Enormous dome in central Andes driven by huge magma body beneath it

Science Daily ^ | 10/25/2016 | UC Santa Cruz

[JimSEA]

A new analysis of the topography of the central Andes shows the uplifting of Earth's second highest continental plateau was driven in part by a huge zone of melted rock in the crust, known as a magma body.

The Altiplano-Puna plateau is a high, dry region in the central Andes that includes parts of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, with vast plains punctuated by spectacular volcanoes. In a study published October 25 in Nature Communications, researchers used remote sensing data and topographic modeling techniques to reveal an enormous dome in the plateau.

About 1 kilometer (3,300 feet) high and hundreds of miles across, the dome sits right above the largest active magma body on Earth. The uplifting of the dome is the result of the thickening of the crust due to the injection of magma from below, according to Noah Finnegan, associate professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz and senior author of the paper.

"The dome is Earth's response to having this huge low-density magma chamber pumped into the crust," Finnegan said.

[Ozark Tom]

Calastoga, Ca. also!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiYXEAxBcRU

[mosesdapoet]

Thanks for the graphic

[cloudmountain]

Chileans can come to the United States, but I only know one couple, who came here in the 1970s when Chile’s government was ghastly.

Tell me a country SOUTH of our border that DOESN'T have a "ghastly" government.

[Tax-chick]

Chile. They’ve been doing very well over the last 15-20 years.

[cloudmountain]

Chile. They’ve been doing very well over the last 15-20 years.

Chile today, hot tamale.

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Old, old joke.

[Tax-chick]

LOL! That might be racist ...