Mounted image 181: Iconic, Conical Licancabur Watches Over
Chajnantor This impressive panoramic image depicts the
Chajnantor Plateau — home of the Atacama Large
Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) — with the majestic
Licancabur volcano in the background. Watched over by
Licancabur, a icy forest of penitentes (Spanish for “penitents”)
cluster in the foreground. The penitentes are a curious natural
phenomenon found in high-altitude regions. They are thin spikes
of hardened snow or ice, with sharp edges pointing towards the
Sun, reaching heights from a few centimetres up to several
metres. You can read more about penitentes in a previous Picture
of the Week (potw1221). The Licancabur volcano, with an altitude
of 5920 metres, is the most iconic volcano in the area of San
Pedro de Atacama, Chile. Its conical shape makes it easily
recognisable even from very far away. It is located on the
southernmost part of the border between Chile and Bolivia. The
volcano contains one of the world’s highest lakes in its summit