Pacha Qullu (

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

''pacha'' world; time, ''qullu'' mountain, Hispanicized spellings ''Pacha Kkollu'', ''Pacha Kollu'', also ''Pacha Kkollu Quimsa Misa'') or Kimsa Misa (Aymara ''kimsa'' three, ''misa'' offering also spelled ''Quimsa Misa'') is a mountain in the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

. It is located in the

Oruro Department Oruro (; Quechua: ''Uru Uru''; Aymara: ''Ururu'') is a department of Bolivia, with an area of . Its capital is the city of Oruro. According to the 2012 census, the Oruro department had a population of 494,178. Provinces of Oruro The depar ...

, Litoral Province, Huachacalla Municipality, west of

Huachacalla Huachacalla is a small town in the Litoral Province of the Oruro Department in Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, ...

(Wachaqalla). Pacha Qullu lies northwest of Inka Qhamachu. The plain at northwest of Pacha Qullu is named Kimsa Misa Pampa ''(Quimsa Misa Pampa)''. The mountain is a

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

. While the date of the last eruption is not known, the degree of erosion suggests an age of about 8.3 million years. Originally the mountain was about higher and had a volume of . Pacha Qullu is a

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58lava flow Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

s and

pyroclastic Pyroclast, Pyroclastic or Pyroclastics may refer to: Geology * Pyroclast, or airborne volcanic tephra fragments * Pyroclastic rock, rock fragments produced and ejected by explosive volcanic eruptions * Pyroclastic cone, landform of ejecta fro ...

material. Erosion has carved radial gullies into its flanks, at whose ends alluvial fans have formed. The volcano has suffered a

sector collapse A sector collapse or lateral collapse is the structural failure and subsequent collapse of a minimum volume of of a volcano. Unlike smaller flank collapses, a sector collapse can involve the central volcanic pipe and historically this term had b ...

, resulting in the formation of a wide and breach. Temperatures in the closely located city of

Oruro Oruro (Hispanicized spelling) or Uru Uru is a city in Bolivia with a population of 264,683 (2012 calculation), about halfway between La Paz and Sucre in the Altiplano, approximately above sea level. It is Bolivia's fifth-largest city by populat ...

range , and precipitation is . The area is very windy. This climate has led to a

xerophytic A xerophyte () is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cactus, cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology (biology), morphology and physiology ...

vegetation, including

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s and

tussock grass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...

References

Mountains of Oruro Department Four-thousanders of the Andes {{Oruro-geo-stub