocene through the Holocene, similar to chronologies at Cerro Galán, Lascar, Ojos del Salado, and Volcán San Pedro. Phreatomagmatic and explosive phases in nearby systems such as Purico and Tocorpuri suggest that Bonete may have experienced alternating effusive and explosive episodes driven by volatile-rich dacitic magmas akin to those at Cerro Panizos and Puna Plateau centers. Geochemical signatures resemble those documented at Altiplano-Puna magma body studies and correlate with isotopic trends recorded at Cerro Bonete Chico and Cerro de los Patos.

Ecology and Climate

Cerro Bonete occupies a high-elevation Puna grassland and High Andean wetlands transition zone where vegetation communities are comparable to those around Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni. Faunal elements include species similar to vicuña, guanaco, Andean condor, flamingo populations associated with saline lakes like Laguna Hedionda and Laguna Blanca, and alpine specialists found near Nevado Sajama and Licancabur. The climate is cold, arid, and strongly seasonal with diurnal temperature ranges like those recorded at Salar de Atacama, influenced by the South Pacific High and by mesoscale circulations studied near Altiplano meteorology observatories such as Chajnantor and ALMA. Periglacial features mirror patterns observed on Volcán Ojos del Salado and Sierra Nevada de Mérida.

Human History and Cultural Significance

Indigenous presence in the region includes cultures tied to the Aymara, Quechua, Tiawanaku, and Inca Empire networks, with highland ritual landscapes comparable to sanctuaries on Llullaillaco and pathways of the Qhapac Ñan. Archaeological parallels exist with high-altitude sites documented at Pukará de Quitor, Tiwanaku, and ritual platforms at Cerro El Toro. Colonial and republican era impacts connect to nearby mining towns such as Potosí and San Pedro de Atacama, and to transportation corridors linking Antofagasta to inland markets. Contemporary cultural practices include pastoralism akin to that practiced in Altiplano pastoralism zones and pilgrimage traditions seen at peaks like Nevado Sajama and Copiapó high places.

Mining and Economic Activity

The region around Cerro Bonete shares metallogenic affinities with major mining districts including Potosí silver mine, Chuquicamata, Escondida, Cerro de Pasco, and El Indio. Significant occurrences of polymetallic vein, epithermal, and porphyry-style mineralization in neighboring systems such as Cerro Rico de Potosí, El Peñón, and Famatina indicate exploration potential for metals including silver, gold, copper, lead, and zinc. Historical mining infrastructure links with colonial operations at Potosí and twentieth-century projects in Salta Province and Antofagasta Region. Environmental management concerns echo those raised around Salar de Uyuni brine extraction and mining governance in Bolivia and Argentina.

Access and Recreation

Approach routes to Cerro Bonete originate from highland communities and access points near Susques, San Antonio de los Cobres, Uyuni, and San Pedro de Atacama, using roads comparable to those serving Ruta Nacional 51 and regional tracks leading to Laguna Verde (Chile). Mountaineers and scientists reference logistics used on peaks like Ojos del Salado, Nevado Tres Cruces, Llullaillaco, and Sajama for acclimatization and basecamp placement. Equipment and permits are coordinated with authorities in Jujuy, Salta, Potosí Department, and with park services that manage protected areas such as Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos and Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. Recreational activities mirror those practiced in Andean mountaineering, high-altitude trekking, and geo-tourism circuits across the Altiplano.

Category:Volcanoes of the Andes