Giant Sombrero in the Altiplano Puna

ENVISAT collecting data
of the spot of magma  uplift
over South America. (Picture
from: http://www.livescience.com/)

A sombrero similar geological formations found in the Altiplano-Puna plateau, South America. Unique formation that formed from an area of ​​1 million hectares of land were raptured 1 centimeter per year.

Observations by satellite in 20 years showed elevated land with an area of ​​circular double island. As for the surrounding area actually goes down.

"We call it sombrero uplift," said Yuri Ralko, geology researcher from the University of California at San Diego, USA, in a press release on the university's website on October 11, 2012. Sombrero is a typical name of a Mexican hat. This cap has a high hood with a wide and flat edges.

The increase of land wedged on the border between Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile is due to the encouragement magma chamber. In geology, the area was lifted like a sombrero cap called a diapir. Diapir position is always located above the magma chamber and buried underground. For the first time researchers found active diapir surface. "Usually the urge magma causes heaving surface. Always up this time," he said.

Sombrero uplift spot location. (Picture from: http://www.disclose.tv/)

Diapir phenomenon that came out of the bowels of the earth suggests the occurrence of a giant caldera formation due to an eruption. In the event, the eruption in this area reached a thousand times more powerful than the 2010 eruption of Merapi.

A still from an animation illustrating "sombrero uplift," with a central peak surrounded by subsidence. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/)

Fialko said the eruption in the removal of the sombrero would trigger global climate turmoil. "Disasters are very powerful," he said. Lucky, the events of this magnitude has never happened in human history. However, in prehistoric times, the area has been experiencing severe eruption by a similar appointment. *** [ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 4026]

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