Laguna Miscanti
Chile · Americas
About
Laguna Miscanti is a brackish lake in the Altiplano of the Antofagasta Region in northern Chile. It has an area of about 13 square kilometres (5 sq mi) and the shape of an arrowhead. The lake has no permanent surface inflows or outflows apart from several springs, and is primarily fed and drained by groundwater. Laguna Miscanti is located among the volcanoes of the Central Andes. The smaller Laguna Miñiques lies immediately south, separated from Miscanti by a lava flow.
The lake formed through tectonic processes about 22,000 years ago. During the late Pleistocene, the wetter climate of the Central Andean Pluvial Events caused Laguna Miscanti to grow, possibly until it merged with Laguna Miñiques. During the Holocene, the climate became drier again, and Laguna Miscanti shrank and may have dried out completely, leaving wetlands behind. 3,400 years ago the lake reformed and has persisted since.
Laguna Miscanti is an important breeding site for birds and a major tourist destination within the Los Flamencos National Reserve. Prehistoric peoples used the area as a hunting ground, and several archaeological sites have been identified nearby.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.