Chela is a volcano in Chile that was active between 3.75±0.5 and 4.11±0.25 million years ago. It is constructed on top of the 5.4±0.3 million years old rhyolitic Carcote ignimbrite. Its eruption products are mafic andesites. The volcano was degraded by glaciation but radial ridges and red-gray rocks as well as the uniform slopes indicate that it was a symmetric

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

. The Pleistocene

snow line The climatic snow line is the boundary between a snow-covered and snow-free surface. The actual snow line may adjust seasonally, and be either significantly higher in elevation, or lower. The permanent snow line is the level above which snow wil ...

was located at altitude and

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...

s formed on the northern, western and southern flanks. Perhaps volcanically pre-formed

cirque A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...

s also developed. Cerro Chela is located south of

Aucanquilcha Aucanquilcha is a massive stratovolcano located in the Antofagasta Region of northern Chile, just west of the border with Bolivia and within the Alto Loa National Reserve. Part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, the stratovolcano has ...

, from which it is separated by the . It forms a lineament with Cerro Carcote,

Cerro Palpana Palpana (from , ram) is a volcano in the Andes of Chile. It has a summit elevation of . It is part of the dividing range between Upper Loa River basin and Salar de Ascotán basin. Together with Inacaliri and Azufre, it forms a long volcanic chain ...

Miño Volcano Miño Volcano is a symmetrical cone-shaped stratovolcano located in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile. It lies a few kilometres northwest of Aucanquilcha volcano and at its foot originates Loa River. The major settlement in its vicinity ...

and Volcan Las Cuevas that is oriented north-south.

References

Stratovolcanoes of Chile Extinct volcanoes Pliocene stratovolcanoes {{Volcanology-stub