Stop 31: Valley of the Spires

Just past the hairpin turn where we first encountered the Filo del Gado, we turned off of the 27 to the dirt road heading East/Northeast into the Valley of the Spires.

Here, the winds blow hard and consistently in the same direction. Millions of years of erosion have worn away the Tara (?) Ignimbrite that once filled this valley leaving only these giant columns.

From there we headed north on the road to Salar de Tara.

On the way, we stopped at the famous WMF outcrop.

Additional Information:

• Lindsay, JM, et al. 2001. La Pacana caldera, N. Chile: a re-evaluation of the stratigraphy and volcanology of one of the world's largest resurgent calderas. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Vol. 106, Issues 1-2, 1 April 2001, Pages 145-173