Panoramic view over the Atacama Desert as seen from the Panamericana highway. This

picture illustrates the impressive size of the northern Chilean lava cone. The valley up front

runs 200 km (125 mi) down from the high volcanoes hidden in the dust on the right side of

the picture to the Pacific Ocean, which lies left of the image. The picture was taken at

an altitude of 1300 m (4300 ft). This place is completely empty of plants.

Enlarged panorama: