How can a volcano be covered with ice when the other mountains around them are green?
Jun 09, 2009
in
Volcano
We just visited the volcano at Villarica, Chile. The volcano was completely covered in snow and ice but the surrounding mountains- even those of similar height- were not. How is it that the volcano is cold enough on the outside? It doesn't seem to make sense.
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One comment
carmody70 on June 9, 2009 at 7:26 am
I looked up your volcano. It is one of the three largest volcanos in Chile, and if you went recently, then you went during Chile's winter. Villarica does indeed have snow (up to 6.5 m/year), and 40 square km that are covered with glaciers, as well as lots of open vents that steam constantly. The volcano even has its own ski resort. I would guess that your other mountains might LOOK as tall, but at 2847 m high, that might make Villarica taller than the other mountains around it.
Just FYI, most of the "mountains" near Villarica are probably also volcanic in nature, in that the Andean chain is formed by the Nazca tectonic plate sliding under the South American plate (a "subduction zone"), causing crumpling and squeezing, which (in short) leads to volcanism. The other mountains may not be active, but there is certainly activity below! (Look at the Oregonian Cascade Range; same principle.)
Sorry for such a long answer, but I would say that basically Villarica really is taller!