The southern leg of the V is called "Cordón Chalviri" whose other extreme is the Cerro Tuyajto, SW of Puntas Negras and at the same distance SE of the Miñiques volcano.

Several small volcanic centres and lava flows are found here, including Aguas Calientes, Cerros Cenizas, Chinchilla and Laguna Escondida which have well preserved craters.

[4] Magmas from this volcanic chain have a calc-alkaline composition formed by partial melting of a mantle wedge,[2]: 218, 225  with research indicating a decrease in SiO2 concentration over time.

[4] An olivine basalt flow from the northern part of the chain extends over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) towards Salar el Laco and may be of late Holocene age.

[16]: 176  A catchment area of 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi) for the Laguna Miscanti lies in the Cordón de Puntas Negras.

Possibly, the entire chain was covered with glaciers,[6] and certainly the southern part where several sets of moraines and glacial trimlines have been identified.