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| Volcán Juriques | |
|---|---|
| Name | Juriques |
| Elevation m | 5716 |
| Range | Andes |
| Location | Antofagasta Region, Chile / Potosí Department, Bolivia |
| Type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | Holocene (uncertain) |
Volcán Juriques is a conical stratovolcano situated on the border between the Antofagasta Region of Chile and the Potosí Department of Bolivia, near the city of San Pedro de Atacama and the Salar de Atacama. Rising to about 5,716 metres, the mountain forms a prominent landmark south of the Licancabur volcanic complex and west of the Salar de Uyuni basin. Juriques is noted for its steep slopes, well-preserved crater, and proximity to high-altitude saline lagoons such as the Laguna Verde and Laguna Colorada region of the Altiplano. The peak lies within an area of overlapping jurisdiction and interest that includes Los Flamencos National Reserve and historical transit routes used since pre-Columbian times.
Juriques is part of the Andes mountain chain and occupies a position on the Chile–Bolivia border, approximately 30 kilometres southeast of San Pedro de Atacama and northeast of Salar de Atacama. The volcano sits adjacent to the stratovolcano Licancabur, forming a visually paired skyline that dominates the surrounding Puna de Atacama plateau and the Altiplano–Puna volcanic complex. Its coordinates place it within the administrative regions of the Antofagasta Region (Chile) and the Potosí Department (Bolivia), near transport routes connecting Calama and Uyuni. The immediate landscape includes high-elevation salt flats, endorheic basins, and tectonic features associated with the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes.
Juriques is classified as a stratovolcano composed predominantly of andesitic to dacitic lavas and pyroclastic deposits, building a steep cone typical of subduction-related edifices of the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ). The volcano overlies Miocene to Pliocene volcanic and sedimentary sequences related to the uplift of the Altiplano and the evolution of the Andean orogeny. Its crater is well preserved and witnesses flank deposits, lahar channels, and radial fissure systems. Geochemical analyses in the CVZ indicate magmas influenced by partial melting of the mantle wedge and crustal assimilation tied to the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. Regional structural controls include faults and lineaments associated with the Atacama Fault System and the broader tectono-magmatic framework of northern Chile and southwestern Bolivia.
The eruptive history of Juriques is not extensively documented by historical records; most evidence derives from stratigraphic relationships, radiometric dating, and geomorphologic preservation. Holocene activity has been proposed but remains uncertain; the edifice displays relatively uneroded slopes suggesting Quaternary emplacement with possible late Pleistocene to Holocene eruptions. No confirmed historical eruptions are recorded in colonial or modern chronicles from nearby settlements such as San Pedro de Atacama or Calama, in contrast to better-documented CVZ volcanoes like Lascar and Ojos del Salado. Geochronological work in the region, often comparing ages from Licancabur, Sairecabur, and other neighbors, places Juriques' construction within the timeline of post-Miocene volcanic activity that shaped the Altiplano–Puna volcanic complex.
Juriques occupies a high-elevation cold desert environment characteristic of the Atacama Desert and the Altiplano, with extreme aridity, strong diurnal temperature ranges, and high solar radiation. Biotic communities are fragmented and specialized, including high-Andean flora such as ichu grass and cushion plants recorded across sites like Los Flamencos National Reserve and faunal assemblages featuring Andean flamingo populations in adjacent saline lakes and salt flats. Microbial mats and extremophile communities occur in saline lagoons nearby, comparable to ecosystems studied in Laguna Verde and Laguna Colorada. Climatic influences derive from the interplay of the South Pacific High, the Humboldt Current cooling offshore, and regional orographic effects that create hyper-arid conditions and occasional pluvial episodes tied to El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability.
The vicinity of Juriques has long been traversed and utilized by indigenous groups of the Andean highlands, including pre-Columbian trade networks connecting settlements such as Tiwanaku and later routes associated with the Inca Empire. Archeological finds in the wider Licancabur-Juriques area indicate ritual practices and pastoral economies documented in studies of high-altitude sites near Salar de Atacama and Salar de Uyuni. During the colonial period, Spanish expeditions and later scientific surveys by institutions linked to Royal Geographical Society-era explorations recorded the striking twin-profile with Licancabur. In modern times, Juriques features in regional identity and tourism promoted by municipal authorities in San Pedro de Atacama and national parks management agencies such as CONAF in Chile and corresponding Bolivian authorities.
Access to Juriques is typically organized from San Pedro de Atacama or from Bolivian access points near Uyuni, with routes traversing high-altitude desert and salt flats that require acclimatization similar to ascents of Licancabur and Ojos del Salado. Climbing reflects non-technical to moderately technical approaches depending on snow and wind conditions; common itineraries approach the southern flank and traverse moraines and volcanic scree to reach the crater rim. Operators offering ascents often combine visits to Laguna Verde, Laguna Blanca, and regional reserves, coordinating with local guides and regulations enforced by authorities like CONAF and Bolivian park services. Visitors must prepare for hypoxia, temperature extremes, and permits where required, mirroring safety practices for high Andean peaks including Parinacota and Sajama.
Category:Stratovolcanoes of Chile Category:Volcanoes of Potosí Department Category:Andes