Firura is an extinct volcano of the Central Andean Volcanic Belt, located in the

Arequipa Region Arequipa ( ay, Ariqipa; qu, Ariqipa) is a department and region in southwestern Peru. It is the sixth largest department in Peru, after Puno, Cuzco, Madre de Dios, Ucayali, and Loreto, its sixth most populous department, and its eleventh least ...

of southern Peru. Together with Sara Sara, Solimana and

Coropuna Coropuna is a dormant compound volcano located in the Andes mountains of southeast-central Peru. The upper reaches of Coropuna consist of several perennially snowbound conical summits, lending it the name Nevado Coropuna in Spanish. The compl ...

it forms one of the Central Andean volcanoes. It is in the Andes, north of the Pucuncho Basin.

Description

Two domes form the Firura volcano, which has a low relief of .

Lava flows Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

and stratovolcanoes form a long field. Aside from the main summit Firura, there also are Soncco Orcco (), Jahsaya () and separating Firura from Solimana Antapuna (). The complex has generated basaltic or

basaltic andesite Basaltic andesite is a volcanic rock that is intermediate in composition between basalt and andesite. It is composed predominantly of augite and plagioclase. Basaltic andesite can be found in volcanoes around the world, including in Central Ameri ...

lava flows that reach down into inhabited areas, as well as an ignimbrite resulting from the collapse of the ancient crater. A collapse of the crater was also responsible for the formation of a landslide dam in the

Cotahuasi River Cotahuasi is a town in Southern Peru, capital of the province La Unión in the region of Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutio ...

valley. The date of the last volcanic activity is Pleistocene to Holocene, but it does not appear to be a significant hazard. Much of the southern side of the volcano above altitude is covered with perennial snow. A small glacier (>) is found on the southern summit of Firura and reaches down to . This glacier appears to be located above the local

equilibrium line altitude Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, clima ...

. Firura has well preserved

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...

systems. A major moraine system with a relief of was left by the

Last Glacial Maximum The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), also referred to as the Late Glacial Maximum, was the most recent time during the Last Glacial Period that ice sheets were at their greatest extent. Ice sheets covered much of Northern North America, Northern Eur ...

, although expansion of glaciers on the northern flank was constrained on a high plateau. The prevalent aridity of the climate impedes the degradation of these moraines.

References

{{Andean volcanoes Volcanoes of Peru Mountains of Arequipa Region Andean Volcanic Belt Mountains of Peru Pleistocene volcanoes Pleistocene Peru