An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) captured this image of Tunupa Volcano on February 5, 2022. It is located on a peninsula between Bolivia's two largest salt flats (Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Coipsa). These saline marshes vary in sediment coverage and micr

On February 5, 2022

an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took this picture of the Tunupa volcano. It is located betweenBoliviathe two largest salt marshes (Salar de Uyuniand Salar de Coipsa) on the peninsula. These saline marshes vary in sediment coverage and microbial abundance, resulting in darker and lighter surface colors in the areas in which they are located.

Tunupa Volcano is located in the center of the Southern Altiplano, or Andean Plateau, at an altitude of 5.3 kilometers (3.3 miles). The volcano is a composite cone volcano - a large and complex volcano that is typically dominated by lava flows, pyroclastic and debris flow deposits, and domes. Last active about 1.4 million years ago, Tunupa is now thought to be dormant.

The sides of the volcanic cone are carved by ancient eroded valleys glaciers and streams. Domes and lava flows occur on the east side of Tunupa, and the volcano is adjacent to other eroded volcanic fields and craters, including Jayohota and Titi Vera.

Salamanders are usually bright white when viewed from orbit. But during Bolivia's rainy season, rivers can carry sediments rich in microorganisms and dark volcanic minerals to the flatlands. (Such an event was in progress when this photo was taken.) Both Uyuni and Copaza are remnants of ancient saltwater lakes that dried up thousands of years ago. Today they look like dry lake bottoms encrusted with salt.

Astronaut Photo ISS066-E-13923 The company acquired it on February 5, 2022. It is equipped with Nikon D5 digital camera with a focal length of 200 mm. It is provided by the International Space Station Crew Earth Observation Facility and the Johnson Space Center Earth Science and Remote Sensing Division. This photo was taken by the Expedition 66 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed.