Laguna Vilama is a salt lake in northwestern Argentina, within the Vilama caldera. It is shallow and covers a surface area of 4,590 hectares (11,300 acres).
This lake belongs to a group of remote Andean lakes that formed during the
Tertiary. These lakes lie at elevations of 4,200–6,000 metres (13,800–19,700 ft) and are characterized by extreme environmental conditions, including high amounts of
heavy metals such as
arsenic, high
salinity, high
UV radiation, high daily temperature fluctuations and low availability of nutrients. The UV radiation is especially problematic for lifeforms inhabiting the lakes and acts as a
mutagen, damaging cellular DNA.[6] Lakes in the neighbourhood of Laguna Vilama include
Laguna Coruto to the northwest across the border with Bolivia and
Laguna Palar to the southeast,[3] and there are more waterbodies east of Vilama.[7]
Laguna Vilama lies at 4,650 metres (15,260 ft) elevation in the
Puna of
Argentina and has a surface area of 4,590 hectares (11,300 acres) and an average depth of 0.2 metres (7.9 in).[1] It is one of the largest lakes in the Puna[8] and developed within the southern moat of the
Vilama caldera; the volcano draws its name from the lake.[9] The waters of the lake are extremely clear and have a low
chlorophyll content owing to a lack of nutrients. However, they are also rich in arsenic and extremely saline[1] with
sodium chloride being the predominant salt.[10] A
hot spring is found at its shores.[11]
Climate and environment
The climate of the region is dry with precipitation of less than 150 millimetres per year (5.9 in/year) and cold with mean temperature of 2 °C (36 °F);[2] temperatures can reach 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and drop to −40 °C (−40 °F) during the night.[1] Precipitation mostly originates from the
South American Monsoon.[12]
The environment around these lakes has remained stable over the last three millennia,[2] but since the 1970s a trend towards a drier climate has been observed, accompanied by a shrinkage of the lake.[20]
Human use
Despite the dry climate, animals,
minerals and
wetlands have drawn humans to the region.[2] The grasses and herbs are used by inhabitants of the towns of
Cusi Cusi in Argentina and
Quetena in Bolivia as pasture, birds are used for their
eggs and
feathers in e.g. religious ceremonies and larger mammals are hunted.[4] In addition, mining took place.[21]
Archeological sites are found, including
chullpas,[21] the site Chillagua Grande close to the southern margin of Laguna Vilama. There, enclosures and formerly roofed buildings were identified,[22] which were later used as refuge for pastoralists and travellers.[23] On the eastern shore lies Isla Vilama directly on the shores of the lake; this site features a number of lithic tools and appears to have been used by flamingo hunters.[24]
^Soler, M. M.; Caffe, P. J; Coira, B. L.; Onoe, A. T.; Kay, S. Mahlburg (1 July 2007). "Geology of the Vilama caldera: A new interpretation of a large-scale explosive event in the Central Andean plateau during the Upper Miocene". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 164 (1): 44.
Bibcode:
2007JVGR..164...27S.
doi:
10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2007.04.002.
ISSN0377-0273.
^Menes, Rodolfo Javier; Viera, Claudia Elizabeth; Farías, María Eugenia; Seufferheld, Manfredo J. (1 January 2016). "Halopeptonella vilamensis gen. nov, sp. nov., a halophilic strictly aerobic bacterium of the family Ectothiorhodospiraceae". Extremophiles. 20 (1): 19–25.
doi:
10.1007/s00792-015-0793-7.
hdl:11336/36836.
ISSN1433-4909.
PMID26475627.
S2CID17910685.