Detail of the terrain in the ALMA area

Volcanic rock on the stony terrain of the ALMA high site, on the 5000 m high Chajnantor plateau, in the Andes of the II Region of Chile. Above the altitude of 4800 m, the landscape is dominated by the high altitude desert, an extreme environment where only sparse tiny plants and lichens can grow. ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is currently under construction at the Chajnantor plateau, while the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope, APEX, has operated there since 2005.